Improved Barriers to Turbine Engine Fragments: Final Annual Report
Abstract
This final annual technical report describes the progress rnade during year 4 of the SPI International Phase II effort to develop a computational capability for designing lightweight fragment barriers for commercial aircraft. Fabrics of high-strength polymers have proven to be excellent candidates for these barriers. Previous large-scale fragment impact testing of comer peg-mounted fabric barriers indicated that the failure of the fabric around the pegged hole was a significant factor in the barrier's effectiveness. Thus, SRI designed and irnplemmted a laboratory test to characterize fabric failure behavior in the vicinity of a pegged hole. A series of these fabric corner failure tests in both Zylon and Kevlar fabrics determined that significant energy can be absorbed in corner tearing. These tests also showed the effects of various parameters on this energy. SRI then performed a second series of large-scale fragment impact tests at its remote test site, using stand-alone fabric barriers aftached to a rigid frame through pegs near the four comers. The pegged comer holes were positioned far enough from the fabric edges to allow significant comer tearing without complete comer detachinent. Tests revealed a relatively small effect of fragment roll angle and a large effect of impact location (with respect to the center of the barrier) upon the ballistic efficiency of the barrier. In some cases, Keviar could be as effective as (or more effective than) Zylon, due to the larger fraction of impact energy consumed in producing comer tearing. A considerable database of large-scale fragment impact tests into Zylon and Kevlar fabric ballistic barriers is now available for fabric computational model refinement and verification. A simplified finite element fabric model has been developed for use as a design tool for choosing or evaluating parameters for fragment barriers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA404817
Entities
People
- David C. Erlich
- Donald A. Shockey
- Jeffrey W. Simons
Organizations
- SRI International