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US 2011/0033292 A1Published application
Energy absorbing fan blade spacer
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorBrian P. Huth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine engine fan section is disclosed that includes a hub. Circumferentially spaced fan blades are supported on the hub. A spacer is arranged between adjacent fan blades and is operatively supported by the hub. The spacer is configured to be collapsible in response to a fan blade load exerted on the spacer in excess of a threshold load. The spacer is generally rigid at fan blade loads below the threshold load.
Claims17
A gas turbine engine fan section comprising:
- a hub;
- circumferentially spaced fan blades supported on the hub;
- and
- a spacer arranged between adjacent fan blades and operatively supported by the hub, the spacer configured to be collapsible in response to a fan blade load exerted on the spacer in excess of a threshold load, the spacer generally rigid at fan blade loads below the threshold load.
1 more element
A spacer for a gas turbine engine fan section comprising:
- structure including a fan blade contact area, the structure configured to be collapsible in response to a fan blade load exerted on the fan blade contact area in excess of a threshold load, the structure generally rigid at fan blade loads below the threshold load.
A method of absorbing energy in a fan section comprising:
- inducing a fan blade load on a spacer that exceeds a threshold load;
- and
- collapsing the spacer in response to the fan blade load to absorb energy from the fan blade.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.