Tip cap for a rotor blade
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorsWilliam K. Koffel, Eugene N. Tuley, Charles H. Gay, Jr., Raymond E. Troeger, Albert P. Sterman, deceased
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A replaceable tip cap for attachment to the end of a rotor blade. The tip cap includes a plurality of walls defining a compartment which, if desired, can be divided into a plurality of subcompartments. The tip cap can include inlet and outlet holes in walls thereof to permit fluid communication of a cooling fluid therethrough. Abrasive material can be attached with the radially outer wall of the tip cap.
Claims17
A replaceable tip cap for attachment to the radially outer end of a hollow rotor blade, said tip cap comprising:
- (a) two curved sidewalls joined at leading and trailing edges thereof and defining an airfoil shape,
- (b) a radially outer wall and a pressure maintaining radially inner wall, both joined to the curved sidewalls to form a compartment, the radially inner wall having a plurality of holes extending therethrough, and
- (c) a plurality of bulkheads contained within the compartment for defining several subcompartments, each subcompartment for containing air at a different pressure, and each subcompartment communicating with at least one of the holes in the radially inner wall.
A replaceable tip cap for attachment to the radially outer end of a rotor blade having a hollow interior comprising:
- (a) a radially inner wall,
- (b) two curved sidewalls joined at leading and trailing edges thereof, and
- (c) a radially outer wall, said radially inner and outer walls and said sidewalls defining a compartment therebetween, said radially inner wall including a plurality of inlet holes therethrough for providing fluid communication between said interior of said rotor blade and said compartment, and at least one of said sidewalls including a plurality of outlet holes therethrough for providing fluid communication between said compartment and the exterior of said tip cap.
A replaceable tip cap for a rotor blade, said rotor blade having a generally hollow interior, said tip cap being sized for being attached to a radially outer end of said rotor blade and comprising:
- (a) a radially inner wall including a plurality of inlet holes therethrough;
- (b) a radially outer wall;
- (c) two curved sidewalls joined at leading and trailing edges thereof, at least one of said sidewalls including outlet holes therethrough, said radially inner, radially outer, and curved sidewalls defining a compartment therebetween;
- (d) a plurality of bulkheads extending radially and between said sidewalls for dividing said compartment into a plurality of subcompartments, said inlet holes in said radially inner wall and said outlet holes in one of said sidewalls being arranged for providing fluid communication between each of said subcompartments and said interior of said rotor blade and said exterior of said tip cap, respectively;
- and
- (e) abrasive material attached with a radially outer surface of said radially outer wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.