Bird impact response and damage mechanism of 3D orthogonal woven composite aeroengine blades

Various gelatin simulated bird projectiles were used to impact two key positions of three-dimensional (3D) orthogonal woven composite stator blades used in aeroengines: the center and leading edge at the blade back. The effects of impact velocity, projectile weight, and impact position on the macro damage mode were determined. Numerical simulations were conducted using the constitutive model developed in our previous work (Liu et al. 2023). The numerical simulation results were in good agreement with the experimental results. Combined test results, micro-CT and SEM observation and the numerical simulation results, the internal damage mechanism of the blade was explored. Four types of damage modes were seen under bird strike: edge damage on the narrow blade root, cracks on both sides of the narrow blade root, damage in the impact area, and complete fracture. Furthermore, the impact energy thresholds for visible damage and fracture were obtained for different bird weights and impact locations, which is of great significance to the anti-bird-strike design of composite blades.