Engineering topics

Preston, J. L., Jr.

Publications and source records attributed to Preston, J. L., Jr..

3 records

NASA NTRS1977

Impact behavior of graphite-epoxy simulated fan blades

The response of a graphite-epoxy material, Modmor II/PR-286, to foreign object impact was investigated by impacting spherical projectiles of three different materials - gelatin, ice, and steel - on simulated blade specimens. Visual and metallographic inspection revealed three damage mechanisms: penetration, leading edge bending failure, and stress wave delamination and cracking. The steel projectiles caused penetration damage regardless of the impact location and angle. For the ice and gelatin particles impacting the leading edge, failure was due to large local bending strains, resulting in significant material removal and delamination damage.

Cook, T. S.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Impact response of graphite-epoxy flat laminates using projectiles that simulate aircraft engine encounters

An investigation of the response of a graphite-epoxy material to foreign object impact was made by impacting spherical projectiles of gelatin, ice, and steel normally on flat panels. The observed damage was classified as transverse (stress wave delamination and cracking), penetrative, or structural (gross failure): the minimum, or threshold, velocity to cause each class of damage was established as a function of projectile characteristics. Steel projectiles had the lowest transverse damage threshold, followed by gelatin and ice. Making use of the threshold velocities and assuming that the normal component of velocity produces the damage in nonnormal impacts, a set of impact angles and velocities was established for each projectile material which would result in damage to composite fan blades. Analysis of the operating parameters of a typical turbine fan blade shows that small steel projectiles are most likely to cause delamination and penetration damage to unprotected graphite-epoxy composite fan blades.

Preston, J. L., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Impact resistance of fiber composite blades used in aircraft turbine engines

Resistance of advanced fiber reinforced epoxy matrix composite materials to ballistic impact was investigated as a function of impacting projectile characteristics, and composite material properties. Ballistic impact damage due to normal impacts, was classified as transverse (stress wave delamination and splitting), penetrative, or structural (gross failure). Steel projectiles were found to be gelatin ice projectiles in causing penetrative damage leading to reduced tensile strength. Gelatin and ice projectiles caused either transverse or structural damage, depending upon projectile mass and velocity. Improved composite transverse tensile strength, use of dispersed ply lay-ups, and inclusion of PRD-49-1 or S-glass fibers correlated with improved resistance of composite materials to transverse damage. In non-normal impacts against simulated blade shapes, the normal velocity component of the impact was used to correlate damage results with normal impact results. Stiffening the leading edge of simulated blade specimens led to reduced ballistic damage, while addition of a metallic leading edge provided nearly complete protection against 0.64 cm diameter steel, and 1.27 cm diameter ice and gelatin projectiles, and partial protection against 2.54 cm diameter projectiles of ice and gelatin.

Friedrich, L. A.↗