RobJenks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=736O4Hz4Nk4

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Mmm kay. Point being? All modern commercial aircraft engines have to pass the same tests before being allowed to fly.

And anyway, if you are comparing it to the Quantas QF32 issue - that seems to have suffered a failure towards the rear of the engine where the actual engine core is, possibly a rearmost HP compressor, HP turbine, combustor failure or a shaft failure. The above video shows the failure of the front fan which I belive is actually intact on the Quatas plane, so not really comparable anyway.

Edit, read somewhere that a intermediate turbine had failed, which is roughly in the same area where the missing cowling is. What caused that to fail is to be concluded....

Leslie

Since it is a bypass engine I presume it will have two turbines, one to drive the compressor stages for the engine and the other to drive the bypass fan on the front of the engine, the fan in which they failed one of the large blades.

The destruction test shown would not prove that the engine could contain a failed turbine disc.

Les

scoobyster

The Trents are 3 spool so 3 turbines. As above it's the IP (middle) turbine disk they think at fault.

Petem95

You would hope they test and ensure a failed turbine blade is contained too tho. Interestingly they state in the video that the key thing is the failure is contained within the engine casing, so as to not risk puncturing the fuel tanks in the wings - but worryingly this wasn't the case on the Quantas A380 - the wing had a whole straight through.

Had the tanks been punctured the plane could have gone down in flames. This must be very concerning for Rolls, and I'll be interested to hear their conclusions once the cause has been established.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

The video is for the fan Pete; That is a part that must be contained, but the same cannot be said for other parts. Turbofan engines consists of numerous moving parts, not just that big bit on the front. Namely fan, compressors, turbines and shafts .

QF32 had ejected a turbine disc, whilst blades can be contained, the disc that some attach to cannot. Due to its size, weight and inertia there is no way that it can be contained without putting amour plating on the engine case as thick as that found on an army tank, which would make it far too heavy to be of any economic use. Hence why they have finite life spans and must be replaced after a predetermined amount of use.

skoobidude

I don't need to watch this as I visit the RR sites a lot

Edited to state my post really didn't make any point. Sorry

Leslie

Did not know that, does it have two stacks of compressor discs then?

Les

JDM_Stig

iTrader: (3)

Did anyone see the BBC programme that covered this engine?
that showed what tests they did and what it would or should contain.

Leslie

They installed titanium containment shields on the Olympus engines after one has lost a turbine disc but to be honest I was never that confident in their ability to stop a departing turbine!

Les

scoobyster

Yep and 3 shafts inside each other too!

Leslie

Thanks, I always thought that 2 shafts was complicated enough!

Les