Turbofan engine

• US 7,748,950 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Company Limited
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Yoshiyuki, Kodama, Hidekazu, Goto, Shinya, Murooka, Takeshi, Mizuta, Ikuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Look; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ellis; Ryan H
• Application Number:
  US11/568,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20090016870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: 602/261, 415/72, 415/143, 416/176, 416/198.A, 416/198.R, 416/203, 416/245.R
• US Class Current: 415/72
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/021 for flow machines or engines with only one axial stage for more than one stage F01D5/06
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/141 Shape, i.e. outer, aerodynamic form F01D5/148 - F01D5/20 take precedence; blade construction F01D5/147
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/04 Air intakes for gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/06 with front fan
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/324 Blades
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/384 characterised by form
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/70 Shape
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A turbofan engine of the invention is provided with a fan first-stage moving blade for taking an air therein, and a spinner rotationally driving the fan first-stage moving blade, the spinner has a spiral blade extending spirally to an outer side in a radial direction, sucking the air from a front face of the spinner and supplying the air to the fan first-stage moving blade. Further, the fan first-stage moving blade and the spinner are integrally coupled, and the spiral blade and the fan first-stage moving blade are formed such that blade surfaces are smoothly connected.

Claims

1. A turbofan engine comprising:

(a) a core flow duct located at a center of the engine;

(b) a bypass flow duct located at an outer periphery of the engine;

(c) a fan first-stage moving blade for taking an air therein; and

(d) a spinner rotationally driving the fan first-stage moving blade,

wherein the spinner has a spiral blade extending spirally to an outer side in a radial direction from an axis of the spinner, sucking air from a front face of the spinner and supplying air to the fan first-stage moving blade,

wherein the spiral blade and the fan first-stage moving blade are separated,

wherein a separated region is formed between a rear edge end of the spiral blade and a front edge end of the fan first-stage moving blade, wherein the separated region extends toward the outer side in a radial direction from the axis of the spinner, in a direction inclined to a front side of the engine with respect to a plane perpendicular to a center line of the engine, and

wherein a meridian plane shape at a position in a radially outer side rather than a root of the separated region in the spiral blade corresponds to a shape in which a chord length of the spiral blade is reduced toward a tip side of the spiral blade from a hub side of the spiral blade, and the chord length comes to zero without limit in the tip side of the spiral blade, wherein a tip is formed at a position of the rear edge end of the spiral blade, brought into contact with a diametrically outer end of the separated region, wherein a portion protruding toward the spiral blade side is formed at a position of the front edge end of the fan first-stage moving blade, brought into contact with the diametrical outer end of the separated region, and wherein the tip of the spiral blade and the protruding portion of the fan first-stage moving blade are formed in a curved shape.

2. A turbofan engine comprising:

(a) a core flow duct located at a center of the engine;

(b) a bypass flow duct located at an outer periphery of the engine;

(c) a fan first-stage moving blade for taking an air therein; and

(d) a spinner rotationally driving the fan first-stage moving blade,

wherein the spinner has a spiral blade extending spirally to an outer side in a radial direction from an axis of the spinner, sucking air from a front face of the spinner and supplying air to the fan first-stage moving blade,

wherein the spiral blade and the fan first-stage moving blade are separated,

wherein a separated region is formed between a rear edge end of the spiral blade and a front edge end of the fan first-stage moving blade, wherein the separated region extends in a direction of 90 degrees, or, 90 degrees plus or minus about 10 degrees with respect to a hub side passage surface, and

wherein a meridian plane shape at a position in a radially outer side rather than a root of the separated region in the spiral blade corresponds to a shape in which a chord length of the spiral blade is reduced toward a tip side of the spiral blade from a hub side of the spiral blade, and the chord length comes to zero without limit in the tip side of the spiral blade, wherein a tip is formed at a position of the rear edge end of the spiral blade, brought into contact with a diametrically outer end of the separated region, wherein a portion protruding toward the spiral blade side is formed at a position of the front edge end of the fan first-stage moving blade, brought into contact with the diametrical outer end of the separated region, and wherein the tip of the spiral blade and the protruding portion of the fan first-stage moving blade are formed in a curved shape.

3. A turbofan engine comprising:

(a) a core flow duct located at a center of the engine;

(b) a bypass flow duct located at an outer periphery of the engine;

(c) a fan first-stage moving blade for taking an air therein; and

(d) a spinner rotationally driving the fan first-stage moving blade,

wherein the spinner has a spiral blade extending spirally to an outer side in a radial direction from an axis of the spinner, sucking air from a front face of the spinner and supplying air to the fan first-stage moving blade,

wherein the spiral blade and the fan first-stage moving blade are separated,

wherein a separated region is formed between a rear edge end of the spiral blade and a front edge end of the fan first-stage moving blade, wherein the separated region extends in a direction inclined to a front side of the engine at an angle of other than 90 degrees with respect to a hub side passage surface, and

wherein a meridian plane shape at a position in a radially outer side rather than a root of the separated region in the spiral blade corresponds to a shape in which a chord length of the spiral blade is reduced toward a tip side of the spiral blade from a hub side of the spiral blade, and the chord length comes to zero without limit in the tip side of the spiral blade, wherein a tip is formed at a position of the rear edge end of the spiral blade, brought into contact with a diametrically outer end of the separated region, wherein a portion protruding toward the spiral blade side is formed at a position of the front edge end of the fan first-stage moving blade, brought into contact with the diametrical outer end of the separated region, and wherein the tip of the spiral blade and the protruding portion of the fan first-stage moving blade are formed in a curved shape.