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US 10,072,510 B2Granted
Variable pitch fan for gas turbine engine and method of assembling the same
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsBrandon Wayne Miller, Ian Francis Prentice, Daniel Alan Niergarth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine includes a core and a variable pitch fan arranged in flow communication with the core. The variable pitch fan has a disk and at least nine fan blades coupled to the disk for rotation together with the disk. The gas turbine engine further includes a rotatable nacelle covering the disk such that the engine has a fan hub radius ratio of between about 0.1 and about 0.4.
Claims18
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a core;
- a variable pitch fan arranged in flow communication with said core, said variable pitch fan comprising a polygonal-shaped disk, said disk comprising a plurality of segments and a plurality of fan blades coupled to said disk for rotation together with said disk, each discrete portion of said disk comprising a single segment of the plurality of segments and a single fan blade of the plurality of fan blades;
- a trunnion mechanism coupling each of said fan blades to the respective segment of said disk such that said fan blades are rotatable relative to said disk about a pitch axis;
- and
- a rotatable nacelle covering said disk such that said gas turbine engine has a fan hub radius ratio of between 0.1 and 0.4.
2 more elements
A method of assembling a gas turbine engine, said method comprising:
- providing a core;
- combining a plurality of segments to form a polygonal-shaped disk;
- coupling a variable pitch fan to a turbine that is configured to be powered by combustion gas from the core, the variable pitch fan including the disk and a plurality of fan blades coupled to the disk for rotation together with the disk, each discrete portion of the disk comprising a single segment of the plurality of segments and a single fan blade of the plurality of fan blades;
- and
- covering the disk with a rotatable nacelle such that the gas turbine engine has a fan hub radius ratio of between 0.1 and 0.4,
- wherein coupling said variable pitch fan to said turbine comprises coupling each of the fan blades to respective segments of the disk via a trunnion mechanism such that each of the fan blades is rotatable relative to the disk about a pitch axis.
3 more elements
A gas turbine engine comprising a core;
- a variable pitch fan arranged in flow communication with said core, said variable pitch fan comprising a polygonal-shaped disk said disk comprising a plurality of segments and a plurality of fan blades each coupled to a respective segment of said disk via a trunnion mechanism for rotation together with said disk, each discrete portion of the disk comprising a single segment of the plurality of segments and a single fan blade of the plurality of fan blades, said trunnion mechanism comprising a pair of line contact bearings;
- an actuation mechanism for varying a pitch of said fan blades;
- one of a remote counterweight device and a remote pitch lock device operatively coupled to said fan blades via said actuation mechanism;
- a plurality of outlet guide vanes aft of said variable pitch fan;
- and a rotatable nacelle covering said disk such that said gas turbine engine has a fan hub radius ratio of between 0.1 and 0.4.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.