Aeroengine turbine blade containment tests using high-speed rotor spin testing facility

The blade containment test is regarded as an essential assessment of aeroengine safety. This paper presents the results of a series of blade containment tests where a double edge notched blade was released at certain rotating speed which subsequently impacted the inner wall of the containment ring. These tests were conducted over a range of blade lengths (113–123 mm) and releasing speeds (6800–15 000 rpm) using the high-speed rotor spin testing facility in the laboratory. It is shown that great attention should be paid to the failure of the containment rings caused by the second impact. Numerical simulations are carried out using nonlinear finite element method to study the impact process. The simulation results agree with the experimental results. Current experimental and numerical methods will be extended to actual aeroengine cases involving more complex blades and containment rings.