Study gauges ash impact on jet engines

   The University of Leicester in the United Kingdom is studying the impact of volcanic ash on jet engines to better advise the airline industry on whether it is safe to fly following an explosive volcanic eruption.
   The study, led jointly by Hongbiao Dong of the Department of Engineering and Mike Branney of the Department of Geology, will use thermal analysis and X-ray computed tomography to analyze the temperature at which volcanic ash solidifies and melts.
   The blades of aircraft engines operate at temperatures above their melting point and need a constant flow of cooling air blowing through tiny holes in the blades. The air floats onto the surface of the blades and forms a protective film that stops them reaching the same temperature as the combustion process of the engine.
   Volcanic ash can reach a temperature of 2,000 degrees Celsius in the engine, and will melt. If it is sucked into the tiny holes in engine blades the melted ash solidifies to a layer of glass and blocks the ventilation holes, the engine will fail because the blades then melt.