Turbomachine fan casing with dual-wall blade containment structure
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorJan C. Schilling
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A blade containment structure for turbomachinery, such as a high bypass turbofan engine. The blade containment structure includes a first casing member having a wall that defines an inner containment shell that immediately surrounds the blades of the turbomachine, and a second casing member assembled to the first casing member. The second casing member has a wall that defines an outer containment shell that surrounds the inner containment shell, such that a cavity is defined by and between the inner and outer containment shells. The first casing member is formed from a high-toughness material such as steel or a nickel-base alloy, while the second casing member is formed from a lower-weight and potentially lower-toughness material as compared to the material of the first casing member.
Claims30
A blade containment structure of a turbomachine having a plurality of blades circumscribed by the blade containment structure, the blade containment structure comprising:
- a first casing member having a wall that defines an inner containment shell immediately surrounding the blades within the blade containment structure, the first casing member being formed from a first material;
- a second casing member assembled to the first casing member, the second casing member having a wall that defines an outer containment shell surrounding the inner containment shell, the second casing member having an aft wall that does not surround the inner containment shell of the first casing member, the second casing member being formed from a second material that is lower in density than the first material of the first casing member;
- and
- a cavity defined by and between the inner and outer containment shells.
A fan blade containment structure of a high bypass turbofan engine having a plurality of radially-extending fan blades circumscribed by the blade containment structure, the blade containment structure comprising:
- an annular-shaped first casing member having a wall that defines an annular-shaped inner containment shell immediately surrounding the blades within the blade containment structure, the first casing member being formed from a first material;
- an annular-shaped second casing member assembled to the first casing member, the second casing member having a wall that defines an annular-shaped outer containment shell surrounding the inner containment shell, the second casing member being formed from a second material that is lower in both density and toughness than the first material of the first casing member;
- an annular-shaped cavity defined by and between the inner and outer containment shells;
- and
- means in physical communication with the first and second casing members for damping vibration of the blade containment structure.
A blade containment structure of a turbomachine having a plurality of blades circumscribed by the blade containment structure, the blade containment structure comprising:
- a first casing member having a wall that defines an inner containment shell immediately surrounding the blades within the blade containment structure, the first casing member being formed from a first material;
- a second casing member assembled to the first casing member, the second casing member having a wall that defines an outer containment shell surrounding the inner containment shell, the second casing member being formed from a second material that is lower in density than the first material of the first casing member;
- a cavity defined by and between the inner and outer containment shells;
- and
- a preloaded friction damper that damps vibration of the blade containment structure through rubbing contact between the first and second casing members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.