Modern aircraft engine designs feature reduced clearances that may initiate structural contacts between rotating and static components. A numerical strategy dedicated to the simulation of such interactions is here enriched in order to account for time-dependent angular speeds. This contribution first details the evolution of the numerical strategy before validating the developments by comparing numerical results with experimental observations made on an industrial test bench. Further numerical investigations allow to assess the sensitivity of numerical results to acceleration and deceleration rates. Results, obtained with and without abradable coating, underline the fundamental nonlinear nature of the analysed system. It is found that lower acceleration rates favour the arisal of interaction phenomena and that amplitudes of vibration at a given angular speed are generally lower when the blade decelerates.