# US 2013/0156592 A1 · Fan blade with composite core and wavy wall trailing edge cladding > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0156592 A1 - Document ID: US20130156592A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/331,301 - Filed: 2011-12-20 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-20 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Inventors: Nicholas Joseph Kray; Daniel Edward Mollmann; Dong-Jin Shim; Trevor Howard Wood - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130156592A1 ## CPC - F01D 5/282: {Selecting composite materials, e.g. blades with reinforcing filaments} - F01D 5/141: {Shape, i.e. outer, aerodynamic form (F01D5/148 - F01D5/20 take precedence; blade construction F01D5/147)} - F05D 2220/36: specially adapted for the fan of turbofan engines - F05D 2240/304: related to the trailing edge of a rotor blade - F05D 2250/184: sinusoidal - 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 gas turbine engine airfoil includes leading and trailing edges, pressure and suction sides extending from airfoil base to airfoil tip, trailing edge cladding made of cladding material bonded to composite core made of composite material, cladding material less brittle than composite material, composite core including central core portion extending downstream from leading edge portion to trailing edge portion of composite core, and trailing edge cladding including wavy wall and trailing edge. Pressure and suction side flanks of trailing edge cladding may be bonded to pressure and suction side surfaces of trailing edge portion. Waves of wavy wall may extend normal to and away from the pressure and suction side surfaces. Trailing edge cladding may include wavy pressure and suction side trailing edge guards including waves of wavy wall. Airfoil may extend outwardly from platform of a blade. Root may include integral dovetail. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gas turbine engine airfoil comprising: chordwise spaced apart leading and trailing edges, pressure and suction sides extending outwardly in a spanwise direction from an airfoil base to an airfoil tip, trailing edge cladding made of a cladding material bonded to a composite core made of a composite material wherein the cladding material is less brittle than the composite material, the composite core including a central core portion extending chordwise downstream from a leading edge portion to a trailing edge portion of the composite core, and the trailing edge cladding including a wavy wall and the trailing edge. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The airfoil as claimed in claim 1, further comprising pressure and suction side flanks of the trailing edge cladding bonded to pressure and suction side surfaces respectively of the trailing edge portion of the composite core. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The airfoil as claimed in claim 1, further comprising waves of the wavy wall extending normal to and away from the pressure and suction side surfaces. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The airfoil as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the metallic trailing edge cladding including spanwise extending wavy pressure and suction side trailing edge guards including the waves of the wavy wall. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The airfoil as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the wavy pressure and suction side trailing edge guards being made of sheet metal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The airfoil as claimed in claim 5, further comprising pressure and suction side flanks of the trailing edge cladding bonded to pressure and suction side surfaces respectively of the trailing edge portion of the composite core. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The airfoil as claimed in claim 6, further comprising waves of the wavy wall extending normal to and away from the pressure and suction side surfaces. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The airfoil as claimed in claim 6, further comprising forward facing steps on the pressure and suction side flanks of the trailing edge cladding and an erosion coating covering the composite core and butting up against and hiding the steps. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The airfoil as claimed in claim 6, further comprising forward facing steps on the pressure and suction side flanks of the trailing edge cladding and rebates extending into the composite core and hiding the steps. ### Claim 10 A gas turbine engine fan blade comprising: an airfoil extending outwardly from a platform of the blade, the airfoil extending between chordwise spaced apart leading and trailing edges, the airfoil including pressure and suction sides extending outwardly in a spanwise direction from an airfoil base at the platform to an airfoil tip, the airfoil including trailing edge cladding made of a cladding material bonded to a composite core made of a composite material wherein the cladding material is less brittle than the composite material, the airfoil including the composite core including a central core portion extending chordwise downstream from a leading edge portion to a trailing edge portion of the composite core, and the trailing edge cladding including a wavy wall and the trailing edge. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The blade as claimed in claim 10, further comprising pressure and suction side flanks of the trailing edge cladding bonded to pressure and suction side surfaces respectively of the trailing edge portion of the composite core. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The blade as claimed in claim 10, further comprising waves of the wavy wall extending normal to and away from the pressure and suction side surfaces. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The blade as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the metallic trailing edge cladding including spanwise extending wavy pressure and suction side trailing edge guards including the waves of the wavy wall. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The blade as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the wavy pressure and suction side trailing edge guards being made of sheet metal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The blade as claimed in claim 14, further comprising pressure and suction side flanks of the trailing edge cladding bonded to pressure and suction side surfaces respectively of the trailing edge portion of the composite core. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The blade as claimed in claim 15, further comprising waves of the wavy wall extending normal to and away from the pressure and suction side surfaces. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The blade as claimed in claim 16, further comprising forward facing steps on the pressure and suction side flanks of the trailing edge cladding and an erosion coating covering the composite core and butting up against and hiding the steps. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The blade as claimed in claim 16, further comprising forward facing steps on the pressure and suction side flanks of the trailing edge cladding and rebates extending into the composite core and hiding the steps. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The blade as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a root extending inwardly from the platform. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The blade as claimed in claim 19, further comprising the root including an integral dovetail. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The blade as claimed in claim 20, further comprising pressure and suction side flanks of the trailing edge cladding bonded to pressure and suction side surfaces respectively of the trailing edge portion of the composite core. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The blade as claimed in claim 20, further comprising waves of the wavy wall extending normal to and away from the pressure and suction side surfaces. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The blade as claimed in claim 20, further comprising the metallic trailing edge cladding including spanwise extending wavy pressure and suction side trailing edge guards including the waves of the wavy wall. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The blade as claimed in claim 23, further comprising the wavy pressure and suction side trailing edge guards being made of sheet metal. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The blade as claimed in claim 24, further comprising pressure and suction side flanks of the trailing edge cladding bonded to pressure and suction side surfaces respectively of the trailing edge portion of the composite core. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The blade as claimed in claim 25, further comprising waves of the wavy wall extending normal to and away from the pressure and suction side surfaces. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The blade as claimed in claim 26, further comprising forward facing steps on the pressure and suction side flanks of the trailing edge cladding and an erosion coating covering the composite core and butting up against and hiding the steps. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The blade as claimed in claim 26, further comprising forward facing steps on the pressure and suction side flanks of the trailing edge cladding and rebates extending into the composite core and hiding the steps.