Abstract
An open rotor blade failure and release event can result in a high energy impact on an aircraft fuselage that can reduce the strength of the structure and challenge the safe continuation of the flight and landing. This work highlights the development of a numerical approach and methodology in order to improve the assessment of the damage predictions of a composite propeller blade impact against the fuselage of an aircraft to be able to estimate a minimum thickness of shielding for the full protection of the airframe. A number of dynamic simulations were carried out, from rigid up to deformable and frangible projectiles at different angles of incidence, varying the material and the thicknesses using Abaqus/Explicit. The finite element (FE) models for blade and target were calibrated and validated separately allowing to capture the right behavior and failure modes. Impact tests of partial blade fragments against stiffened composite panels were correlated with simulations and the obtained results show a good agreement regarding deformations and delaminated area. Finally, a full blade FE model was generated and used for the fuselage impact numerical analysis. This was done within the frame of the Open Rotor project funded by Clean Sky European research programme.
Highlights
Key for the development of the generation aircraft is the implementation of advanced green technologies, focusing principally on the efficiency improvement and on the reduction of emissions
This work describes the development of a representative full size composite aerofoil nonlinear finite element (FE) model that was used for the analysis of the Open Rotor Blade Release (ORBR) effects and impact behaviour and to develop shielding solutions and assess their level of effectiveness regarding the airframe protection
The model was qualitatively correlated with the blade release full scale impact test of NASA Glenn Research Center and the Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) China Lake [2] related to the work of The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency in order to determine the certification requirements for open rotor engines
Summary
Key for the development of the generation aircraft is the implementation of advanced green technologies, focusing principally on the efficiency improvement and on the reduction of emissions. One of the main certification risks for a Contra-Rotating Open Rotor (CROR) is the safety level demonstration and the preclusion of any hazard or catastrophic effects during an Open Rotor Blade Release (ORBR) event This could potentially result in a blade impact on the airframe reducing the strength of the structure, to cross engine debris exposure or to collateral damage on adjacent blades and challenge the safe continuation of flight and landing. In parallel with the CROR innovative shielding solutions development, the projectile definition plays an important role for the overall damage assessment and for the better understanding of the failure modes that take place in such a high energy impact event As it can be seen in Fig. a separate test pyramid was followed for the blade modelling, which was subsequently divided into two phases. The model was qualitatively correlated with the blade release full scale impact test of NASA Glenn Research Center and the Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) China Lake [2] related to the work of The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency in order to determine the certification requirements for open rotor engines
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