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US 10,329,919 B2Granted
Airfoil structure and method of manufacture
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsChris Vargas, Steven D. Jenkel, Daniel A. Bales
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An airfoil may include an airfoil body, a cover, and a stud. The cover may be disposed on at least one of a suction side and a pressure side of the airfoil body and the stud may extend through the cover and into the airfoil body and the stud may be is joined to the airfoil body and the cover by a friction weld.
Claims20
An airfoil comprising:
- an airfoil body;
- a cover disposed on at least one of a suction side and a pressure side of the airfoil body, wherein a seam is defined between the airfoil body and the cover;
- a stud extending through the cover and into the airfoil body, wherein the stud is joined to the airfoil body and the cover by a friction weld;
- and
- a protective filler material disposed in the seam between the cover and the airfoil body.
2 more elements
A method of manufacturing an airfoil, the method comprising:
- forming a first bore in an airfoil body, the first bore having a first diameter;
- forming a second bore in a cover, the second bore having a second diameter;
- positioning the cover adjacent the airfoil body so that a first bore axis of the first bore is collinear with a second bore axis of the second bore;
- and
- rotatably forcing a stud through the second bore and the first bore to friction weld the cover to the stud and the airfoil body to the stud, wherein before rotatably forcing the stud, the stud has a third diameter that is equal to or greater than the first diameter and the second diameter.
2 more elements
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a fan section comprising a plurality of fan blades;
- wherein each fan blade of the plurality of fan blades comprises a cover that is joined to an airfoil body by at least one friction stud weld, wherein the at least one friction stud weld comprises a first friction stud weld that is tapered.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.