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Experimental Techniques for Rotor Blade Erosion Testing

Rotor blades are subject to erosion from impacts with particulates (e.g., sand) as well as raindrops. Efficient testing techniques are critical to timely fielding of robust blades.


Erosion of ¼ in. aluminum plate due to high speed drop impacts.


Recent work for the U.S. Air Force led to development of the SUpersonic Rain Erosion (SURE) facility by CDI. The facility features drop speeds up to 1200 fps and tight control of drop size.


Test section and water delivery system (left); tight distribution of drop size (right).


Ongoing work is extending this facility to address transonic droplet impacts. Adjustments to permit testing of full size blade components is a high payoff application. Also, adaptation to particulate erosion testing is within reach.



Test section and water delivery system (left); tight distribution of drop size (right).




More materials projects...
Recent NASA-sponsored work at CDI included an effort to improve upon the fixed VG by making it deployable on demand and thereby eliminating any penalty when the generators are not needed
Pop Up VG
Because of the high temperatures associated with aeropropulsion applications, identification and application of high temperature SMA alloys becomes highly desirable. In spite of the developmental nature of HTSMA materials, several promising laboratory demonstrations of devices incorporating Pt-doped NiTi have taken place in recent work at CDI.
Hi-Temp SMA
Recent work at CDI has seen development of a novel method of UV curing composite structures that can extend UV curing techniques to any size, thickness, or shape composite and with any type of reinforcing fiber by uniformly distributing UV light throughout a composite structure.
UV Curing


More projects in materials and other disciplines...