Advanced Armor Technology: Application Potential for Engine Fragment Barriers for Commercial Aircraft
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1997-09-01
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Abstract:On rare occasions aircraft turbine engines fail catastrophically and send into the aircraft fragments that disrupt control, fuel, and propulsion systems and jeopardized the ability of the aircraft to land safely. To enhance the survivability of commercial aircraft in the event of an uncontained turbine engine failure, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is sponsoring a research program aimed at protecting components of the aircraft that are critical to continued safe flight and landing. As a a member of the FAA contractor team, SRI International is attempting to identify technology transfer opportunities for aircraft engine fragment barriers by surveying the recent advances in Department of Defense (DoD) armor structures. This report reviews the current state of military armor technology and identifies concepts, materials, and designs that may be useful in developing engine fragment barriers with low added weight and cost. Based on the findings, fragment barrier designs are postulated. Their feasibility has begun to be evaluated by performing fragment impact calculations and experiments. This work has confirmed high-strength polymer fibers as the advanced material most appropriate for protecting aircraft from engine fragments and has identified three particular polymers (fibers of aramids, polyethelenes, and polybenzoxazole) as having the prerequisite of low density and high strength. Furthermore, these materials appear to have sufficient flame resistance, water absorption resistance, and thermal and acoustic insulation properties to serve as building blocks for barriers. The next step is to design practical barriers from these fibers.
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