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US 11,143,103 B2Granted
Nose cone and fan assembly
AssigneesROLLS-ROYCE plc, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
InventorsKerry Lighty, Melissa Hughes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nose cone and fan assembly are disclosed. The fan assembly comprises a fan rotor and a nose cone retention flange. The fan rotor at least partly defines a fan assembly air flow boundary surface. The nose cone retention flange extends from the fan rotor and comprises a retention flange air flow boundary surface adjacent the fan assembly air flow boundary surface and a nose cone mating surface. The nose cone comprises a nose cone flange having a rotor mating surface. The nose cone is affixed to the nose cone retention flange with the rotor mating surface overlaying the nose cone mating surface of the nose cone retention flange.
Claims20
A nose cone and fan assembly comprising:
- a fan assembly comprising:
- a fan shaft;
- a fan rotor carried by said fan shaft, said fan rotor comprising a radially outward fan blade retention surface;
- a plurality of fan blades retained by and extending radially outward from said fan blade retention surface, said plurality of fan blades and/or said fan blade retention surface forming a fan assembly air flow boundary surface at a root of said fan blades;
- and
- a nose cone retention flange including a radially inner surface and a radially outer surface, wherein the radially inner surface and the radially outer surface extend parallel to each other, the nose cone retention flange extending axially forward from said fan rotor, said nose cone retention flange comprising a conical air flow boundary surface adjacent said fan assembly air flow boundary surface, and a conical nose cone mating surface extending axially forward of said conical air flow boundary surface, wherein the conical nose cone mating surface extends parallel to the radially inner surface and the radially outer surface of the nose cone retention flange;
- and
- a nose cone comprising a nose cone flange extending radially around a central axis and axially from an apex of said nose cone to a base portion of said nose cone, said nose cone flange forming a nose cone air flow boundary surface from the apex to the base portion and a rotor mating surface adjacent the base portion, said nose cone being affixed to said nose cone retention flange with said rotor mating surface overlaying said conical nose cone mating surface of said nose cone retention flange.
5 more elements
A system comprising:
- a fan assembly comprising:
- a fan shaft;
- a fan rotor carried by said fan shaft, said fan rotor comprising a radially outward fan blade retention surface;
- a plurality of fan blades retained by and extending radially outward from said fan blade retention surface, each of said plurality of fan blades extending from a blade root to a blade tip, wherein each blade root of the plurality of fan blades and said fan blade retention surface forming a fan assembly air flow boundary surface;
- and
- a nose cone retention flange extending axially forward from said fan rotor, said nose cone retention flange comprising a retention flange air flow boundary surface continuous with said fan assembly air flow boundary surface, and an annular nose cone mating surface extending axially forward of said retention flange air flow boundary surface, wherein the annular nose cone mating surface extends about a central axis;
- and
- a nose cone comprising a nose cone flange extending radially around the central axis and axially from an apex of said nose cone to a base portion of said nose cone, said nose cone flange forming a nose cone air flow boundary surface from the apex to the base portion and a rotor mating surface adjacent the base portion, said nose cone being affixed to said nose cone retention flange with said rotor mating surface overlaying said nose cone mating surface of said nose cone retention flange.
5 more elements
A method of coupling a nose cone to a turbine, the method comprising:
- providing a fan assembly comprising:
- a plurality of fan blades extending outwardly from a fan blade retention surface of a fan rotor, the plurality of fan blades and the fan blade retention surface forming a fan assembly air flow boundary surface;
- and
- a nose cone retention flange including a radially inner surface and a radially outer surface, wherein the radially inner surface and the radially outer surface extend parallel to each other, the nose cone retention flange extending axially forward from said fan rotor, the nose cone retention flange comprising a conical air flow boundary surface adjacent the fan assembly air flow boundary surface and a nose cone mating surface, wherein the nose cone mating surface extends parallel to the radially inner surface and the radially outer surface of the nose cone retention flange;
- positioning a nose cone relative to the fan assembly, the nose cone comprising a nose cone flange extending radially around a central axis and axially from an apex of said nose cone to a base portion of said nose cone, the nose cone flange forming a rotor mating surface at the base portion and positioned with the rotor mating surface overlaying the nose cone mating surface of the nose cone retention flange;
- and
- affixing the nose cone to the nose cone retention flange.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.