Frangible Gas Turbine Engine Airfoil

• US 20170226867A1
• Filed: 02/09/2016
• Published: 08/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Nandula, Phani, Kray, Nicholas Joseph, Subramanian, Suresh, Gemeinhardt, Gregory Carl
• Granted Patent: US 10,450,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/045 special arrangements in stators or in rotors dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/147 Construction, i.e. structural features, e.g. of weight-saving hollow blades F01D5/148, F01D5/16 and F01D5/20 take precedence; blade shape F01D5/141; blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities F01D5/18; heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades F01D5/18
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/282 Selecting composite materials, e.g. blades with reinforcing filaments
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/06 the compressor comprising only axial stages F02C3/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/603 Composites; e.g. fibre-reinforced
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

An airfoil for an aircraft engine is provided. The airfoil may include a plurality of composite plies extending in a chordwise direction from a leading edge to a trailing edge and in a spanwise direction between an airfoil tip and an airfoil base. The airfoil may include at least one discontinuous ply having a first ply segment, a second ply segment, and a butt joint disposed between the first ply segment and the second ply segment. The butt joint may be disposed along a first fragment profile to frangibly attach the first and second ply segments.

Claims

1. An airfoil for an aircraft engine, the airfoil comprising

a plurality of composite plies extending in a chordwise direction from a leading edge to a trailing edge and in a spanwise direction between an airfoil tip and an airfoil base, including at least one discontinuous ply including

a first ply segment,

a second ply segment, and

a first butt joint disposed between the first ply segment and the second ply segment along a first fragment profile to frangibly attach the first and second ply segments.

2. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the plurality of composite plies includes at least two discontinuous plies, each of the discontinuous plies including a discrete butt joint between them, the two butt joints being staggered in the spanwise direction.

3. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the butt joint extends at least partially along the chordwise direction.

4. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the first ply segment includes a first composite material and the second ply segment includes a second composite material, the first composite material being different from the second composite material.

5. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the butt joint extends at least partially in the spanwise direction.

6. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the airfoil defines an overall airfoil height between the airfoil base and airfoil tip, and wherein the butt joint is positioned at a first break height, the first break height being greater than 25% of the overall airfoil height.

7. The airfoil of claim 6, wherein the plurality of composite plies further includes a second butt joint extending through the airfoil along a second fragment profile.

8. The airfoil of claim 7, wherein the second butt joint is positioned at a second break height, the second break height being greater than 75% of the overall airfoil height.

9. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the butt joint comprises a resin material.

10. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the plurality of composite plies includes at least one continuous ply extending unbroken from the airfoil base to the airfoil tip.

11. A gas turbine engine defining a central axis, the gas turbine engine comprising:

an engine shaft extending along the central axis;

a compressor attached to the engine shaft and extending radially about the central axis;

a combustor positioned downstream of the compressor to receive a compressed fluid therefrom;

a turbine mounted on the engine shaft downstream of the combustor to provide a rotational force to the compressor; and

a fan section including a plurality of radially-extending fan blades operably connected to the engine shaft, each fan blade including a plurality of composite plies extending in a chordwise direction from a leading edge to a trailing edge and in a spanwise direction between an airfoil tip and an airfoil base, each fan blade including at least one discontinuous ply including a first ply segment,

a second ply segment, and

a first butt joint disposed between the first ply segment and the second ply segment along a first fragment profile to frangibly attach the first and second ply segments.

12. The gas turbine engine of claim 11, wherein the plurality of composite plies includes at least two discontinuous plies, each of the discontinuous plies including a discrete butt joint between them, the two butt joints being staggered in a spanwise direction.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 11, wherein the butt joint extends at least partially along the chordwise direction.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 13, wherein the butt joint extends uninterrupted from the trailing edge to the leading edge.

15. The gas turbine engine of claim 11, wherein the butt joint extends at least partially in the spanwise direction.

16. The gas turbine engine of claim 11, wherein each fan blade defines an overall airfoil height between the airfoil base and airfoil tip, and wherein the butt joint is positioned at a first break height, the first break height being greater than 25% of the overall airfoil height.

17. The gas turbine engine of claim 16, wherein the plurality of composite plies further includes a second butt joint extending through each blade along a second fragment profile.

18. The gas turbine engine of claim 17, wherein the second butt joint is positioned at a second break height, the second break height being greater than 75% of the overall airfoil height.

19. The gas turbine engine of claim 11, wherein the butt joint comprises a resin material.

20. The gas turbine engine of claim 11, wherein the plurality of composite plies includes at least one continuous ply extending unbroken from the airfoil base to the airfoil tip.