Blade/abradable test rig enhancement for the study of contacts at very high speed, high temperature under controlled incursion depth

To meet stringent C O 2 reduction targets, aircraft engine efficiency must be improved by minimizing inter-stage leakage, which can be reached via abradable coatings. However, premature wear of these coatings can significantly diminish overall performance of the turbojet engine. To understand wear mechanisms activation, a ballistic bench-based test rig has been developed over the years in order to enable blade/abradable linear interaction tests while exerting precise control over contact speed, coating temperature, and depth of incursion (DoI). By considering that only single touch interaction tests are permitted throughout this facility, the main objective was to perform interaction tests with the smallest, yet constant, depth of incursion. A novel projectile design, associated to a guidance system, have been able to meet this requirement. This research study focuses also on further developments concerning enhanced high-speed imaging and temperature distribution over the abradable coating specimens. It aims to deliver deeper insights into the multi-physical phenomena at play during blade/abradable contact, providing clearer correlations between test parameters and observed wear behavior. • High-precision dovetail guidance system enabling linear interaction in a gas gun. • Ultra-high-speed imaging system to visualize wear particles generation. • Optimized test facility for blade tip/abradable contact characterization.