Author(s)

M. Di Sciuva, M. Degiovanni, M. Mattone, M. Gherlone, N. Bonora, A. Ruggiero & C. Frola

Abstract

This article presents the results of an experimental and numerical activity for the characterisation of the containment capability of Waspaloy
alloy, used for the case in aircraft engines. The ballistic facility is described and the impact experiments outcomes are discussed; some preliminary numerical simulations are also briefly presented. Keywords: blade containment, ballistic tests, airgun, Waspaloy, high strain rate, impact response. 1 Introduction Turbine casings are the heaviest elements of an aircraft engine, thus the lightening of the containment case, without jeopardizing the structural integrity level, would lead to great advantages such as the reduction of the absolute weight of the whole engine and to an increase of the engine performance (specific thrust per unit weight), Kelvin [1]. In casing design, the minimum thickness allowed for the released blade containment requirements [2, 3] is usually determined via the use of experimental ballistic curves and, eventually, endorsed by blade out event FEM simulations [1, 4–7]. A possible work plan for casing containment design could be: (1) to obtain, through experiments, both the static and the dynamic characterisation of the material (in the strain rate range of interest), (2) to perform the ballistic tests

Keywords

blade containment, ballistic tests, airgun, Waspaloy, high strain rate, impact response.