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US 11,668,317 B2Granted
Airfoil arrangement for a gas turbine engine utilizing a shape memory alloy
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsAbhijeet Jayshingrao Yadav, Nitesh Jain, Nicholas Joseph Kray, Ravindra Shankar Ganiger, Praveen Sharma
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An airfoil arrangement for a gas turbine engine may include a clearance device using a shape memory alloy movable to provide clearance between an airfoil and one or more other components of the gas turbine engine. The clearance device may be formed as part of a fan blade. The arrangement may be configured to reduce overall weight and dimensions of the gas turbine engine.
Claims19
An airfoil rotatable about an axis in a first circumferential direction to move air in a first axial direction, the airfoil comprising:
- a root portion;
- a tip portion;
- and
- a clearance device formed of a shape memory alloy and disposed between the root portion and the tip portion, the clearance device movable between:
- a first position wherein a clearance line is defined along a proximal point, a transition point, and a distal point and extends in a substantially straight direction along the proximal point, the transition point, and the distal point;
- and
- a second position wherein the clearance line is interrupted at the transition point to define a proximal line between the proximal point and the transition point, a distal line between the distal point and the transition point, and a deflection angle between the proximal line and the distal line less than one hundred and eighty degrees;
- wherein the clearance device comprises a tip intermediate portion, the tip intermediate portion disposed radially further than the transition point from the axis, wherein the tip portion comprises a tip overlapping portion, wherein the clearance device comprises a first clearance device overlapping portion, wherein the first clearance device overlapping portion overlaps the tip overlapping portion across a chord of the airfoil, and wherein the first clearance device overlapping portion extends across less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the airfoil.
5 more elements
A fan section for a turbine engine, the fan section comprising:
- a center portion rotatable about an axis;
- a case having an internal surface facing the axis;
- and
- a plurality of fan blades affixed to the center portion, each of the plurality of fan blades comprising:
- a root portion formed of a composite material;
- a tip portion disposed radially outward of the root portion;
- and
- an intermediate portion formed of a shape memory alloy and disposed between the root portion and the tip portion, the intermediate portion including a clearance device formed of a shape memory alloy and disposed between the root portion and the tip portion, the clearance device movable between:
- a first position wherein a clearance line is defined along a proximal point, a transition point, and a distal point and extends in a substantially straight direction along the proximal point, the transition point, and the distal point;
- and
- a second position wherein the clearance line is interrupted at the transition point to define a proximal line between the proximal point and the transition point, a distal line between the distal point and the transition point, and a deflection angle between the proximal line and the distal line less than one hundred and eighty degrees;
- wherein the clearance device comprises a tip intermediate portion, the tip intermediate portion disposed radially further than the transition point from the axis, wherein the tip portion comprises a tip overlapping portion, wherein the clearance device comprises a first clearance device overlapping portion, wherein the first clearance device overlapping portion overlaps the tip overlapping portion across a chord of the airfoil, and wherein the first clearance device overlapping portion extends across less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the airfoil.
9 more elements
An airfoil rotatable about an axis in a first circumferential direction to move air in a first axial direction, the airfoil comprising:
- a root portion;
- and
- a tip portion, the tip portion comprising a clearance device formed of a shape memory alloy, wherein the clearance device is configured to deform toward the first axial axis direction and in a second circumferential direction opposite the first circumferential direction between the root portion and the tip portion, the clearance device movable between:
- a first position wherein a clearance line is defined along a proximal point, a transition point, and a distal point and extends in a substantially straight direction along the proximal point, the transition point, and the distal point;
- and
- a second position wherein the clearance line is interrupted at the transition point to define a proximal line between the proximal point and the transition point, a distal line between the distal point and the transition point, and a deflection angle between the proximal line and the distal line less than one hundred and eighty degrees;
- wherein the clearance device comprises a tip intermediate portion, the tip intermediate portion disposed radially further than the transition point from the axis, wherein the tip portion comprises a tip overlapping portion, wherein the clearance device comprises a first clearance device overlapping portion, wherein the first clearance device overlapping portion overlaps the tip overlapping portion across a chord of the airfoil, and wherein the first clearance device overlapping portion extends across less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the airfoil.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.