United Engine Corporation (UEC, part of Rostec State Corporation) has successfully conducted key engineering tests of the new PD-8 aircraft engine at the UEC-Saturn enterprise test bench in Rybinsk. During the test, the engine confirmed the structural stability when a fan blade failed - one of the most critical scenarios for aircraft power plants.
The test simulated a situation when one of the fan blades breaks off in flight. According to certification requirements, its fragments must not penetrate the engine casing in order to avoid damage to the fuselage and maintain the possibility of a safe landing of the aircraft. To check, a pyrotechnic charge was built into one of the blades, after which the engine was brought to take-off mode. On command, the charge detonated, a controlled blade break occurred, but the fan casing withstood the impact - no element left the engine.
Alexey Veretennikov, Deputy General Designer for Testing at UEC-Saturn, noted that maintaining the integrity of the casing is a key criterion for the success of the test and the most important part of the certification basis. He stressed that the test confirmed the correctness of design solutions and the reliability of the engine in extreme conditions.
Before the experiment, specialists prepared the test bench, installing a current collector, a phasing system and air sampling. Measurements showed that with such scenarios, emissions of oil vapors into the air conditioning system do not exceed permissible norms.
PD-8 has already passed a number of tests - including tests when water enters the engine, acoustic tests, as well as tests of operation in crosswinds and in reverse mode. All key tests were performed with a thrust of over 8,000 kgf.