Spin Testing of Ceramic Turbine Rotors

A major portion of the Ford ceramic turbine rotor fabrication program is directed at a multielement approach in which elements of various complexity and property requirements such as the ring of blades, the hub, reinforced platform, etc., are individually formed and subsequently jointed together to form a complete rotor. Testing of such rotors included a cold spin test of each element of the assembly, designed to establish its strength level while photographing the failure to establish the failure mode. Assemblies of two or more elements joined or bonded under a variety of conditions have also been cold spin tested during the development of the joining technique and the evaluation of various design modifications. A wide range of failure conditions have been identified during the cold spin testing phase allowing the development of improved rotors suitable for subsequent hot test and engine development.