AIRFOIL WITH VARIABLE PROFILE RESPONSIVE TO THERMAL CONDITIONS

• US 20140212263A1
• Filed: 12/27/2012
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Hayford, Richard K., Lutjen, Paul M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,650,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/148 Blades with variable camber, e.g. by ejection of fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/28 Selecting particular materials; Particular measures relating thereto; Measures against erosion or corrosion
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/04 having a turbine driving a compressor power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/10 Metals, alloys or intermetallic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/50212 dissimilar
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

An airfoil includes an airfoil body having a first section and a second section that differ by coefficient of thermal expansion. The second section is arranged in thermomechanical juxtaposition with the first section such that the first section and the second section cooperatively thermomechanically control a profile of the airfoil body responsive to varying thermal conditions.

Claims

1. An airfoil comprising:

an airfoil body including a first section and a second section that differ by coefficient of thermal expansion, the second section being arranged in thermomechanical juxtaposition with the first section such that the first section and the second section cooperatively thermomechanically control a profile of the airfoil body responsive to varying thermal conditions.

2. The airfoil as recited in claim 1, wherein the first section and the second section differ by composition.

3. The airfoil as recited in claim 2, wherein the first section and the second section are different composition metallic materials.

4. The airfoil as recited in claim 2, wherein the first section and the second section are different compositions selected from aluminum, aluminum alloys, titanium, titanium alloys, iron, iron alloys, nickel, nickel alloys, cobalt, cobalt alloys and combinations thereof.

5. The airfoil as recited in claim 1, wherein the first section and the second section each have a through-thickness that is 20% or greater than a through-thickness of the airfoil body.

6. The airfoil as recited in claim 1, including a distinct boundary between the first section and the second section.

7. The airfoil as recited in claim 1, including a compositional gradient boundary between the first section and the second section.

8. The airfoil as recited in claim 1, wherein the first section is a core and the second section is a shell circumscribing the core.

9. The airfoil as recited in claim 8, wherein the core terminates at an intermediate span between ends of the airfoil body.

10. The airfoil as recited in claim 8, wherein the core tapers along a span-wise direction of the airfoil body.

11. The airfoil as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the first section and the second section has a suction side surface of the airfoil body and the other of the first section and the second section has a pressure side surface of the airfoil body.

12. The airfoil as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first section and the second section includes a cross-pattern.

13. The airfoil as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the first section and the second section has a pressure side surface and an opposed suction side surface, and the other of the first section and the second section partially covers at least one of the pressure side surface and the suction side surface.

14. A turbomachine comprising:

an airfoil including an airfoil body having a first section and a second section that differ by coefficient of thermal expansion, the second section being arranged in thermomechanical juxtaposition with the first section such that the first section and the second section cooperatively thermomechanically control a profile of the airfoil body responsive to varying thermal conditions.

15. The turbomachine as recited in claim 14, further including a turbine section that includes the airfoil.

16. The airfoil as recited in claim 15, further including a compressor section and a combustor in fluid communication with the compressor section, the turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor.

17. A method of controlling an airfoil profile, the method comprising:

controlling a profile of an airfoil body in response to varying thermal conditions by thermomechanically juxtaposing a first section and a second section of the airfoil body that differ by coefficient of thermal expansion.