Impact analysis of compressor rotor blades of an aircraft engine

Abstract

Frequent failures due to foreign particle impacts are observed in compressor blades of the interceptor fighter MIG-23 aircraft engines in the Ethiopian air force, supplied by the Dejen Aviation Industry. In this paper, we made an attempt to identify the causes of failure and hence recommend the suitable materials to withstand the foreign particle impacts. Modal and stress analysis of one of the recently failed MIG-23 gas turbine compressor blades made up of the following Aluminum based alloys: 6061-T6, 7075-T6, and 2024-T4, has been performed, apart from the impact analysis of the rotor blades hit by a granite stone. The numerical results are correlated to the practical observations. Based on the modal, stress and impact analysis and the material properties of the three considered alloys, alloy 7075-T6 has been recommended as the blade material.

Keywords

axial flow compressor / rotor and stator blades / aircraft engine / stress and impact analysis / aluminum alloys

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledges computational facilities at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, Hyderbad, India and the Department of Aeronautical Engineering, College of Engineering, Defense University, Ethiopia for allowing us to carry out the present computations using the softwares ANSYS and LS-DYNA.

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