Internally-damped airfoil and method therefor
First Claim
1. A airfoil component comprising:
- a root portion having means for attaching the component to a support structure;
an airfoil portion extending from the root portion in a span-wise direction of the airfoil portion, the airfoil portion having an airfoil tip at a span-wise extremity thereof and oppositely-disposed concave and convex surfaces spaced apart in a thickness-wise direction thereof, the concave and convex surfaces converging at leading and trailing edges of the airfoil portion that are spaced apart in a chord-wise direction of the airfoil portion, the airfoil portion having at least one stiffener between first and second walls of the airfoil portion that define the concave and convex surfaces, respectively, the at least one stiffener defining multiple internal cavities within the airfoil portion that extend in the span-wise direction of the airfoil portion so that each of the multiple internal cavities has a first extremity relatively nearer the root portion and a second extremity relatively nearer the airfoil tip; and
a polymeric material defining at least a first internal damping member within at least one of the internal cavities, the first internal damping member having first and second longitudinal ends disposed and restrained at, respectively, the first and second extremities of the at least one internal cavity and having a length therebetween, the first internal damping member defining continuous gaps between the length thereof and the at least one stiffener and the first and second walls of the airfoil portion that allow relative motion of the length of the first internal damping member, the first internal damping member being supported at the second extremity of the at least one internal cavity and being bonded to the airfoil portion at the first extremity of the at least one internal cavity and not being supported by or bonded to the at least one stiffener or the first and second walls of the airfoil portion so that the first internal damping member provides a vibratory damping effect to the airfoil portion.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An airfoil component and method for producing the component. The component has root and airfoil portions, the latter having an airfoil tip and oppositely-disposed concave and convex surfaces that converge at leading and trailing edges of the airfoil portion. The airfoil portion has at least one stiffener between first and second walls thereof that define the concave and convex surfaces, respectively. The stiffener defines multiple internal cavities within the airfoil portion that extend in the span-wise direction of the airfoil portion. A polymeric material fills at least one of the internal cavities and is bonded to the airfoil portion only at an extremity of the internal cavity nearer the root portion, and not to the stiffener or to the first and second walls of the airfoil portion, to define an internal damping member that provides a vibratory damping effect to the airfoil portion.
16 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A airfoil component comprising:
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a root portion having means for attaching the component to a support structure; an airfoil portion extending from the root portion in a span-wise direction of the airfoil portion, the airfoil portion having an airfoil tip at a span-wise extremity thereof and oppositely-disposed concave and convex surfaces spaced apart in a thickness-wise direction thereof, the concave and convex surfaces converging at leading and trailing edges of the airfoil portion that are spaced apart in a chord-wise direction of the airfoil portion, the airfoil portion having at least one stiffener between first and second walls of the airfoil portion that define the concave and convex surfaces, respectively, the at least one stiffener defining multiple internal cavities within the airfoil portion that extend in the span-wise direction of the airfoil portion so that each of the multiple internal cavities has a first extremity relatively nearer the root portion and a second extremity relatively nearer the airfoil tip; and a polymeric material defining at least a first internal damping member within at least one of the internal cavities, the first internal damping member having first and second longitudinal ends disposed and restrained at, respectively, the first and second extremities of the at least one internal cavity and having a length therebetween, the first internal damping member defining continuous gaps between the length thereof and the at least one stiffener and the first and second walls of the airfoil portion that allow relative motion of the length of the first internal damping member, the first internal damping member being supported at the second extremity of the at least one internal cavity and being bonded to the airfoil portion at the first extremity of the at least one internal cavity and not being supported by or bonded to the at least one stiffener or the first and second walls of the airfoil portion so that the first internal damping member provides a vibratory damping effect to the airfoil portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of manufacturing an airfoil component, the method comprising:
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forming the airfoil component to have a root portion and an airfoil portion extending from the root portion in a span-wise direction of the airfoil portion, the root portion having means for attaching the component to a support structure, the airfoil portion having an airfoil tip at a span-wise extremity thereof and at least one stiffener defining multiple internal cavities within the airfoil portion that extend in the span-wise direction of the airfoil portion so that each of the multiple internal cavities has a first extremity relatively nearer the root portion and a second extremity relatively nearer the airfoil tip; filling at least one of the internal cavities with a polymeric material so that the polymeric material defines at least a first internal damping member having first and second longitudinal ends disposed at, respectively, the first and second extremities of the at least one internal cavity and having a length therebetween, the first longitudinal end of the first internal damping member being bonded to the airfoil portion at the first extremity of the at least one internal cavity and the length of the first internal damping member not being bonded to the at least one stiffener; and
thenperforming additional steps so that the airfoil portion comprises oppositely-disposed concave and convex surfaces spaced apart in a thickness-wise direction of the airfoil portion, the concave and convex surfaces converge at leading and trailing edges of the airfoil portion that are spaced apart in a chord-wise direction of the airfoil portion, the at least one stiffener is between first and second walls of the airfoil portion that define the concave and convex surfaces, respectively, the first internal damping member defines continuous gaps between the length thereof and the at least one stiffener and the first and second walls of the airfoil portion that allow relative motion of the length of the first internal damping member, the first internal damping member is supported and restrained at the second extremity of the at least one internal cavity, and the first internal damping member is not supported by or bonded to the at least one stiffener or to the first and second walls of the airfoil portion and provides a vibratory damping effect to the airfoil portion. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification