# US 12,601,269 B2 · Turbine engine with composite airfoils

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- Number: US 12,601,269 B2
- Document ID: US12601269B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 19/242,046
- Filed: 2025-06-18
- Published: 2025-10-09
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2023-02-20
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Nicholas Joseph Kray; Arthur William Sibbach
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12601269B2

## CPC

- F01D 5/282: {Selecting composite materials, e.g. blades with reinforcing filaments}
- F01D 9/04: forming ring or sector
- F01D 25/005: {Selecting particular materials}
- F05D 2220/32: in gas turbines
- F05D 2240/12: Fluid guiding means, e.g. vanes
- F05D 2240/30: Characteristics of rotor blades, i.e. of any element transforming dynamic fluid energy to or from rotational energy and being attached to a rotor
- F05D 2300/603: Composites; e.g. fibre-reinforced
- Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
- 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
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A turbine engine includes a turbomachine having a compressor section, a combustor, and a turbine section. The turbine engine includes a set of composite airfoils, where a composite airfoil of the set of composite airfoils includes a composite body that extends chordwise between a composite leading edge and a trailing edge. A leading edge protector is coupled to the composite body. A platform extends from the composite airfoil.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A turbine engine comprising:
a fan;
a turbomachine comprising a compressor section, a combustor in fluid communication with the compressor section, and a turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor;
a speed reduction device driven by the turbine section and configured for rotating the fan;
composite airfoils comprising at least one composite fan blade and at least one composite outlet guide vane downstream from the at least one composite fan blade;
wherein an airfoil of the composite airfoils comprises:
a composite body extending chordwise from a body leading edge to a body trailing edge, and
a leading edge protector having a protector leading edge different from, and receiving at least a portion of, the composite body,
wherein a leading length (LL) extends chordwise from the protector leading edge to an end of the leading edge protector, and a chord length (CL) extends chordwise from the protector leading edge to the body trailing edge, and
wherein the LL is related to the CL by an airfoil protection factor
(
APF
)
=
(
LL
)
(
CL
)
;
and a first APF (APF1) for the at least one composite fan blade is greater than or equal to 0.2 and less than or equal to 0.30 (0.2≤APF1≤0.3) and a second APF (APF2) for the at least one composite outlet guide vane is greater than or equal to 0.08 and less than or equal to 0.17 (0.08≤APF2≤0.17); and
a platform comprising a structural body portion and a flowpath surface portion joined to the structural body portion, wherein the flowpath surface portion defines a radially outer surface that extends from the at least one composite fan blade or the at least one composite outlet guide vane, and wherein the flowpath surface portion defines at least one wing having a resilient seal member.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the radially outer surface of the platform fixes an inner flowpath boundary.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The turbine engine of claim 2, wherein the flowpath surface portion extends circumferentially and the at least one wing includes a pair of wings.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The turbine engine of claim 2, wherein the at least one wing is frangible.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the APF1 relates to the APF2 by an expression:
APF
⁢
1
APF
⁢
2
to define a stage protection factor (SPF), and wherein the SPF is greater than or equal to 0.7 and less than or equal to 4 (0.7≤SPF≤4).

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The turbine engine of claim 5, wherein the SPF is greater than or equal to 0.95 and less than or equal to 2.5 (0.95≤SPF≤2.5).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein a bypass ratio is from 10:1 to 22:1.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the speed reduction device is a power gearbox.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the composite body is a polymer matrix composite.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The turbine engine of claim 9, wherein the leading edge protector is a metallic leading edge protector.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the resilient seal member is silicone.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one composite fan blade is a plurality of composite fan blades and the radially outer surface extends between adjacent composite fan blades of the plurality of composite fan blades.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one composite outlet guide vane is a plurality of composite outlet guide vanes and the radially outer surface extends between adjacent composite outlet guide vanes of the plurality of composite outlet guide vanes.