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US 11,454,121 B2Granted
Airfoil with leading edge guard
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorGary Williard Bryant, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An edge guard apparatus for an airfoil includes: a body having a nose section with spaced-apart first and second sidewalls extending therefrom, the body defining a cavity between the first and second sidewalls; and internal bracing disposed in the cavity, the internal bracing including at least one cross-member extending between the first and second sidewalls.
Claims19
An edge guard apparatus for an airfoil, comprising:
- a body having a nose section, the nose section having a solid nose portion at a forward end thereof, a bulkhead at an aft end thereof, the bulkhead abutting a leading edge of the airfoil, and spaced-apart first and second sidewalls extending from the solid nose portion, the nose section defining a cavity forward of the bulkhead and between the first and second sidewalls, wherein the solid nose portion has a cross-sectional area which is 20% to 90% of a cross-sectional area of the nose section;
- and
- internal bracing disposed in the cavity, the internal bracing including at least one cross-member extending from the first sidewall to the second sidewall at an oblique angle to an axial direction of the body,
- wherein the body and the internal bracing are part of a monolithic whole, and
- wherein the at least one cross-member varies in at least one of size or shape across a spanwise direction of the body.
2 more elements
An edge guard apparatus attached to an airfoil, comprising:
- a body having a nose section, the nose section having a solid nose portion at a forward end thereof, a bulkhead at an aft end thereof, the bulkhead abutting a leading edge of the airfoil, and spaced-apart first and second sidewalls extending from the solid nose portion, the nose section defining a cavity forward of the bulkhead and between the first and second sidewalls, wherein the solid nose portion has a cross-sectional area which is 20% to 90% of a cross-sectional area of the nose section;
- and
- internal bracing disposed in the cavity, wherein the internal bracing comprises a plurality of parallel, spaced-apart cross-members extending from the first sidewall to the second sidewall at an angle to an axial direction of the body,
- wherein the body and the internal bracing are part of a monolithic whole, and
- wherein the plurality of parallel, spaced-apart cross-members varies in at least one of size, shape, or number across a spanwise direction of the body.
2 more elements
An airfoil apparatus, comprising:
- an airfoil having convex and concave sides extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge;
- an edge guard apparatus attached to the airfoil, comprising:
- a body having a nose section, the nose section having a solid nose portion at a forward end thereof, a bulkhead at an aft end thereof, the bulkhead abutting the leading edge of the airfoil, and spaced-apart first and second sidewalls extending from the solid nose portion along the sides of the airfoil, the nose section defining a cavity forward of the bulkhead and between the first and second sidewalls, wherein the solid nose portion has a cross-sectional area which is 20% to 90% of a cross-sectional area of the nose section;
- and
- internal bracing disposed in the cavity, the internal bracing including a plurality of members arranged to form an X shape from the first sidewall to the second sidewall,
- wherein the body and the internal bracing are part of a monolithic whole, and
- wherein the plurality of members varies in at least one of size, shape, or number across a spanwise direction of the body.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.