Method and apparatus for artificial bird manufacturing in impact testing

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for artificial bird manufacturing in impact testing are described herein. An apparatus for generating an artificial bird for an impact test includes a mold generator that forms a mold based on a bird identification; the mold filler is used for filling a mold with a first layer of crushed ice and a second layer of crushed ice; a compressor for compressing an ice surface of at least one of the first layer of crushed ice or the second layer of crushed ice to form an indentation on the ice surface; and the freezer re-freezes the crushed ice layer in the mold to form the artificial bird.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application number 202210441087.0 filed on April 25, 2022, and invention name “Method and device for manufacturing artificial birds in impact tests”. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to aircraft component testing and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for artificial bird creation in impact testing. Background Art

[0003] Turbine engines are some of the most widely used power generation technologies. A gas turbine is an example of an internal combustion engine that uses a burning air-fuel mixture to produce hot gases that spin a turbine, thereby generating power. Applications for gas turbines can be found in aircraft, trains, ships, generators, gas compressors, and pumps. For example, modern aircraft rely on a variety of gas turbine engines as part of the propulsion system to produce thrust, including turbojets, turbofans, turboprops, and afterburning turbojets. Such engines include a combustion section, a compressor section, a turbine section, and an inlet, providing high power output at high thermal efficiency.

[0004] Aircraft-based gas turbine component testing includes evaluating the engine's response to bird strikes. Bird strikes can cause permanent deformation, sudden loss of thrust, and / or potential engine failure. Engine designs that take into account the inevitable bird strikes can be used to reduce the severity of potential damage caused by bird ingestion (e.g., birds entering the engine inlet or impacting the engine structure). Artificial birds can be developed to simulate the mass, shape, density, and / or impact effects of birds during ingestion testing. However, reproducing the physical properties of real birds (e.g., including different bird species) can be challenging and lack consistency. Therefore, a consistent and reproducible method for the manufacture of artificial birds for testing aircraft components would be welcomed in the art. Summary of the invention

[0005] A method and apparatus for artificial bird fabrication for use in impact testing are disclosed.

[0006] Certain examples include an apparatus for generating an artificial bird for impact testing. The example apparatus includes a mold generator that forms a mold based on a bird identification, a mold filler that fills the mold with a first layer of crushed ice and a second layer of crushed ice, and a compressor that compresses an ice surface of at least one of the first layer of crushed ice or the second layer of crushed ice to form an indentation on the ice surface. The example apparatus includes a freezer that refreezes the crushed ice layer within the mold to form the artificial bird.

[0007] Certain examples provide a method of generating an artificial bird for impact testing. The example method includes forming a mold based on a bird identification, filling the mold with a first layer of crushed ice and a second layer of crushed ice, and compressing an ice surface of at least one of the first layer of crushed ice or the second layer of crushed ice to form an indentation on the ice surface. The example method includes refreezing the crushed ice layer within the mold to form the artificial bird.

[0008] Certain examples provide a method of making an artificial bird for impact testing. The example method includes crushing an amount of ice corresponding to a desired weight of the artificial bird, placing a first layer of crushed ice in a mold, compressing a top portion of the first layer of crushed ice, and wetting the compressed top portion of the first layer. The example method includes placing a second layer of crushed ice on the first layer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1A An example artificial bird assembly formed from layered ice using an example mold based on the apparatus and methods disclosed herein is illustrated.

[0010] Figure 1B The example method disclosed in this article is illustrated Figure 1A Example cutting of an artificial bird to determine the density of the formed segments.

[0011] Figure 1C Illustration of the use Figure 1A Example impact test of an artificial bird to determine the resistance of engine components to bird ingestion impacts.

[0012] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an example implementation of an artificial bird maker in which the examples disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0013] Figure 3 A flowchart representing example machine readable instructions that may be executed to implement Figure 2 An example of an artificial bird maker.

[0014] Figure 4 A flowchart representing example machine readable instructions that may be executed to use Figure 2 An example of an artificial bird maker filling a cylindrical mold with crushed ice during making an artificial bird.

[0015] Figure 5 is constructed to execute Figure 3 and / or Figure 4 Instructions to achieve Figure 2 Block diagram of an example processing platform of an example artificial bird maker.

[0016] These drawings are not in proportion. On the contrary, the thickness of the layer or region can be increased in the drawings. In general, the same reference number is used throughout the drawings and the accompanying written description to refer to the same or similar parts. As used in this patent, it is stated that any part (e.g., layer, film, zone, region or plate) is in any way on (e.g., placed on, positioned on, set on or formed on, etc.) another part, indicating that the reference part is in contact with the other part, or the reference part is located above the other part and one or more intermediate parts are located therebetween. Unless otherwise specified, connection references (e.g., attachment, connection, connection and engagement) will be interpreted broadly and may include intermediate members between element sets and relative movement between elements. Therefore, connection references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and connected to each other in a fixed relationship. Explaining that any part is "in contact" with another part means that there is no intermediate part between the two parts. Although the drawings show layers and regions with clean lines and boundaries, some or all of these lines and / or boundaries can be idealized. In fact, boundaries and / or lines can be unobservable, mixed and / or irregular. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Bird ingestion during aircraft operation may occur at any stage of flight, but is most common during takeoff, initial climb, approach and / or landing. Although small aircraft are more likely to suffer structural damage (e.g., control surface damage, windshield penetration, etc.), large aircraft will suffer from engine-based bird ingestion, which causes loss of flight instrument function due to the impact effect, causing potential partial or complete loss of control and / or erroneous instrument readings. Any part of the aircraft's front engine may be hit by a bird, including inlet mounting components (e.g., inlet sensors), nose cones, spinners on fan or compressor rotors, engine protection equipment (e.g., inlet barrier filters), engine inlet guide vane assemblies and / or fan or compressor blades. In some examples, the first stage rotating blades (e.g., the first exposed stage of any fan or compressor rotor) are susceptible to bird ingestion events and / or bird strikes. Therefore, the engine needs to be designed and structurally and / or operationally tolerant to withstand bird ingestion events. In some examples, the ability to assess an engine's ability to withstand bird ingestion and / or impact can be based on tests of various bird sizes, potential speeds, target locations and / or rotor speeds. Artificial birds can be developed to simulate the mass, shape, density and / or impact effects of various bird species.

[0018] A critical impact parameter (CIP) may be used to determine the maximum impact damage to an engine due to bird ingestion, expressed as a function of bird mass, bird speed, fan or rotor speed, bird impact or aiming location, and / or fan or rotor blade geometry. For example, the CIP may be fan blade leading edge stress or any other design feature and / or parameter (e.g., the most limiting parameter to be considered for impact testing). The CIP may vary based on the type of engine structure and / or substructure used (e.g., turbofan first stage fan blades, fan blades with partial span shrouds, wide chord fan blades without shrouds, etc.), and also depends on bird speed or bird mass (e.g., changes in bird mass may affect the mass of slices produced during bird ingestion). For example, the CIP may be leading edge stress, blade root stress (e.g., for first stage fan blades), shroud shedding produced by blade deflection (e.g., for fan blades with partial span shrouds), or blade twist in a dovetail slot resulting in tail blade impact (e.g., for wide chord fan blades without shrouds).

[0019] Small, medium, and / or single large bird ingestion testing may be performed to ensure the engine's tolerance to potential bird ingestion and compliance with regulatory guidelines. For example, if the engine lacks adequate strength and / or resistance to a bird ingestion event, bird debris impact can damage critical internal components (e.g., frame struts or strut fairings that house fuel, oil, high-pressure bleed air lines, etc.). Therefore, the effects of bird strikes should be studied to consider rotating components, compressor case strength, potential blade failures, and / or the strength of the engine structure and / or shaft. In addition, the engine's response to large bird ingestion may be evaluated to consider the effects of engine unbalanced loads, surge-related loads, torque loads, and / or axial loads. For example, testing may focus on targeting artificial birds on the core sprue and / or fan face areas (e.g., allowing bird targets to be evenly distributed across the front face of the engine), determining whether a specific bird size enters the rotor blades through the engine inlet, and / or identifying whether the engine can maintain a specific takeoff power or thrust level after a bird ingestion event.

[0020] Current methods of determining an engine's response to an ingestion event may include the use of real bird bodies during aircraft component testing. Artificial birds provide an alternative to the use of bird carcasses, reducing the need to euthanize birds for testing purposes and reducing overall costs and achieving repeatable test results. While used in pre-certification testing to demonstrate the bird strike resistance of aircraft components, artificial birds may not be designed based on the physical properties of a real bird, but rather represent an artificial projectile launched at an aircraft component at an operational velocity, representing a potential bird strike. In some examples, a variety of different shapes may be used to create the mass, density, diameter, and / or length of the artificial projectile used during targeted bird strike testing. Additionally, the internal density of the artificial projectile will vary and may not accurately mimic the density of a real bird of various bird species.

[0021] The method and apparatus disclosed herein for artificial bird manufacturing allow for consistent and reproducible formation of structures with bird-like features that reflect the amount of energy that a turbine engine can release during bird ingestion. In addition, the method and apparatus disclosed herein allow for a systematic method for handling and manipulating artificial birds for impact testing of aircraft engines, including stationary and / or rotating engine components. The examples disclosed herein describe the use of molds to form artificial birds based on crushed ice processing (e.g., layering, compression, etc.). Therefore, an artificial bird that represents the type of impact (e.g., kinetic energy release) that a real bird may cause during a bird ingestion event can be manufactured, while allowing the formation of a structure with uniform shape and density, thereby allowing consistent testing and analysis correlation. In addition, the method and apparatus disclosed herein allow the artificial bird to remain intact (e.g., not decomposed) when it is installed and released during testing. Although the method and apparatus disclosed herein focus on artificial bird manufacturing for turbine engine testing, the method and apparatus disclosed herein can be used to test any applicable blade-based equipment (e.g., wind turbines, etc.) and / or for any structural testing of potential aviation-related bird-based collisions.

[0022] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which specific examples that can be practiced are shown by way of illustration. These examples are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the subject matter, and it should be understood that other examples may be used. Therefore, the following detailed description is provided to describe exemplary embodiments and should not be considered to limit the scope of the subject matter described in this disclosure. Certain features from the different aspects described below may be combined to form new aspects of the subject matter discussed below.

[0023] "Include" and "comprising" (and all their forms and tenses) are used herein as open-ended terms. Thus, whenever a claim adopts any form of "include" or "comprising" (e.g., includes, comprises, including, containing, having, etc.) as a preamble or in any type of claim recitation, it should be understood that additional elements, terms, etc. may be present without exceeding the scope of the corresponding claim or reference. As used herein, when the phrase "at least" is used as a transitional term, such as in the preamble of a claim, it is open-ended in the same manner as the terms "include" and "comprising." The term "and / or" when used in the form of, for example, A, B, and / or C, refers to any combination or subset of A, B, C, such as (1) A alone, (2) B alone, (3) C alone, (4) A and B, (5) A and C, (6) B and C, and (7) A and B and C. As used herein in the context of describing structures, components, items, objects, and / or things, the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to refer to including (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing structures, components, items, objects, and / or things, the phrase "at least one of A or B" is intended to refer to any of the embodiments including (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B. As used herein in the context of describing the performance or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, and / or steps, the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to refer to including any of the embodiments including (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing the performance or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, and / or steps, the phrase "at least one of A or B" is intended to refer to including any of the embodiments including (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0024] As used herein, singular references (e.g., "a," "an," "first," "second," etc.) do not exclude the plural. As used herein, the term "a" or "an" entity refers to one or more of that entity. The terms "a" (or "an"), "one or more," and "at least one" may be used interchangeably herein. Furthermore, although listed separately, multiple devices, elements, or method actions may be implemented by, for example, a single unit or processor. Furthermore, although individual features may be included in different examples or claims, these may potentially be combined, and the inclusion of different examples or claims does not mean that a combination of features is not feasible and / or advantageous.

[0025] As used herein, the terms "system," "unit," "module," "engine," "component," and the like may include hardware and / or software systems that operate to perform one or more functions. For example, a module, unit, or system may include a computer processor, controller, and / or other logic-based device that operates based on instructions stored on a tangible and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium such as a computer memory. Alternatively, a module, unit, or system may include a hard-wired device that operates based on the hard-wired logic of the device. The various modules, units, engines, and / or systems shown in the accompanying drawings may represent hardware that operates based on software or hard-wired instructions, software that directs hardware to operate, or a combination thereof.

[0026] Figure 1A An example artificial bird assembly 100 formed from layered ice using an example mold 115 based on the methods and apparatus disclosed herein is illustrated. Figure 1A In the example of FIG. 1 , the artificial bird 105 is formed by creating ice layers 110a, 110b within the mold 115. In some examples, the ice layers 110a, 110b may include crushed ice. Figure 3-4 As described, the layered ice structure can be used to create an artificial bird (e.g., an ice bird) having a uniform density and / or a uniform shape. Figure 1A In some examples, mold 115 can be made of any material suitable for ice containment (e.g., plastic, metal, etc.). In some examples, mold 115 can take any shape that can be used as a projectile to represent the area where a bird strikes an aircraft. Figure 1A In the example of , mold 115 is a straight-ended cylinder, but mold 115 can take any other shape (e.g., a hemispherical-ended cylinder, an ellipsoid, etc.) and / or diameter. In some examples, the diameter can be a more critical parameter than the length and / or shape of the mold (e.g., cutting an object by rotating an airfoil may depend more on the diameter of the object than its length). In some examples, the height of mold 115 can be in the range of 10-20 inches. In some examples, the height and / or diameter of mold 115 can depend on the desired bird to be tested (e.g., the total weight of the artificial bird, ranging from 1-5 kilograms). In some examples, the diameter of mold 115 can vary based on the desired bird (e.g., from 0.07-0.2 meters). In some examples, any number of crushed ice layers 110a, 110b (e.g., as shown in example magnified view 108 using artificial bird 105) can be used to fill example mold 115. Once mold 115 has been filled with crushed ice layers 110a, 110b, as combined Figure 3-4As described, the artificial bird 105 can be removed from the mold 115 to produce a freestanding structure (e.g., shown as being placed on an example base 112). In some examples, the height of the resulting artificial bird 105 is the same as the height of the mold 115, while in other examples, the height of the artificial bird is less than the total height of the mold 115.

[0027] Figure 1B The example method disclosed in this article is illustrated Figure 1A Example cutting 150 of artificial bird 105 to determine the density of the formed segments. For example, once artificial bird 105 has been formed using multiple layers of crushed ice (e.g., layers 110a, 110b), the uniformity of the density of artificial bird 105 can be verified by determining the density of one or more segments of the same size. In some examples, the resulting artificial bird 105 can be trimmed to a desired height by removing segments of ice (e.g., segments 155, 165) from the top and / or bottom of the artificial bird 105. In some examples, Figure 1B Each segment of the artificial bird 105 shown in FIG. 1 can have a segment density (e.g., including segments 155, 160, and / or 165) measured and / or recorded to identify whether the resulting density is consistent throughout the artificial bird 105 and / or whether the density matches a desired density for the artificial bird. In some examples, the desired bird density can be determined based on existing bird body density measurements (e.g., based on species, age, length, diameter, wingspan, etc.). For example, the body density measurement can be based on water displacement. In some examples, the average dry density of a bird species can be between 0.60-1.0 grams per cubic centimeter (g / cm 3 Thus, artificial birds may be formed based on various expected bird densities that may be encountered during flight (e.g., including birds that may appear in groups with low densities rather than individual birds with high densities). Confirming the density of ice segments (e.g., segments 155, 160, and / or 165) allows for verification, iteration, and / or modification of the density of the entire artificial bird 105. Figure 1A The ice layering process is designed to ensure uniform density is achieved throughout the ice structure while matching the expected bird density anticipated for aircraft component testing during a simulated bird ingestion event.

[0028] Figure 1C Illustration of the use Figure 1A An example impact test 170 of an artificial bird 105 is performed to determine the resistance of engine components to the impact of bird ingestion. The impact test may be performed to allow the artificial bird 105 to impact any area of ​​the engine, including an example engine fan blade 185. Figure 1CIn an example, an artificial bird 105 is mounted on an example sabot 175 prior to being released into a test area of ​​an engine (e.g., toward an engine fan blade 185). In some examples, the speed of the artificial bird 105 can be tracked during testing (e.g., using a paper speed target inserted into crushed ice). In some examples, multiple areas can be analyzed to determine how a bird ingestion event affects engine performance, including testing with multiple artificial birds 105 simultaneously. In some examples, the energy input generated by an artificial bird impact can be compared to the energy input levels measured when an impact test is performed using a real bird. Thus, additional adjustments can be made to the artificial bird parameters (e.g., density, length, width, etc.) to create an artificial bird that closely resembles the impact conditions experienced when using a real bird. For example, the shape and / or size of the mold 115 can be changed, and the total number of ice layers (e.g., ice layers 110a, 110b) can be adjusted and / or the particle size of the crushed ice can be modified. In some examples, Figure 1C An example impact test 170 may include a tank for containing pressurized air, a pressure relief valve, a chamber for containing a cartridge (e.g., to secure an artificial bird), a tube for guiding the bird as it is accelerated by the pressurized air, and / or an instrument for artificial bird velocity and / or orientation measurement. In some examples, high-speed photography may be used to capture the results of an impact test using an artificial bird as a projectile. Additionally, multiple launches of the artificial bird 105 may be performed for certain rotating target tests to account for various impact locations (e.g., between two blades, on the back of a blade, etc.).

[0029] Figure 2 2 is a block diagram 200 of an example implementation of an artificial bird maker 205 by which the examples disclosed herein may be implemented. The artificial bird maker 205 includes an example controller 210, an example bird determiner 215, an example mold generator 220, an example mold filler 225, an example compressor 230, an example sprayer 235, an example freezer 240, an example cutter 245, an example density determiner 250, an example test result analyzer 255, and / or an example data storage device 260.

[0030] The controller 210 controls the artificial bird making process, including determining a desired bird using the bird determiner 215, generating a mold (e.g., based on the desired bird) using the mold generator 220, filling the mold (e.g., with crushed ice) using the mold filler 225, compressing the crushed ice using the compressor 230, spraying one or more layers of ice using the sprayer 235 (e.g., misting the surface of the ice with water), freezing and / or refreezing the crushed ice layer using the freezer 240, cutting the formed ice structure using the cutter 245, determining the density of the ice structure using the density determiner 250, evaluating the test results (e.g., from density measurements, etc.) using the test result analyzer 255, and / or storing parameters (e.g., input by a user and / or determined by the artificial bird maker 205) in the data storage device 260. In some examples, the controller 210 modifies settings (e.g., temperature, ice particle size, freezing time, number of ice layers, etc.) based on input provided by the user and / or input determined during testing and evaluation of a given formed artificial bird (e.g., based on desired criteria for a final artificial bird structure). For example, controller 210 can modify the mold shape (e.g., length, diameter, etc.) based on the desired bird (e.g., bird size, weight, etc.). In some examples, controller 210 fills the mold with a given number of ice layers based on mold parameters and / or desired artificial bird density.

[0031] Bird determiner 215 determines a bird identification for the artificial bird. For example, the bird can be based on an expected final artificial bird size (e.g., small, medium, large) and / or expected artificial bird parameters (e.g., length, width, weight, etc.). In some examples, bird determiner 215 can receive input from a user that specifies the type and / or number of artificial birds to be manufactured. In some examples, bird determiner 215 determines a bird density (e.g., 0.60-1.0 g / cm 3 ). In some examples, bird determiner 215 identifies the type of artificial bird to be created based on desired bird physical characteristics (eg, species, age, diameter, wingspan, etc.).

[0032] The mold generator 220 generates a mold for forming an artificial bird (e.g., Figure 1A A mold of an artificial bird 105) (e.g., Figure 1A For example, mold generator 220 can generate mold 115 based on a desired bird (e.g., as determined using bird determiner 215). The generated mold can be of any shape, size, and / or material (e.g., metal, polymer, etc.). In some examples, mold generator 220 selects a mold material (e.g., type of metal, polymer, etc.) based on a type of material suitable for forming an ice-based artificial bird, such as in combination with Figure 3-4In some examples, the mold generator 220 can generate multiple molds, depending on the type of bird and / or the total number of artificial birds required for the bird inhalation test, such as in combination with Figure 1C In some examples, the mold can be pre-made based on the user's preference for the size of the artificial bird.

[0033] The mold filler 225 fills the mold (e.g., generated using the mold generator 220) with an ice layer (e.g., crushed ice). In some examples, the mold filler 225 determines the amount of ice required (e.g., the total weight of ice that needs to be crushed before filling the mold). In some examples, the mold filler 225 determines the ratio of water to ice that the mold 115 is filled with for a specific bird. In some examples, the mold filler 225 weighs the crushed ice in real time to determine the amount of crushed ice (e.g., the amount of ice added and / or subtracted from the mold). In some examples, the mold filler 225 includes a colored dye (e.g., mixed with ice) to allow the artificial bird to have a specified color (e.g., for identification purposes, etc.). Before filling the mold 115, the mold filler 225 can prepare an ice formulation using a mixer until the desired consistency of the ice is reached. Once the ice formulation is prepared, the mold filler 225 can pour the crushed ice into the mold 115 (e.g., layer by layer). For example, the mold filler 225 can fill the mold with a first layer of crushed ice, followed by a second layer of crushed ice. In some examples, the first layer of crushed ice and / or the second layer of crushed ice (e.g., Figure 1A The layers 110a, 110b) are compressed using a compressor 230 and / or sprayed with water using a sprayer 235 (e.g., to wet the surface of the ice layer).

[0034] Compressor 230 compresses the crushed ice within mold 115. In some examples, the compressor can apply compression strokes to the surface of the ice layer (e.g., the surface of layers 110a, 110b) using a tamper (e.g., a flat tamper, a wedge-shaped tamper, etc.). For example, applying multiple compression strokes (e.g., 3-10 strokes) to the surface layer of ice can create indentations on the surface of the ice. In some examples, during the laying of the crushed ice layer by mold filler 225, any other type of compressive force can be used to compress the ice layer. In some examples, all ice layers within the mold can be compressed before each subsequent ice layer is applied. In some examples, a specified ice layer can be compressed according to the desired consistency and / or final density of the artificial bird 105.

[0035] Sprayer 235 sprays and / or atomizes the surface of the ice layer (e.g., layers 110a, 110b). For example, sprayer 235 can evenly atomize the surface of the ice layer with water before adding a subsequent crushed ice layer (e.g., using mold filler 225). For example, atomizing the surface of the ice layer can improve the bonding between crushed ice layers 110a, 110b. In some examples, sprayer 235 atomizes each surface of the ice layer within mold 115. In some examples, sprayer 235 selectively atomizes the surface of the ice layer within the mold (e.g., based on the bonding strength between the ice layers).

[0036] Freezer 240 freezes the crushed ice layer inside mold 115. For example, once mold filler 225 has filled mold 115 with a layer of ice, freezer 240 refreezes the crushed ice inside the mold (e.g., 10-20 hours). In some examples, freezer 240 regulates the ambient temperature (e.g., between -25 degrees Celsius and -10 degrees Celsius). In some examples, freezer 240 can be used to refreeze the crushed ice inside mold 115 before the entire mold has been filled with one or more layers of crushed ice.

[0037] The cutter 245 cuts the artificial bird 105 into a plurality of segments to adjust the length of the artificial bird 105 and / or determine the ice density of the formed ice structure representing the artificial bird 105. In some examples, the cutter 245 cuts the re-frozen crushed ice into segments of equal size (e.g., Figure 1B In some examples, the cutter 245 cuts the artificial bird 105 using a saw and / or any other cutting technique that allows cutting ice. In some examples, the cutter 245 prevents the artificial bird 105 from melting during the cutting process (e.g., using a wooden V-shaped block, etc.). In some examples, the cutter 245 cuts the top and / or bottom of the artificial bird 105 to cut the bird into a desired size (e.g., lengthwise).

[0038] The density determiner 250 determines the density of the artificial bird 105. For example, the density determiner 250 can determine the ice density of one or more sections obtained using the cutter 245. In some examples, the density determiner 250 determines whether the density of the artificial bird 105 is uniform and / or corresponds to the desired density of the selected bird (e.g., based on the bird determiner 215). In some examples, the artificial bird 105 is cut using the cutter 245 to determine whether the ice density of the artificial bird 105 is uniform and is not further used for bird inhalation testing. For example, once it is confirmed that the density of the artificial bird 105 is consistent throughout the ice structure, the artificial bird maker 205 can be used to form one or more artificial birds 105 based on a method (e.g., temperature setting, number of compression strokes, etc.) that produces the desired bird size and / or density.

[0039] The test result analyzer 255 analyzes the determined ice density obtained during the testing and / or development of the artificial bird 105 to compare the ice density with the known and / or expected ice density of a given bird. In some examples, the test result analyzer 255 determines whether the developed artificial bird 105 produces the expected kinetic energy level when using a real bird during an impact test (e.g., on a turbofan structure). For example, the test result analyzer 255 can be used to determine the kinetic energy release over time during an impact test and / or evaluate the impact effect on a given structure of an engine. In some examples, the test result analyzer 255 can determine whether the energy input of the artificial bird 105 corresponds to the energy input of the real bird at various impact points along a given aircraft structure (e.g., strain comparison). In some examples, the test result analyzer 255 determines a target density for the artificial bird and identifies a density range that falls within the target density range without significant variation from the target density (e.g., an acceptable upper and / or lower limit for the final artificial bird 105 density).

[0040] The data storage device 260 stores any information associated with the artificial bird maker 205. For example, the data storage device 260 may store bird determinations made by the bird determiner 215, mold parameters determined using the mold generator 220, the amount of ice layer filled into the mold 115 using the mold filler 225, the number of compression strokes performed using the compressor 230, the amount and / or duration of atomization performed by the atomizer 235, the temperature used for refreezing by the freezer 240, the density value determined during ice density evaluation using the density determiner 250, and / or artificial bird test results (e.g., impact test results, energy consumption, etc.) obtained using the test results analyzer 255. Figure 2 The example data storage device 260 of the illustrated example includes any memory, storage device and / or storage disk for storing data, such as flash memory, magnetic media, optical media. In addition, the data stored in the example data storage device 260 can be in any data format, such as binary data, comma-delimited data, tab-delimited data, structured query language (SQL) structure, image data, etc.

[0041] Although in Figure 2 An exemplary embodiment of the artificial bird maker 205 is shown in FIG. Figure 2 One or more elements, processes and / or devices shown in the drawings may be combined, divided, rearranged, omitted, eliminated and / or implemented in any other manner. Figure 2The example controller 210, the example bird determiner 215, the example mold generator 220, the example mold filler 225, the example compressor 230, the example sprayer 235, the example freezer 240, the example cutter 245, the example density determiner 250, the example test result analyzer 255, and / or the more general example artificial bird maker 205 may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware and / or any combination of hardware, software and / or firmware. Thus, Figure 2 The example controller 210, the example bird determiner 215, the example mold generator 220, the example mold filler 225, the example compressor 230, the example sprayer 235, the example freezer 240, the example cutter 245, the example density determiner 250, the example test result analyzer 255, and / or the more general example artificial bird maker 205 can be implemented by one or more analog or digital circuits, logic circuits, programmable processors, programmable controllers, graphics processing units (GPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), and / or field programmable logic devices (FPLDs). When any device or system claim of this patent is read to cover pure software and / or firmware implementations, Figure 2 At least one of the example control 210, the example bird determiner 215, the example mold generator 220, the example mold filler 225, the example compressor 230, the example sprayer 235, the example freezer 240, the example cutter 245, the example density determiner 250, the example test result analyzer 255, and / or the more general example artificial bird maker 205 is expressly defined as comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage device or storage disk, such as a memory, a digital versatile disk (DVD), a compact disk (CD), a Blu-ray disk, etc., including software and / or firmware. Further, Figure 2 The example artificial bird maker 205 includes in addition to or instead of Figure 2 The present invention may include one or more elements, processes and / or devices other than those shown in the drawings, and / or may include more than one of any or all of the elements, processes and devices shown. As used herein, the phrase "communication", including variations thereof, encompasses direct communication and / or indirect communication through one or more intermediate components, and does not require direct physical (e.g., wired) communication and / or continuous communication, but also includes selective communication at periodic intervals, predetermined intervals, non-periodic intervals and / or one-time events.

[0042] A flowchart representing example hardware logic, machine readable instructions, hardware implemented state machines, and / or any combination thereof for implementing the example artificial bird maker 205 is provided in Figure 3-4 The machine-readable instructions may be one or more executable programs or a portion of an executable program for execution by a computer processor, such as the following in conjunction with Figure 5 The processor 512 shown in the example processor platform 500 discussed above. The program may be embedded in software stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as a CD-ROM, floppy disk, hard drive, DVD, Blu-ray disk, or memory 513 associated with the processor, but the entire program and / or portions thereof may alternatively be executed by a device other than the processor 512 and / or embedded in firmware or dedicated hardware. In addition, although the example program is referenced Figure 3-4 The flowchart shown in the figure is described, but many other methods of implementing the example artificial bird maker 205 may be used instead. For example, the execution order of the blocks may be changed, and / or some of the blocks described may be changed, eliminated, or combined. Additionally or alternatively, any or all of the blocks may be implemented by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuits, FPGAs, ASICs, comparators, operational amplifiers (op-amps), logic circuits, etc.) that are configured to perform corresponding operations without executing software or firmware.

[0043] The machine-readable instructions described herein may be stored in one or more of a compressed format, an encrypted format, a segmented format, a compiled format, an executable format, a packaged format, and the like. The machine-readable instructions described herein may be stored as data (e.g., portions of instructions, code, representations of code, and the like) that can be used to create, manufacture, and / or generate machine-executable instructions. For example, the machine-readable instructions may be segmented and stored on one or more storage devices and / or computing devices (e.g., servers). The machine-readable instructions may require one or more of installation, modification, adaptation, update, combination, supplementation, configuration, decryption, decompression, unpacking, distribution, redistribution, compilation, and the like to make them directly readable, interpretable, and / or executable by a computing device and / or other machine. For example, the machine-readable instructions may be stored in multiple parts that are individually compressed, encrypted, and stored on separate computing devices, where the parts, when decrypted, decompressed, and combined, form a set of executable instructions that implement, for example, the procedures described herein.

[0044] In another example, the machine-readable instructions may be stored in a state in which they can be read by a computer, but require the addition of a library (e.g., a dynamic link library (DLL)), a software development kit (SDK), an application programming interface (API), etc., in order to execute the instructions on a particular computing device or other device. In another example, the machine-readable instructions and / or corresponding programs may need to be configured (e.g., stored settings, inputted data, recorded network addresses, etc.) before the machine-readable instructions and / or corresponding programs can be executed in whole or in part. Therefore, the disclosed machine-readable instructions and / or corresponding programs are intended to include such machine-readable instructions and / or programs regardless of the particular format or state of the machine-readable instructions and / or programs when stored or otherwise at rest or transported.

[0045] The machine-readable instructions described herein may be represented by any past, present, or future instruction language, scripting language, programming language, etc. For example, the machine-readable instructions may be represented using any of the following languages: C, C++, Java, C#, Perl, Python, JavaScript, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Structured Query Language (SQL), Swift, etc.

[0046] As mentioned above, Figure 3-4 The example processes of can be implemented using executable instructions (e.g., computer and / or machine readable instructions) stored on a non-transitory computer and / or machine readable medium, such as a hard drive, flash memory, read-only memory, compact disk, digital versatile disk, cache, random access memory, and / or any other storage device or storage disk where information is stored for any duration (e.g., for an extended period of time, permanently, for a transient instance, for temporary buffering, and / or for caching information). As used herein, the term non-transitory computer readable medium is expressly defined to include any type of computer readable storage device and / or storage disk, and to exclude propagating signals and to exclude transmission media.

[0047] Figure 3 A flowchart representing example machine readable instructions 300 is shown that may be executed to implement Figure 2 In some examples, the artificial bird maker 205 determines an artificial bird (e.g., Figure 1AThe artificial bird 105) will correspond to the type of bird. For example, the artificial bird maker 205 uses the bird determiner 215 to receive user input regarding the type of bird (e.g., small, medium, large) and / or bird characteristics (e.g., weight, species, age, etc.) that the manufactured artificial bird 105 should represent (e.g., based on the final density measurement). Once the bird is selected, the mold generator 220 generates a mold representing a shape and / or size that will correspond to the desired bird (e.g., using an additive manufacturing process according to dimensions specified in a program file, etc.). For example, the mold 115 can have a specified height and / or diameter based on the selected bird. Figure 1A In the example of the embodiment, the mold 115 is a cylindrical mold made of aluminum. Once the mold generator 220 generates the mold 115, the mold filler 225 fills the mold 115 with crushed ice, such as in combination with Figure 3 (Block 305) is described in more detail. For example, mold filler 225 fills mold 115 with layers of crushed ice (e.g., layers 110a, 110b), compressing and / or atomizing the layers between layers (e.g., using compressor 230 and / or sprayer 235). Once mold 115 has been filled with crushed ice, artificial bird maker 205 uses freezer 240 to refrozen the crushed ice within mold 115 (Block 310). For example, the crushed ice can be refrozen overnight and / or for a period of 10-20 hours. Once the artificial bird (e.g., ice bird) is refrozen, it can be removed from mold 115 to produce an artificial bird such as an ice bird. Figure 1A 105. In some examples, the mold 115 is kept at room temperature until the artificial bird 105 can be removed from the mold 115. In some examples, any portion of the artificial bird 105 that is in contact with another surface having a higher temperature should be isolated to prevent such areas of the artificial bird 105 from thawing faster than any other bird 105 ice surface. In some examples, once the artificial bird 105 has been removed from the mold 115, the freezer 240 can be used to return the artificial bird 105 to the temperature at which the crushed ice layer within the mold 115 was re-frozen before the artificial bird 105 was removed from the mold 115 (e.g., -25 degrees Celsius to -10 degrees Celsius).

[0048] The artificial bird maker 205 may further use the cutter 245 to cut the artificial bird 105 into one or more segments that can be used to evaluate the ice density of the artificial bird 105 (block 315). For example, the cutter 245 cuts the artificial bird 105 into segments of equal length (e.g., a total of seven segments of equal length), such as in combination with Figure 1B For example, the cutter 245 uses a saw with a wooden V-shaped block to cut the artificial bird 105 to prevent the area of ​​ice being cut from melting. The density determiner 250 uses Figure 1BThe artificial bird 105 cut by the controller 210 is used to determine whether the formed artificial bird 105 has a uniform density. For example, the density determiner 250 determines the density of each artificial bird 105 segment (e.g., segments 155, 160, 165) (box 320). In some examples, the density of the ice segment can be determined based on the measured values ​​of the ice segment mass and the ice segment volume (e.g., by determining the length and / or weight of each segment). In some examples, the controller 210 can be used to modify the settings of the artificial bird maker 205 to produce an artificial bird 105 with a uniform density. For example, the controller 210 can adjust the shape and / or size of the mold 115, the total amount of the mold 115 filled, the total number of compression strokes, the total number of ice layers in the mold, the duration and / or delay of ice surface atomization, and / or refreezing conditions. The artificial bird maker 205 can adjust any of these variables to produce a uniform shape and / or density of the artificial bird 105 structure. For example, once the initial artificial bird 105 produces a uniform density and / or uniform shape (block 325), the artificial bird maker 205 can continue to form a complete artificial bird 105 that has not been cut using the cutter 245 (e.g., for bird inhalation testing) (block 330). If additional adjustments to the artificial bird forming action are required to produce an ice bird with uniform density and uniform shape, control returns to the mold filler 225 (block 305). In some examples, if the mold size is adjusted and / or a newly formed mold 115 is required, control returns to the mold builder 220.

[0049] Once an artificial bird 105 having uniform density has been formed and production of the artificial bird 105 has begun for the purpose of bird inhalation testing, a portion of the artificial bird (e.g., at least one of 20-30, etc.) can be tested during the production process to ensure that the density of the artificial bird remains consistent. In some examples, fluctuations in environmental conditions may require more frequent testing during the production process (e.g., cutting a sample bird to determine its density). In order to prepare the artificial bird 105 for impact testing, the artificial bird maker 205 can place a velocity target inside the artificial bird 105 (block 335). For example, a diameter paper velocity target can be inserted into the artificial bird 105, for example, by melting the sides of the bird near the top, middle, and bottom of the artificial bird 105 (e.g., using a target insertion tool) and inserting the velocity target, and the overall size velocity target can be placed inside the artificial bird 105. In some examples, the velocity target can be further placed at a position that is 120 degrees from the first velocity target (e.g., for a slice view camera). In some examples, once the speed target is inserted into the bird and a few drops of water are placed on top of the target (eg, to secure the target within the bird), freezer 240 freezes artificial bird 105 .

[0050] The artificial bird 105 manufactured for impact testing purposes can be used by the artificial bird maker 105 to perform simulated bird ingestion on stationary and / or rotating engine components (block 340). Figure 1C As described, the artificial bird 105 can be mounted on the cartridge case 175 before being released into the test area of ​​the engine (e.g., toward the engine fan blades 185). In some examples, the speed of the artificial bird 105 can be tracked during the test (e.g., using a paper speed target inserted into crushed ice). In some examples, the artificial bird 105 can be wrapped in plastic cellophane and / or other materials to prevent the bird from adhering to any part of the cartridge case 175. In some examples, the cellophane can be fixed to the artificial bird 105 using carton sealing tape. In some examples, the artificial bird 105 is kept by the freezer 240 until the bird is ready for impact testing. The impact test allows the test result analyzer 255 to determine the amount of energy released during the impact (box 345). This allows the resistance of engine components to bird impact to be evaluated, as well as testing multiple bird densities and / or bird shapes to determine the effects of various bird features (e.g., species, age, size, etc.) on a given engine under various operating conditions.

[0051] Figure 3 A flowchart representing example machine readable instructions 305 is shown, for use in Figure 2 During the example of the artificial bird maker 205 making the artificial bird 105, the machine readable instructions 305 may be executed to fill the cylindrical mold 115 with crushed ice. Figure 4In an example of the invention, mold filler 225 determines the amount of ice to be crushed based on the desired bird determined using bird determiner 215 (box 405). For example, mold filler 225 may crush the weight of ice required for a particular type of bird (e.g., based on the size, weight, etc. of the bird). Once mold filler 225 weighs the crushed ice to confirm the correct amount of crushed ice available, mold filler 225 may use an ice mixer to mix the ice until the desired consistency is reached. Mold filler 225 continues to fill mold 115 (e.g., filling a 1-3 inch mold) with a first layer of crushed ice (box 410). In some examples, compressor 230 applies a compression stroke to the surface of the first layer of crushed ice within the mold (box 415). For example, a flat tamper in combination with a hammer (e.g., a 1-2 kg hammer) may be used to apply a compression stroke (e.g., 10-30 strokes total) to the ice. In some examples, the flat tamper and / or the smooth tamper can be a steel tamper that is machined to fit into the diameter of the mold 115. In some examples, the center of the tamper can include a threaded rod for use as a handle during the compression stroke. In some examples, the compressor 230 applies an additional compression stroke using a wedge-shaped tamper to create an indentation in the surface of the ice. For example, the number of additional compression strokes using a wedge-shaped tamper can be less than the number of compression strokes performed using a flat tamper. In some examples, the wedge-shaped tamper can be a steel tamper that is machined to fit into the opening of the mold 115. In some examples, the wedge-shaped tamper includes holes of the same size (e.g., 5-10 holes, 0.5-2 cm, etc.) drilled, chiseled, and / or equidistantly spaced around the periphery of the mold. In some examples, a bolt fitted into the opening of the hole drilled in the tamper is inserted to allow the end of the bolt to protrude from the bottom of the tamper surface (e.g., 0.5-2 cm, etc.). Thus, when a wedge-shaped tamper is used to compress the ice layer, the wedge-shaped tamper leaves an indentation on the ice surface.

[0052] Once compressor 230 has compressed the ice surface of the first ice layer using a flat tamper and / or a wedge-shaped tamper, sprayer 235 may be used to moisten the compressed layer of crushed ice with water (e.g., to improve adhesion between the ice layers) (block 420). For example, sprayer 235 may mist the surface of the ice with water before placing a subsequent layer of ice on top of the first ice layer. Mold filler 225 fills the mold with a subsequent layer of crushed ice (e.g., a second layer of crushed ice) (block 425). In some examples, the surface of the second layer of crushed ice may also be compressed (e.g., using compressor 230) and / or moistened (e.g., using sprayer 235), as described in conjunction with the first ice surface layer (block 430). Once mold filler 225 has filled mold 115 with a layer of ice (block 435), controller 210 may determine whether the desired bird weight has been reached (block 445). If the controller 210 determines that the mold 115 has not been filled, control returns to the mold filler 225 to continue filling the mold with the crushed ice layer (block 425). Once the controller 210 determines that the desired bird weight has been reached (block 445) (e.g., based on the selected bird), the crushed ice layer within the mold 115 is re-frozen, such as in conjunction with Figure 3 If the controller 210 determines that the desired bird weight has not been achieved, the mold filler 225 adds and / or removes crushed ice from the mold 115 until the desired bird weight is achieved (block 445).

[0053] Figure 5 is constructed to execute Figure 3 and / or Figure 4 Instructions to achieve Figure 2 1 is a block diagram of an example processor platform 500 of an example artificial bird maker of FIG. The processor platform 500 may be a server, a personal computer, a workstation, a self-learning machine (eg, a neural network), or any other type of computing device.

[0054] The processor platform 500 of the illustrated example includes a processor 512. The processor 512 of the illustrated example is hardware. For example, the processor 512 can be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, microprocessors, GPUs, DSPs, or controllers from any desired family or manufacturer. The hardware processor can be a semiconductor-based (e.g., silicon-based) device. In this example, the processor 512 implements the example controller 210, the example bird determiner 215, the example mold generator 220, the example mold filler 225, the example compressor 230, the example sprayer 235, the example freezer 240, the example cutter 245, the example density determiner 250, and / or the example test result analyzer 255.

[0055] The processor 512 of the illustrated example includes a local memory 513 (e.g., a cache). The processor 512 of the illustrated example communicates with a main memory including a volatile memory 514 and a non-volatile memory 516 via a bus 518. The volatile memory 514 may be a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory The non-volatile memory 516 may be implemented by flash memory and / or any other desired type of memory device. Access to the volatile memory 514 and the non-volatile memory 516 is controlled by a memory controller.

[0056] The processor platform 500 of the illustrated example also includes an interface circuit 520. The interface circuit 520 may be implemented by any type of interface standard, such as an Ethernet interface, a universal serial bus (USB), interface, near field communication (NFC) interface, and / or PCI express interface.

[0057] In the example shown, one or more input devices 522 are connected to the interface circuit 520. The input devices 522 allow a user to enter data and / or commands into the processor 512. The input devices 522 may be implemented by, for example, an audio sensor, a microphone, a camera (still or video), a keyboard, buttons, a mouse, a touch screen, a trackpad, a trackball, an isochronous point, and / or a voice recognition system.

[0058] One or more output devices 524 are also connected to the interface circuit 520 of the illustrated example. The output device 524 can be implemented, for example, by a display device (e.g., a light emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube display (CRT)), an in-place switching (IPS) display, a touch screen, etc.), a tactile output device, a printer, and / or a speaker. Therefore, the interface circuit 520 of the illustrated example typically includes a graphics driver card, a graphics driver chip, and / or a graphics driver processor.

[0059] The interface circuitry 520 of the illustrated example also includes communication devices, such as transmitters, receivers, transceivers, modems, residential gateways, wireless access points, and / or network interfaces to facilitate data exchange with external machines (e.g., any type of computing device) over the network 526. Communications may be through, for example, an Ethernet connection, a digital subscriber line (DSL) connection, a telephone line connection, a coaxial cable system, a satellite system, a field wireless system, a cellular telephone system, and the like.

[0060] The processor platform 500 of the illustrated example also includes one or more mass storage devices 528 for storing software and / or data. Examples of such mass storage devices 528 include floppy disk drives, hard drive disks, compact disk drives, Blu-ray disk drives, redundant array of independent disks (RAID) systems, and digital versatile disk (DVD) drives.

[0061] Figure 3-4 The machine executable instructions 532 of the computer program may be stored in the mass storage device 528, the volatile memory 514, the non-volatile memory 516, and / or a removable non-transitory computer-readable storage medium such as a CD or DVD. For example, one or more of the volatile memory 514, the non-volatile memory 516, the mass storage device 528, etc. may also be used to implement the computer program. Figure 2 An example data storage device 260 is shown.

[0062] As can be appreciated from the foregoing, the disclosed methods and apparatus allow for consistent and reproducible formation of ice structures that represent real bird densities encountered during engine operation. For example, artificial birds formed using the methods and apparatus described herein reflect the amount of energy that a turbine engine can release during bird ingestion. In addition, the methods and apparatus disclosed herein allow for a systematic approach to handling and manipulating artificial birds for impact testing of aircraft engines (including stationary and / or rotating engine components). Thus, artificial birds can be manufactured that represent the types of impacts (e.g., kinetic energy release) that a real bird can cause during a bird ingestion event, while allowing the formation of structures that are uniform in shape and density, thereby allowing consistent testing and analytical correlation. Although the examples disclosed herein describe the manufacture of artificial birds for testing in aircraft-based systems, the methods and apparatus disclosed herein can be used to test structural components of any type of engine and / or vehicle that encounter object impacts within the above-mentioned bird density range.

[0063] Although certain exemplary methods, apparatus, and articles have been disclosed herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus, and articles that fully fall within the scope of the claims of this patent.

[0064] The following claims are hereby incorporated by reference into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] Other aspects of the disclosure are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses:

[0066] An apparatus for generating an artificial bird for impact testing, the apparatus comprising: a mold generator that forms a mold based on a bird identification; a mold filler that fills the mold with a first layer of crushed ice and a second layer of crushed ice; a compressor that compresses an ice surface of at least one of the first layer of crushed ice or the second layer of crushed ice to form an indentation on the ice surface; and a freezer that refreezes the crushed ice layer in the mold to form the artificial bird.

[0067] The device according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising a cutter which cuts the artificial bird into segments of equal size to determine the density of at least one of the segments.

[0068] Apparatus according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the bird identification comprises a bird weight, the bird weight being used to determine a total amount of crushed ice used to fill the mould.

[0069] Apparatus according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the compressor uses a flat tamper or a wedge-shaped tamper to apply one or more compression strokes to the ice surface.

[0070] The apparatus of any of the preceding clauses, further comprising a sprayer for atomizing a surface of ice in the first layer with water before placing the second layer of crushed ice on the first layer of crushed ice.

[0071] The apparatus of any of the preceding clauses, further comprising a controller that controls parameters associated with generating the artificial bird, including at least one of temperature, amount of ice layers, or number of compression strokes.

[0072] A method for generating an artificial bird for impact testing, the method comprising: forming a mold based on a bird identification; filling the mold with a first layer of crushed ice and a second layer of crushed ice; compressing an ice surface of at least one of the first layer of crushed ice or the second layer of crushed ice to form an indentation on the ice surface; and refreezing the crushed ice layer within the mold to form an artificial bird.

[0073] The method according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising cutting the artificial bird into segments of equal size to determine the ice density of at least one segment.

[0074] A method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the compressing comprises applying a compression stroke to the ice to form one or more indentations on a surface of the ice.

[0075] A method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the compression stroke is performed using a wedge tamper.

[0076] The method of any of the preceding clauses, further comprising atomizing a surface of the first layer of crushed ice or the second layer of crushed ice prior to applying a subsequent layer of crushed ice.

[0077] A method according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising placing a speed target within the artificial bird.

[0078] A method according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising using the artificial bird to perform a simulated bird inhalation event.

[0079] A method according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising determining impact energy release during said simulated bird ingestion event.

[0080] A method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the mould is cylindrical.

[0081] A method of making an artificial bird for impact testing comprises: crushing an amount of ice corresponding to a desired weight of the artificial bird; placing a first layer of crushed ice in a mold; compressing a top portion of the first layer of crushed ice; wetting the compressed top portion of the first layer; and placing a second layer of crushed ice on the first layer.

[0082] The method according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising refreezing the crushed ice within the mold to form the artificial bird.

[0083] A method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the artificial birds have a uniform density.

[0084] A method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the compacting is performed using a flat tamper and then a wedge-shaped tamper.

[0085] A method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein a parameter associated with generating the artificial bird is controlled during formation of the bird, the parameter comprising at least one of temperature, amount of ice layers or number of compression strokes.

Claims

1. A device for generating an artificial bird for impact testing, characterized in that The device comprises: a controller that controls parameters associated with generating the artificial bird, including at least one of temperature, amount of ice layer, or number of compression strokes; a mold filler that fills the mold with a first layer of crushed ice and a second layer of crushed ice; a sprayer that atomizes the ice surface of the first layer of crushed ice before placing the second layer of crushed ice on the first layer of crushed ice; and A test result analyzer compares a density of the artificial bird with a density of a given bird, the density of the artificial bird being based on the amount of the ice layer.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises a cutter for cutting the artificial bird into sections of the same size to determine the density of at least one of the sections.

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that The cutter cuts the artificial bird using one or more blocks, and the one or more blocks are arranged to prevent the artificial bird from melting.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that Further included is a mold generator that forms the mold based on the bird identification.

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that The bird identification includes a bird weight, which is used to determine a total amount of crushed ice to fill the mold.

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that Further included is a compressor that applies one or more compression strokes to the ice surface.

7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that Wherein the compressor applies the one or more compression strokes using a flat tamper or a wedge-shaped tamper.

8. A method for generating an artificial bird for impact testing, characterized in that The method comprises: controlling parameters associated with generating the artificial bird, including at least one of temperature, amount of ice layer, or amount of compression strokes; Fill molds with first and second layers of crushed ice; before placing the second layer of crushed ice on the first layer of crushed ice, atomizing the ice surface of the first layer of crushed ice; The density of the artificial bird is compared to the density of a given bird, the density of the artificial bird being based on the amount of the ice layer.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The method further includes cutting the artificial bird into sections of equal size to determine the density of at least one of the sections.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that Further comprising cutting the artificial bird using one or more blocks, the one or more blocks being positioned to prevent the artificial bird from melting.

Images