Method and apparatus for gas turbine engines
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsNicholas Joseph Kray, David William Crall, Daniel Edward Mollmann
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Abstract
A method of assembling a gas turbine engine includes providing at least one blade assembly. The method also includes forming at least one blade tip fuse within at least a portion of the at least one blade assembly. The method further includes coupling the at least one blade assembly into the gas turbine engine. The blade assembly includes an airfoil and a metal leading edge (MLE) coupled to at least a portion of the airfoil. The MLE includes the at least one blade tip fuse.
Claims17
A method of assembling a gas turbine engine, said method comprises:
- providing at least one blade assembly;
- coupling at least a portion of a metal leading edge (MLE) to at least an airfoil portion of the blade assembly;
- forming at least one blade tip fuse within at least a portion of the at least one blade assembly using at least one hinge mechanism within a portion of the MLE, wherein a first portion of the MLE is formed with a first tangential stiffness and a second portion of the MLE is formed with a second tangential stiffness that is less than the first tangential stiffness;
- and
- coupling the at least one blade assembly into the gas turbine engine.
A blade assembly comprising:
- an airfoil;
- and
- a metal leading edge (MLE) coupled to at least a portion of said airfoil, said MLE comprises at least one blade tip fuse wherein a first portion of the MLE is formed with a first tangential stiffness and a second portion of the MLE is formed with a second tangential stiffness that is less than the first tangential stiffness.
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a rotor;
- a casing at least partially extending about said rotor;
- and
- at least one blade assembly coupled to said rotor, said at least one blade assembly comprises:
- an airfoil;
- and
- a metal leading edge (MLE) coupled to at least a portion of said airfoil, said MLE comprises at least one blade tip fuse wherein a first portion of the MLE is formed with a first tangential stiffness and a second portion of the MLE is formed with a second tangential stiffness that is less than the first tangential stiffness.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.