Geometric approach to stress reduced intra-flow path shrouds for tuning modal responses in ram air turbine rotors

A ram air turbine rotor, comprising:

• a support rotor disc;
• a plurality of rotor blades coupled to the support rotor disc, the rotor blades extending radially outward from the support rotor disc, wherein each of the rotor blades have a leading edge and a trailing edge;
• an outer rim circumferentially coupled to each of the rotor blades at distal ends thereof;
• and
• a first intra-flow path shroud structure coupled between each of the rotor blades along a first radial position between the support rotor disc and the outer rim, the first intra-flow path shroud structure including a plurality of first shroud sectors, wherein each of the first shroud sectors is coupled between a respective pair of the rotor blades, the first shroud sectors each including:
• a first shroud edge adjacent to the leading edges of the respective pair of the rotor blades, the first shroud edge including a first curved segment;
• and
• a second shroud edge adjacent to the trailing edges of the respective pair of rotor blades, the second shroud edge including a second curved segment;
• wherein the first and second curved segments are each partially defined by a respective ellipse having a semi-major axis and a semi-minor axis;
• wherein the semi-major axis is a predetermined portion of a spanwise distance along the shroud structure between the respective pair of the rotor blades;
• wherein the semi-minor axis is a predetermined portion of an axial distance between the leading edge of one rotor blade and the trailing edge of an adjacent rotor blade of the respective pair of the rotor blades.