Rotor aerofoil blade containment
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorDerick A. Perry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hollow propfan aerofoil blade is provided with grooves which extend between its root and tip portions. The grooves contain filaments which are enclosed within a resin matrix material and are anchored to the root and tip portions. The filaments are arranged to be of sufficient strength to contain any of aerofoil portion of the blade in the event of any structural failure thereof.
Claims11
A rotor aerofoil blade comprising and aerofoil cross-section portion having concave and convex flanks, a tip portion and a root portion at the opposite end thereof to said tip portion which root portion is configured for attachment of said blade to a rotatable hub member, said aerofoil cross-section portion having at least one groove in each of said concave and convex flanks, each said groove extending spanwise between said tip portion and said root portion and containing a plurality of spanwise extending filaments, means anchoring said spanwise extending filaments to said tip portion and said root portion, a matrix enclosing said spanwise extending filaments in each said groove and having a flush surface with said flanks, and said spanwise extending filaments in said matrix being essentially passive in performing a load-bearing function during normal operation but having sufficient strength to contain any of said aerofoil cross-section portion in the event of any structural failure of said aerofoil cross-section portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.