Composite aerofoil structure with a cutting edge tip portion
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorNicholas Michael Merriman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aerofoil structure (26) for a gas turbine engine (10), the aerofoil structure comprising a carbon composite aerofoil portion (38) and a tip portion (48), wherein the tip portion comprises a tip surface (60) configured to face a corresponding casing structure (30), the tip portion further comprising a ridge line (62) extending along at least a portion of the tip surface, wherein the tip surface comprises a first surface (64) and a second surface (66) provided either side of the ridge line, the ridge line being defined by the intersection of the first and second surfaces, wherein the ridge line is configured to cut into the casing structure during an interaction between the aerofoil structure and casing structure.
Claims17
An aerofoil structure for a gas turbine engine, the aerofoil structure comprising:
- a carbon composite aerofoil portion;
- and
- a tip portion, the tip portion comprising:
- a tip surface configured to face a corresponding casing structure, the tip portion further comprising a ridge line cutting edge extending along at least a portion of the tip surface, wherein the tip surface comprises a first surface and a second surface provided on a first side and a second side, respectively of the ridge line cutting edge,
- wherein, at the ridge line cutting edge, the first surface is angled at a first angle with respect to a radial axis of the aerofoil structure and the second surface is angled at a second angle with respect to the radial axis of the aerofoil structure so that the ridge line cutting edge is defined by an intersection of the first and second surfaces,
- wherein the ridge line cutting edge and the first and second surfaces define a roof-top shaped cross-section,
- the roof-top shaped cross-section having a total angle at the ridge line cutting edge which is the sum of the first angle and the second angle, and
- wherein the ridge line cutting edge follows a camber line of the aerofoil structure at the tip surface and is configured to cut into the casing structure during an interaction between the aerofoil structure and casing structure.
A compressor fan blade or a turbine blade of a gas turbine engine comprising:
- an aerofoil structure having:
- a carbon composite aerofoil portion;
- and
- a tip portion, the tip portion comprising:
- a tip surface configured to face a corresponding casing structure, the tip portion further comprising a ridge line cutting edge extending along at least a portion of the tip surface, wherein the tip surface comprises a first surface and a second surface provided on a first side and a second side respectively, of the ridge line cutting edge,
- wherein, at the ridge line cutting edge, the first surface is angled at a first angle with respect to a radial axis of the aerofoil structure and the second surface is angled at a second angle with respect to the radial axis of the aerofoil structure so that the ridge line cutting edge is defined by an intersection of the first and second surfaces,
- wherein the ridge line cutting edge and the first and second surfaces define a roof-top shaped cross-section,
- the roof-top shaped cross-section having a total angle at the ridge line cutting edge, which is the sum of the first angle and the second angle;
- and
- wherein the ridge line cutting edge follows a camber line of the aerofoil structure at the tip surface.
A fan blade for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
- an aerofoil structure comprising a carbon composite aerofoil portion;
- and
- a tip portion comprising a tip surface arranged to face a corresponding casing structure, the tip surface comprising:
- a first tip surface and a second tip surface, both being angled with respect to one another at an intersection between them to form a ridge line cutting edge extending along at least a portion of the tip surface,
- wherein the ridge line cutting edge and the first and second tip surfaces define a roof-top shaped cross-section,
- wherein, at the ridge line cutting edge, the first tip surface is angled at a first angle with respect to a radial axis of the aerofoil structure and the second tip surface is angled at a second angle with respect to the radial axis of the aerofoil structure, the roof-top shaped cross-section having a total angle which is the sum of the first angle and the second angle;
- and
- wherein the ridge line cutting edge follows a camber line of the aerofoil structure at the tip surface and is configured to cut into the casing structure during an interaction between the fan blade and the casing structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.