Forward swept fan blade
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsAspi R. Wadia, Ian F. Prentice, David W. Crall, Carl C. Koch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas turbine engine fan blade includes a main body having a radially spaced apart root and tip, and axially spaced apart leading and trailing edges. A front shell is fixedly joined to a portion of the body leading edge to collectively define with the body an airfoil having first and second opposite sides extending between the root, tip, shell, and trailing edge for pressurizing air flowing thereover. The shell is hollow to offset toward the trailing edge a collective center of gravity of the airfoil to reduce steady stress at the airfoil leading edge.
Claims14
A gas turbine engine fan blade configured for extending radially outwardly from a perimeter of a rotor disk, comprising:
- a main body having a radially spaced apart root and tip, and axially spaced apart leading edge and trailing edge;
- a front shell fixedly joined to at least a portion of said body leading edge to collectively define with said body an airfoil having first and second opposite sides extending between said root, tip, shell, and trailing edge for pressurizing air flowing thereover;
- and
- said shell being hollow to offset toward said trailing edge a collective center of gravity of said airfoil and increase linearity of a stacking axis of said blade radially outwardly of a center of gravity of said body root.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.