# US 12,215,596 B2 · Unducted airfoil assembly

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- Number: US 12,215,596 B2
- Document ID: US12215596B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/345,018
- Filed: 2023-06-30
- Published: 2025-01-02
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2023-06-30
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Kishore Ramakrishnan; Daniel Lawrence Tweedt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215596B2

## CPC

- F01D 5/14: Form or construction (selecting particular materials, measures against erosion or corrosion F01D5/28)
- F05D 2220/32: in gas turbines
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

An unducted airfoil assembly includes an airfoil having spaced-apart pressure and suction sides extending radially in span from a root to a tip, and extending axially in chord between spaced apart leading and trailing edges. The airfoil defines a forward-most axial point and is arranged around a longitudinal axis and rotates about the longitudinal axis in a rotational direction. A tip leading edge of the airfoil is circumferentially offset in a direction opposite the rotational direction relative to a circumferential location of the forward-most axial point.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An unducted airfoil assembly, comprising:
an airfoil having spaced-apart pressure and suction sides extending radially in span from a root to a tip, and extending axially in chord between spaced apart leading and trailing edges, and wherein the airfoil comprises a forward-most axial point located between the root and the tip, and wherein the airfoil defines a tip portion extending radially from the forward-most axial point to the tip; and
wherein a thickness of the airfoil is defined as a distance measured between the pressure side and the suction side, and wherein a maximum thickness for at least 50% of a radial extent of the tip portion for a chord extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge is located forward of 0.40 chord fraction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The unducted airfoil assembly of claim 1, wherein the airfoil is arranged about a longitudinal axis and rotates about the longitudinal axis in a rotational direction, and wherein the leading edge in the tip portion leans in a direction opposite the rotational direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The unducted airfoil assembly of claim 1, wherein a thickness ratio of an airfoil section is defined as the thickness of the airfoil section divided by a maximum thickness of the airfoil section, and wherein the thickness ratio of any airfoil section in the tip portion is 0.8 or greater at 0.05 chord fraction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The unducted airfoil assembly of claim 1, wherein circumferential coordinates of the leading edge monotonically increase, in a radial direction, relative to a circumferential coordinate of the forward-most axial point of the leading edge in a direction away from a rotational direction of the airfoil for at least a sub-portion of the tip portion beyond a tip radius value of the forward-most axial point.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The unducted airfoil assembly of claim 1, wherein the trailing edge comprises a sculpted trailing edge feature.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The unducted airfoil assembly of claim 1, wherein the maximum thickness for at least a portion of the airfoil in the tip portion is located forward of a 0.25 chord fraction as measured from the leading edge.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The unducted airfoil assembly of claim 1, wherein the airfoil comprises a guide vane.