Blade dovetail and retention apparatus
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsNicholas Joseph Kray, Ian F. Prentice
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to adjust a pitch axis of a blade of an engine. An example blade apparatus includes: a hub to facilitate movement of blades in an engine, the engine having a radial center line; and a trunnion connected to the hub. The example trunnion includes a slot to accommodate a first blade, and at least one of the trunnion or the first blade is positioned with at least one of a tilt or a lean with respect to the radial center line to form a pitch axis offset from the radial center line such that the pitch axis is not parallel to or co-linear with the radial center line. The example hub is to rotate the first blade about the pitch axis.
Claims17
A blade apparatus comprising:
- a hub to facilitate movement of blades in an engine, the engine having a radial center line;
- and
- a trunnion connected to the hub, the trunnion including a slot to accommodate a first blade, at least one of the trunnion or the first blade positioned with a combination of a forward tilt forward of a direction of rotation and a tangential lean in the direction of rotation and with respect to the radial center line to form a pitch axis offset from the radial center line such that the pitch axis is not parallel to or co-linear with the radial center line, the hub to rotate the first blade about the pitch axis,
- wherein at least one of the hub or the trunnion is machined to generate the forward tilt and the tangential lean, the combination of the forward tilt and the tangential lean determined to set the pitch axis according to a moment reaction at the trunnion.
A rotor apparatus comprising:
- movement means to facilitate movement of blades in an engine, the engine having a radial center line;
- and
- connection means to accommodate a first blade, at least one of the connection means or the first blade positioned with a combination of a forward tilt forward of a direction of rotation and a tangential lean in the direction of rotation and with respect to the radial center line to form a pitch axis offset from the radial center line such that the pitch axis is not parallel to or co-linear with the radial center line, the movement means to rotate the first blade about the pitch axis,
- wherein at least one of the movement means or the connection means is machined to generate the forward tilt and the tangential lean, the combination of the forward tilt and the tangential lean determined to set the pitch axis according to a moment reaction at the connection means.
A computer-implemented method to determine blade position to set a pitch axis relative to a radial engine axis, the method comprising:
- adjusting a position of a model of a blade at a location with respect to a trunnion attached to a hub of an engine;
- applying loads to the model;
- solving the model to resolve reactions caused by the loads;
- predicting one or more outputs based on the model solution;
- determining a combination of a forward tilt forward of a direction of rotation and a tangential lean of the blade in the direction of rotation based on the one or more outputs;
- and
- generating a blade position to form a pitch axis offset from a radial center line of the engine such that the pitch axis is not parallel to or co-linear with the radial center line, the blade to rotate about the pitch axis, the combination of the forward tilt and the tangential lean determined to set the pitch axis according to a moment reaction at the trunnion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.