Rotational airfoil balance system
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorPaul Armand Carvalho
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A balance system for a rotational airfoil assembly includes a bulkhead, an elongated member, a support member and at least one balance weight. The elongated member extends through the bulkhead along a bore toward an airfoil tip segment of the airfoil assembly. The balance weights are mounted to a tip segment of the elongated member positioned within the bore outboard of an airfoil mid-span segment of the airfoil assembly. A reduced quantity of weight is required to balance the airfoil assembly because of the location of the balance weights outside of the mid-span segment of the airfoil assembly.
Claims8
A rotational airfoil assembly, comprising:
- an airfoil which defines a bore along a longitudinal axis, said airfoil includes an airfoil root segment and an airfoil tip segment;
- a support located within said airfoil, said support located between said airfoil root segment and said airfoil tip segment;
- a bulkhead located within said airfoil root segment;
- an elongated member that defines a first diameter, said elongated member mounted within said bore, said elongated member includes a flange opposite a tip segment which defines a second diameter less than said first diameter and said flange defines a third diameter greater than said first diameter, said flange engaged with said bulkhead such that said extended member extends through said bulkhead and through said support;
- and
- at least one balance weight mountable to said tip segment outboard of said support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.