Ellipsoid Projectile With Adjustable Weight For Fan-Blade-Off Simulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fan-blade-off ballistic simulation tests fail to accurately replicate the oblique impact angles and loading conditions of real-life blade impacts, leading to unrepresentative deformation and incomplete containment assessments due to differences between rotating and linearly translating projectiles.
Innovation Solution
A projectile with an ellipsoid body and a blind axial bore housing a weight adjustment body, designed to simulate different blade sizes and phases of the fan-blade-off event, featuring a sealing plug and inserts to control the center of gravity and impact dynamics, ensuring a double impact simulation that mimics blade body and root impacts, thereby enhancing energy density and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional linearly translating projectile is used in ballistic tests, then the test setup is simple, but the impact angle and loading conditions do not accurately replicate real-life blade impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an ellipsoid-shaped projectile instead of a traditional linear projectile. The ellipsoid geometry with specific axial and radial dimensions creates the desired oblique impact angles during flight, accurately replicating the impact conditions of real fan blade-off events while maintaining a relatively simple monolithic structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-weight projectile is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the projectile cannot simulate different blade sizes and phases
Solution Approach 1:
The projectile is designed with a hollow internal cavity that can accommodate removable weight adjustment bodies. This segmentation allows the basic projectile structure to remain simple while enabling flexible configuration of internal weights to simulate different blade masses and center of gravity positions for various blade sizes and failure phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The projectile incorporates adjustable internal weights that can be repositioned within the hollow cavity to dynamically change the center of gravity location. This dynamic adjustability enables the same projectile to accurately represent different blade configurations and failure modes without requiring multiple specialized projectiles.
3Loss of time
If the projectile axial length is increased to improve impact time separation, then the impact phases are better separated, but the projectile stability and energy density may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The projectile employs specific ellipsoid dimensional parameters (axial length, radial length, and internal bore dimensions) that are optimized to achieve the desired balance. The axial length is sufficient to provide adequate time separation between impact phases, while the radial dimensions and overall ellipsoid geometry maintain flight stability and appropriate energy density for accurate simulation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The ellipsoid projectile accurately simulates the fan-blade-off event, providing representative local liner deformation and improved containment assessment, with controlled impact forces and time separation between impacts, enhancing the realism and reliability of the simulation test.
Implementation Method 1
The weight adjustment body can be used to modify the weight and/or centre of gravity of the projectile
Implementation Method 2
The ellipsoid shape produces a double impact as first the nose of the projectile impacts followed by the tail and increases the energy density of impact for a given gun barrel diameter
Implementation Method 3
The ellipsoid also provides greater stability of the projectile during flight and prevents tumbling
Implementation Method 4
the projectile further includes at least one weight adjustment body within the axial bore and a sealing plug for sealing the axial bore
Implementation Method 5
The ellipsoid shape also provides representative local liner deformation closely simulating that from interaction with the fan blade
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a projectile for use in a simulated fan-blade-off ballistic test. The projectile has an ellipsoid body having a blind axial bore extending from a first axial end. The blind axial bore is for housing a weight adjustment body which can be used to modify the weight and/or centre of gravity of the projectile. A sealing plug may seal the weight adjustment body within the axial bore and an insert may be provided to fix the position of the weight adjustment body and/or to control the sliding of the weight adjustment body within the axial bore.