Gas turbine engine airfoil frequency design

A method of repairing an airfoil comprising the steps of:

• providing an airfoil having pressure and suction sides spaced apart from one another in a thickness direction and joined to one another at leading and trailing edges, the airfoil extending in a radial direction of a span that is in a range of 3.84-4.14 inch (97.5-105.1 mm), and a chord length extending in a chordwise direction from the leading edge to the trailing edge at 50% of the span is in a range of 1.16-1.46 inch (29.5-37.1 mm), wherein the provided airfoil has at least one unrestored mode frequency that is attributable to damage to the airfoil;
• and
• repairing the airfoil to provide at least two of:
• a first mode has a frequency of 326 up to ±10% Hz;
• a second mode has a frequency of 1252 up to ±10% Hz;
• a third mode has a frequency of 2475 up to ±10% Hz;
• a fourth mode has a frequency of 2951 up to ±10% Hz;
• a fifth mode has a frequency of 4356 up to ±10% Hz;
• and
• a sixth mode has a frequency of 6086 up to ±10% Hz;
• wherein at least one of the first mode frequency, second mode frequency, third mode frequency, fourth mode frequency, fifth mode frequency, and sixth mode frequency corresponds to a restored mode frequency that supersedes the unrestored mode frequency;
• wherein the frequencies are at a zero speed and ambient conditions, and the frequency of any given mode does not exceed the frequency of a higher order mode;
• wherein the first mode is a 1EB mode, the second mode is a 1T mode, the third mode is a 2T mode, the fourth mode is a 2EB mode, the fifth mode is a 3T mode, and the sixth mode is a 3EB mode, the 1EB, 2EB and 3EB modes correspond to deflections substantially parallel to the thickness direction, and the 1T, 2T and 3T modes correspond to twisting about the radial direction;
• wherein the airfoil element is part of a stator vane supported by potting at an inner ring;
• wherein the airfoil is an aluminum-based alloy, the aluminum-based alloy has a density of about 0.103 lb/in3 (2.85 g/cm3), the aluminum-based alloy has a modulus of elasticity of about 10.4 Mpsi (71 GPa) at room temperature.

A turbofan engine comprising:

• a fan section;
• a compressor section arranged fluidly downstream from the fan section;
• a turbine section arranged fluidly downstream from the compressor section;
• a combustor arranged fluidly between the compressor and turbine sections;
• and
• an airfoil in at least one of the fan, compressor and turbine sections, the airfoil having:
• pressure and suction sides spaced apart from one another in a thickness direction and joined to one another at leading and trailing edges, the airfoil extending in a radial direction of a span that is in a range of 3.84-4.14 inch (97.5-105.1 mm);
• a chord length extending in a chordwise direction from the leading edge to the trailing edge at 50% of the span is in a range of 1.16-1.46 inch (29.5-37.1 mm);
• and
• at least two of:
• a first mode has a frequency of 326 up to ±10% Hz;
• a second mode has a frequency of 1252 up to ±10% Hz;
• a third mode has a frequency of 2475 up to ±10% Hz;
• a fourth mode has a frequency of 2951 up to ±10% Hz;
• a fifth mode has a frequency of 4356 up to ±10% Hz;
• and
• a sixth mode has a frequency of 6086 up to ±10% Hz;
• wherein the frequencies are at a zero speed and ambient conditions, and the frequency of any given mode does not exceed the frequency of a higher order mode;
• wherein the first mode is a 1EB mode, the second mode is a 1T mode, the third mode is a 2T mode, the fourth mode is a 2EB mode, the fifth mode is a 3T mode, and the sixth mode is a 3EB mode, the 1EB, 2EB and 3EB modes correspond to deflections substantially parallel to the thickness direction, and the 1T, 2T and 3T modes correspond to twisting about the radial direction;
• wherein the airfoil is provided in the compressor section, the compressor section includes a high pressure compressor fluidly downstream from a low pressure compressor, and the airfoil is in the low pressure compressor and the low pressure compressor includes three stages, the airfoil element is part of a stator vane supported by potting at an inner ring;
• wherein the airfoil is an aluminum-based alloy, the aluminum-based alloy has a density of about 0.103 lb/in3 (2.85 g/cm3), the aluminum-based alloy has a modulus of elasticity of about 10.4 Mpsi (71 GPa) at room temperature.