FIBER REINFORCED STRUCTURES FOR TURBINE ENGINE FRAGMENT CONTAINMENT

THE PROPOSED PROGRAM EXAMINES OPPORTUNITIES FOR LIGHTWEIGHT CONTAINMENT STRUCTURES IN AIRCRAFT AND ROTORCRAFT AND SEEKS TO DEVELOP FIBER REINFORCED MATERIALS AS THE ENERGY ABSORBING CORE OF POTENTIAL CONTAINMENT DESIGNS. THE PROGRAM BEGINS FROM BASELINE DESIGNS FOR FAN CONTAINMENT WHICH EMPLOY PLAIN WEAVE KEVLAR LAMINATES TO ABSORB BLADE FRAGMENT ENERGIES. VARIOUS ADVANCED FIBERS INCLUDING POLYETHYLENE, AROMATIC POLYESTER, AND POLY-P-PHENYLENEBENZOBISTHIAZOLE (PBT) ARE INVESTIGATED FOR THEIR WEIGHT, TEMPERATURE OR ENERGY ABSORBING ADVANTAGE OVERKEVLAR. THESE CANDIDATE FIBERS ARE EXAMINED ALONE OR IN HYBRID FORM WITH 2D AND 3D WEAVE ARCHITECTURES TO ARRIVE AT CANDIDATE TEST PANELS. BASELINE KEVLAR AND ADVANCED FIBER/HYBRID TEST PANELS ARE IMPACTED BY TITANIUM BLADE COUPONS TO OBTAIN COMPARATIVE DATA. PERFORMANCE IS ASSESSED AND A NEW SET OF SPECIMENS IS FABRICATED AND TESTED TO FURTHER ESTABLISH THE EFFECT OF CONSTITUENT AND WEAVE PARAMENTERS ON FRAGMENT ENERGY ABSORBTION CHARACTERISTICS. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE CONTAINMENT CORE MATERIALS ARE MADE AND DESIGNS ARE SUGGESTED TO INCORPORATE THESE MATERIALS INTO ENGINE AND AIRFRAME STRUCTURES.