Airfoils for wake desensitization and method for fabricating same

An airfoil for use in an engine, said airfoil comprising:

• a first side and a second side coupled together at a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein the leading edge extends an entire length of the airfoil in a span-wise direction and the trailing edge is spaced chord-wise and downstream from the leading edge, the airfoil configured to facilitate desensitization of an airfoil unsteady pressure response to at least one impinging upstream generated wake or vortex by reducing in amplitude and decorrelating spatially and temporally an unsteady pressure caused by interaction of the airfoil with the at least one impinging upstream generated wake or vortex;
• and
• a plurality of first chord sections having a first thickness and defining at least one first chord length and a plurality of second chord sections having a second thickness and defining at least one second chord length, wherein each first chord section of said plurality of first chord sections is defined between each second chord section of said plurality of second chord sections and wherein the first chord length is longer than the second chord length defining a waveform along a leading edge of the airfoil, at least one chord section of said plurality of first chord sections extends outward from one of the first side or the second side of the airfoil at the leading edge and extending only a partial width of the airfoil in a chord-wise direction, and at least one chord section of said plurality of second chord sections extends outward from one of the first side or the second side of the airfoil at the leading edge and extending only a partial width of the airfoil in a chord-wise direction, said leading edge comprises:
• a plurality of spaced-apart wave-shaped projections each wave-shaped projection of said plurality of wave-shaped projections defines a wave tip and at least one trough portion defined between at least one pair of adjacent spaced-apart wave-shaped projections, wherein adjacent wave-shaped projections define a tip-to-tip distance therebetween, the tip-to-tip distance is within a range of values representative of a percentage of the at least one first chord length, wherein each of said wave-shaped projections include a radially inner edge and a radially outer edge that are angled such that they maintain the leading edge to the impinging upstream generated wake or vortex and wherein said wave-shaped projections are at least one of substantially evenly spaced and unevenly spaced,
• wherein the outwardly extending first and second chord sections and the plurality of spaced-apart wave-shaped projections defining a three-dimensional crenulated airfoil.

A method of fabricating an airfoil, said method comprising:

• fabricating at least one airfoil including a first side and a second side coupled together at a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein the leading edge extends an entire length of the airfoil in a span-wise direction and the trailing edge is spaced chord-wise and downstream from the leading edge, the airfoil configured to facilitate desensitization of an airfoil unsteady pressure response to at least one impinging upstream generated wake or vortex by reducing in amplitude and decorrelating spatially and temporally an unsteady pressure caused by interaction of the airfoil with the at least one impinging upstream generated wake or vortex;
• and
• wherein the airfoil includes a plurality of first chord sections defining at least one first chord length and a plurality of second chord sections defining at least one second chord length, each extending between the trailing and leading edges and defining a waveform along a leading edge of the airfoil, at least one chord section of said plurality of first chord sections extends outward from one of the first side or the second side of the airfoil at the leading edge and extending only a partial width of the airfoil in a chord-wise direction, and at least one chord section of said plurality of second chord sections extends outward from one of the first side or the second side of the airfoil at the leading edge and extending only a partial width of the airfoil in a chord-wise direction, said leading edge defines a length between a root portion of said airfoil and a tip portion of said airfoil, said leading edge comprises:
• a plurality of spaced-apart wave-shaped projections each wave-shaped projection of said plurality of wave-shaped projections defining a wave tip and at least one trough portion defined between at least one pair of adjacent spaced-apart wave-shaped projections, wherein adjacent wave-shaped projections define a tip-to-tip distance therebetween, the tip-to-tip distance is within a range of values representative of a percentage of the at least one first chord length, wherein said wave-shaped projections include a radially inner edge and a radially outer edge that are angled such that they maintain the leading edge to the impinging upstream generated wake or vortex and wherein said wave-shaped projections are at least one of substantially evenly spaced and unevenly spaced,
• wherein the outwardly extending first and second chord sections and the plurality of spaced-apart wave-shaped projections defining a three-dimensional crenulated airfoil.