Aero-engine turbine blade containment tests and numerical simulation

In order to have more understanding of the process of breaking off blade impact on containment ring, a series of impacting tests to investigate the aero-engine containment capability has been carried out in a high speed spin facility. Single plate blade was used during the tests. Impacting processes were simulated with finite element numerical method based on impact dynamics theory. Single released blade exerted two impacts one after another on the containment ring at two different points. The second impact is more dangerous than the first. Radial bulge of the containment ring at impact point increases linearly with the initial kinetic energy of the broken blade. However, circumferential distances between two impacted zones decrease linearly with initial kinetic energy. Numerical simulations show a good agreement of the predicted impacting process with the experimental results. The results can be used as a reference for the containment ring optimum design and blade containment capability check.