Gas turbine engine hollow fan blade rib orientation
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A fan blade comprising:
- first and second portions secured to one another and providing a cavity, the first and second portions forming an exterior airfoil surface extending in a radial direction from a root to a tip and in a chord-wise direction from a leading edge to a trailing edge, radial ribs extending in a radial direction from the root toward the tip and spaced apart from one another in the chord-wise direction, first and second angled ribs intersecting one another at a first apex, the radial ribs intersecting at least one of the first and second angled ribs, the first and second angled ribs at an angle relative to one of the radial ribs, the angle is in range of 45°
+/−
15°
.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fan blade includes first and second portions that are secured to one another and provide a cavity. The first and second portions form an exterior airfoil surface that extends in a radial direction from a root to a tip and in a chord-wise direction from a leading edge to a trailing edge. Radial ribs extend in a radial direction from the root toward the tip and are spaced apart from one another in the chord-wise direction. First and second angled ribs intersect one another at a first apex. The radial ribs intersect at least one of the first and second angled ribs. The first and second angled ribs are at an angle relative to one of the radial ribs. The angle is in a range of 45°+/−30°.
10 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A fan blade comprising:
first and second portions secured to one another and providing a cavity, the first and second portions forming an exterior airfoil surface extending in a radial direction from a root to a tip and in a chord-wise direction from a leading edge to a trailing edge, radial ribs extending in a radial direction from the root toward the tip and spaced apart from one another in the chord-wise direction, first and second angled ribs intersecting one another at a first apex, the radial ribs intersecting at least one of the first and second angled ribs, the first and second angled ribs at an angle relative to one of the radial ribs, the angle is in range of 45°
+/−
15°
.- View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A fan blade comprising:
first and second portions secured to one another and providing a cavity, the first and second portions forming an exterior airfoil surface extending in a radial direction from a root to a tip and in a chord-wise direction from a leading edge to a trailing edge, radial ribs extending in a radial direction from the root toward the tip and spaced apart from one another in the chord-wise direction, first and second angled ribs intersecting one another at a first apex, the radial ribs intersecting at least one of the first and second angled ribs, the first and second angled ribs at an angle relative to one of the radial ribs, the angle is in range of 45°
+/−
30°
, wherein multiple first and second angled ribs are arranged in a waffle pattern forming multiple polygons each having first and second radial apexes and first and second lateral apexes, the second radial apex nearer the tip than the first radial apex, and the first lateral apex nearer the leading edge than the second lateral apex.- View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of designing a fan blade, comprising:
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modeling a fan blade configuration with internal reinforcing ribs; identifying stresses for various modes of the fan blade configuration; identifying common stress areas between the various modes; and varying an orientation of the internal reinforcing ribs in the common stress areas to provide a revised fan blade configuration with increased separation between some of the various modes that generate the stresses compared to the modeled fan blade configuration, wherein multiple first and second angled ribs are arranged in a waffle pattern forming multiple polygons each having first and second radial apexes and first and second lateral apexes, the second radial apex nearer the tip than the first radial apex, and the first lateral apex nearer the leading edge than the second lateral apex. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification