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US 2025/0052166 A1Published application
Turbine engine with composite airfoils
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsNicholas Joseph Kray, Arthur William Sibbach
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A turbine engine with an engine core defining an engine centerline and comprising a rotor and a stator. The turbine engine including a set of composite airfoils circumferentially arranged about the engine centerline and defining at least a portion of the rotor. An airfoil in the set of composite airfoils including a composite portion extending chordwise between a composite leading edge and a trailing edge and a leading edge protector coupled to the composite portion.
Claims30
A turbine engine, comprising:
- an engine core defining an engine centerline and comprising a rotor and a stator;
- a first stage of composite airfoils circumferentially arranged about the engine centerline and defining at least a portion of the rotor, a first airfoil of the first stage of composite airfoils comprising:
- a first composite portion extending chordwise between a first composite leading edge and a first trailing edge;
- a first leading edge protector receiving at least a portion of the first composite leading edge of the first composite portion, the first leading edge protector extending chordwise from a first leading edge towards the first composite portion for a first leading length (FLL);
- and
- the first composite portion and the first leading edge protector together defining an exterior surface of the first airfoil and extending chordwise between the first leading edge and the first trailing edge to define a first chord length (FCL);
- a second stage of composite airfoils located downstream of the first stage of composite airfoils and circumferentially arranged about the engine centerline, a second airfoil of the second stage of composite airfoils comprising:
- a second composite portion extending chordwise between a second composite leading edge and a second trailing edge;
- a second leading edge protector receiving at least a portion of the second composite leading edge of the second composite portion, the second leading edge protector extending chordwise from a second leading edge towards the second composite portion for a second leading length (SLL);
- and
- the second composite portion and the second leading edge protector together defining an exterior surface of the second airfoil and extending chordwise between the second leading edge and the second trailing edge to define a second chord length (SCL);
- wherein the first leading length (FLL) and the first chord length (FCL) are related to the second leading length (SLL) and the second chord length (SCL) by a stage protection factor (SPF),
- wherein
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- and SPF is greater than or equal to 0.7 and less than or equal to 4 (0.7≤SPF≤4);
- wherein at least one of the first stage of composite airfoils or the second stage of composite airfoils includes a row of individual airfoils, the individual airfoils including stagger that increases between a root and tip to position a leading edge of an airfoil circumferentially adjacent to a suction side of an adjacent airfoil, the row of airfoils including no more than twenty two and no less than sixteen airfoils having a solidity defined by a ratio of airfoil chord over a circumferential pitch greater than or equal to 1.0 and less than or equal to 1.2.
44 more elements
A turbine engine, comprising:
- an engine core defining an engine centerline and comprising a rotor and a stator;
- a first stage of composite airfoils circumferentially arranged about the engine centerline and defining at least a portion of the rotor, a first airfoil of the first stage of composite airfoils comprising:
- a first composite portion extending chordwise between a first composite leading edge and a first trailing edge;
- a first leading edge protector receiving at least a portion of the first composite leading edge of the first composite portion, the first leading edge protector extending chordwise from a first leading edge towards the first composite portion for a first leading length (FLL);
- and
- the first composite portion and the first leading edge protector together defining an exterior surface of the first airfoil and extending chordwise between the first leading edge and the first trailing edge to define a first chord length (FCL);
- a second stage of composite airfoils located downstream of the first stage of composite airfoils and circumferentially arranged about the engine centerline, a second airfoil of the second stage of composite airfoils comprising:
- a second composite portion extending chordwise between a second composite leading edge and a second trailing edge;
- a second leading edge protector receiving at least a portion of the second composite leading edge of the second composite portion, the second leading edge protector extending chordwise from a second leading edge towards the second composite portion for a second leading length (SLL);
- and
- the second composite portion and the second leading edge protector together defining an exterior surface of the second airfoil and extending chordwise between the second leading edge and the second trailing edge to define a second chord length (SCL);
- wherein the first leading length (FLL) and the first chord length (FCL) are related to the second leading length (SLL) and the second chord length (SCL) by a stage protection factor (SPF),
- wherein
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- and SPF is greater than or equal to 0.7 and less than or equal to 4 (0.7≤SPF≤4);
- wherein at least one of the first stage of composite airfoils or the second stage of composite airfoils includes a row of individual airfoils, the individual airfoils including stagger that increases between a root and tip to position a leading edge of an airfoil circumferentially adjacent to a suction side of an adjacent airfoil to define a mouth for a flow passage therebetween, with the flow passage converging to a throat aft from the mouth, the row of airfoils including no more than twenty two airfoils having a solidity defined by the ratio of an airfoil chord over a circumferential pitch to position the leading edge circumferentially near the trailing edge of an adjacent tip and correspondingly increase the width of the throat.
40 more elements
A turbine engine comprising:
- an engine core defining an engine centerline and comprising a rotor and a stator;
- a set of composite airfoils comprising a set of fan blades and a set of outlet guide vanes downstream from the set of fan blades, the set of composite airfoils circumferentially arranged about the engine centerline and defining at least a portion of the rotor, an airfoil of the set of composite airfoils comprising:
- a composite portion extending chordwise between a composite leading edge and a trailing edge;
- a leading edge protector coupled to the composite portion at the composite leading edge to define a seam, and extending chordwise between a leading edge and the seam to define a leading length (LL);
- and
- the composite portion and the leading edge protector together defining an exterior surface of the airfoil and extending chordwise between the leading edge and the trailing edge to define a chord length (CL);
- wherein the leading length (LL) is related to the chord length (CL) by an airfoil protection factor
- (
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- and a first APF (APF1) for the set of fan blades 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 set of outlet guide vanes is greater than or equal to 0.08 and less than or equal to 0.17 (0.08≤APF2≤0.17);
- wherein at least one of the set of fan blades or the set of outlet guide vanes includes a row of individual airfoils, the individual airfoils including stagger that increases between a root and tip to position a leading edge of an airfoil circumferentially adjacent to a suction side of an adjacent airfoil, the row of airfoils including no more than twenty two and no less than sixteen airfoils having a solidity defined by a ratio of airfoil chord over a circumferential pitch greater than or equal to 1.0 and less than or equal to 1.2.
24 more elements
A turbine engine comprising:
- an engine core defining an engine centerline and comprising a rotor and a stator;
- a set of composite airfoils comprising a set of fan blades and a set of outlet guide vanes downstream from the set of fan blades, the set of composite airfoils circumferentially arranged about the engine centerline and defining at least a portion of the rotor, an airfoil of the set of composite airfoils comprising:
- a composite portion extending chordwise between a composite leading edge and a trailing edge;
- a leading edge protector coupled to the composite portion at the composite leading edge to define a seam, and extending chordwise between a leading edge and the seam to define a leading length (LL);
- and
- the composite portion and the leading edge protector together defining an exterior surface of the airfoil and extending chordwise between the leading edge and the trailing edge to define a chord length (CL);
- wherein the leading length (LL) is related to the chord length (CL) by an airfoil protection factor
- (
- A
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- =
- (
- L
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- and a first APF (APF1) for the set of fan blades 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 set of outlet guide vanes is greater than or equal to 0.08 and less than or equal to 0.17 (0.08≤APF2≤0.17);
- wherein at least one of the set of fan blades or the set of outlet guide vanes includes a row of individual airfoils, the individual airfoils including stagger that increases between a root and tip to position a leading edge of an airfoil circumferentially adjacent to a suction side of an adjacent airfoil to define a mouth for a flow passage therebetween, with the flow passage converging to a throat aft from the mouth, the row of airfoils including no more than twenty two airfoils having a solidity defined by the ratio of an airfoil chord over a circumferential pitch to position the leading edge circumferentially near the trailing edge of an adjacent tip and correspondingly increase the width of the throat.
24 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.