Dampers for fan spinners of aircraft engines

• US 9,261,112 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Stoughton, Philip Howard, Dietsch, Benjamin Allen, Durchholz, Anthony John, Eckert, Michael Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mikus, Jason
• Application Number:
  US13/688,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20140356134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 416/245.R, 416/245.A, 416/144, 416/500, 416/244.A, 415/119
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/10 Anti- vibration means specially adapted for radial flow machines or engines F01D5/04
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/04 Air intakes for gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/321 for axial flow compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/329 Details of the hub
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/668 damping or preventing mechanical vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/941 particularly aimed at mechanical or thermal stress reduction
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/96 Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49327 Axial blower or fan

Abstract

Dampers for fan spinners of aircraft engines are disclosed. An example fan module for a gas turbine engine may include a fan disk; fan blades mounted to the fan disk and extending radially therefrom; a fan spinner operatively coupled to the fan disk at an axially upstream position; and/or one or more elastic vibration dampers operatively interposing the fan spinner and the fan disk. The elastic vibration dampers may be disposed circumferentially around an interface between the fan spinner and the fan disk and may be compressed axially and/or radially.

Claims

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a fan spinner;

a fan disk; and

an elastic vibration damper disposed within an interior of the fan spinner and operatively interposing the fan spinner and the fan disk;

wherein the elastic vibration damper contacts the fan spinner forward of an aft edge of the fan spinner and is squeezed generally radially between the fan spinner and the fan disk.

2. The gas turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the elastic vibration damper is squeezed generally axially between the fan spinner and the fan disk.

3. The gas turbine engine of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of the elastic vibration dampers disposed circumferentially around an interface between the fan spinner and the fan disk.

4. The gas turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the elastic vibration damper comprises fluorosilicone rubber.

5. The gas turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the elastic vibration damper comprises one or more of silicone rubber, fluorocarbon rubber, perfluorinated elastomer, tetrafluoroethylene/propylene rubber, ethylene propylene diene rubber, nitrile rubber, or butyl rubber.

6. The gas turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the elastic vibration damper comprises one or more of a fiber or a particulate reinforcement.

7. A fan module for a gas turbine engine, the fan module comprising:

a fan disk;

a plurality of fan blades mounted to the fan disk and extending radially therefrom;

a fan spinner operatively coupled to the fan disk at an axially upstream position; and

one or more elastic vibration dampers operatively interposing the fan spinner and the fan disk, the one or more elastic vibration dampers being disposed circumferentially around an interface between the fan spinner and the fan disk forward of an aft edge of the fan spinner and within an interior of the fan spinner;

wherein the one or more elastic vibration dampers are squeezed generally radially between the fan spinner and the fan disk.

8. The fan module of claim 7, wherein the one or more elastic vibration dampers are squeezed generally axially between the fan spinner and the fan disk.

9. The fan module of claim 7, wherein the one or more elastic vibration dampers comprises 24 elastic vibration dampers.

10. The fan module of claim 7, wherein the one or more elastic vibration dampers comprises a substantially full ring elastic vibration damper.

11. The fan module of claim 7, wherein the one or more elastic vibration dampers are arranged to oppose relative displacement of the fan spinner towards the fan disk.

12. The fan module of claim 7,

further comprising a fan spinner support substantially rigidly coupling the fan spinner to the fan disk;

wherein the fan spinner support is disposed radially inward from the one or more elastic vibration dampers.

13. A method of assembling a fan module, the method comprising:

coupling a fan spinner to a fan disk using at least one fastener; and

partially compressing at least one elastic vibration damper operatively disposed between the fan spinner and the fan disk forward of an aft edge of the fan spinner and within an interior of the fan spinner by tightening the at least one fastener;

wherein partially compressing the at least one elastic vibration damper comprises compressing the at least on elastic vibration damper in a generally radial direction.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, prior to coupling the fan spinner to the fan disk, placing the at least one elastic vibration damper between the fan spinner and the fan disk.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein placing the at least one elastic vibration damper between the fan spinner and the fan disk comprises placing a plurality of the elastic vibration dampers circumferentially around an interface between the fan spinner and the fan disk.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein placing the plurality of the elastic vibration dampers circumferentially around an interface between the fan spinner and the fan disk comprises disposing the plurality of elastic vibration dampers on the fan spinner and disposing the fan spinner on the fan disk.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein partially compressing the at least one elastic vibration damper comprises compressing the at least one elastic vibration damper in a generally axial direction.