Case with ballistic liner

• US 8,827,629 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Voleti, Sreenivasa R., Lussier, Darin S., Naik, Rajiv A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): EASTMAN, AARON ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US13/024,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20120207583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 415/9, 415/170.1, 415/171.1, 415/173.1, 415/174.4, 415/220, 415/1, 60/390.91
• US Class Current: 415/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/04 responsive to undesired position of rotor relative to stator or to breaking-off of a part of the rotor, e.g. indicating such position
• 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 25/24 Casings modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14; Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M ; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/14 Casings or housings protecting or supporting assemblies within
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/44 Resins
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/603 Composites; e.g. fibre-reinforced

Abstract

A fan case for a gas turbine engine includes an outer case defined about an engine axis and a hard ballistic liner defined about the engine axis, the hard ballistic liner within the outer case.

Claims

1. A case for a gas turbine engine comprising:

an outer case defined about an engine axis, wherein said outer case is manufactured of a composite material;

a hard ballistic liner defined about the engine axis, the hard ballistic liner within said outer case;

an inner structure including a honeycomb layer extending along a radially innermost side of said case, wherein said honeycomb layer forms a boundary of a fan flow path and is axially spaced downstream of a trailing edge of a fan blade; and

wherein a trailing edge of said hard ballistic liner is located axially upstream of a leading edge of said honeycomb layer.

2. The case for the gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said hard ballistic liner is manufactured of a resin impregnated KEVLAR.

3. The case for the gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said hard ballistic liner is manufactured of a ceramic material.

4. The case for the gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said hard ballistic liner is manufactured of a metallic material.

5. The case for the gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said hard ballistic liner is co-molded within said outer case.

6. The case for the gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said hard ballistic liner is bonded to said outer case.

7. The case for the gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said hard ballistic liner is cylindrical.

8. The case for the gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said hard ballistic liner includes a first distal end and a second distal end and an inner surface of said hard ballistic liner extends generally parallel to an engine axis.

9. The case for the gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 including an abradable layer of material, a trailing edge of said abradable layer is spaced axially upstream of a leading edge of said honeycomb layer.

10. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a fan section defined along an engine axis;

a compressor section downstream of said fan section along the engine axis;

a combustor section downstream of said compressor section along the engine axis;

a turbine section downstream of said combustor section along the engine axis;

an outer case defined about a fan within said fan section, wherein said outer case is manufactured of a composite material;

an inner structure located within said outer case including a honeycomb layer extending along a radially innermost side of a case, wherein said honeycomb layer forms a boundary of a fan flow path and is axially spaced downstream of a trailing edge of a fan blade;

a hard ballistic liner within said outer case; and

wherein a trailing edge of said hard ballistic liner is located axially upstream of a leading edge of said honeycomb layer.

11. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10, wherein said hard ballistic liner is cylindrical.

12. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10, wherein said inner structure is located within said hard ballistic liner.

13. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 12, wherein said inner structure defines an abradable material radially adjacent to an array of fan blades of said fan section.

14. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 12, wherein said hard ballistic liner is a cylindrical member radially adjacent to an array of fan blades of said fan section.

15. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10, wherein said hard ballistic liner is spaced from said engine axis by a generally constant radial dimension.

16. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10, including an abradable layer of material, a trailing edge of the abradable layer is spaced axially upstream of a leading edge of said honeycomb layer.

17. A method of fan blade containment within a gas turbine engine comprising:

locating a hard ballistic liner within a composite outer case radially adjacent to an array of fan blades;

locating a honeycomb layer along a radially innermost side of a case, wherein said honeycomb layer forms a boundary of a fan flow path and is axially spaced downstream of a trailing edge of a fan blade; and

wherein a trailing edge of said hard ballistic liner is located axially upstream of a leading edge of said honeycomb layer.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising co-molding the hard ballistic liner into the outer case.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising bonding the hard ballistic liner into the outer case.