Gas turbine rotary blade with tip insert

A rotary blade, comprising:

• a root,
• an airfoil attached to the root, wherein the airfoil has a suction side surface, a pressure side surface, a leading edge, a trailing edge, a tip, and a slot disposed within the tip, and wherein the slot extends in a chordwise direction between the leading edge and trailing edge;
• a tip insert having a base end and a rub end, the tip insert configured as a unitary and uninterrupted body;
• and
• a leading edge insert disposed at the leading edge of the rotary blade;
• wherein the base end of the tip insert is disposed within the slot, and the rub end of the tip insert extends radially outward from the airfoil tip;
• wherein the tip insert and the airfoil are discretely formed bodies;
• wherein the tip insert comprises metal and/or ceramic;
• and
• wherein the leading edge insert extends chordwise along a first portion of the tip for a first distance, the tip insert extends chordwise along a second portion of the tip for a second distance, and a sum of the first distance and the second distance is equal to or greater than a chordlength of the airfoil tip.

A rotary blade tip insert for a rotary blade having an airfoil that has a suction side surface, a pressure side surface, a leading edge, a trailing edge, a tip, and a slot disposed within the tip, wherein the slot extends in a chordwise direction between the leading edge and trailing edge, the tip insert comprising:

• a unitary and uninterrupted body having a width extending radially between an inner surface of a base end and an outer surface of a rub end, and a length extending between a forward end and an aft end;
• wherein the base end is configured to be received within the slot and the rub end is configured to extend radially outward from the airfoil tip;
• wherein the tip insert comprises metal and/or ceramic;
• wherein the tip insert is at least one of welded or brazed to the airfoil;
• wherein the slot is disposed in the tip between the pressure side surface and the suction side surface;
• and
• wherein a portion of the slot extends to the pressure side surface adjacent to the trailing edge.

A rotary blade assembly within a gas turbine engine, the assembly comprising:

• a plurality of rotary blades extending radially outwardly from a hub, each of the rotor blades having a tip insert and an airfoil that has a suction side surface, a pressure side surface, a leading edge, a trailing edge, a tip, and a slot disposed within the tip, wherein the slot extends in a chordwise direction between the leading edge and trailing edge, wherein the tip insert has a base end and a rub end, and wherein the base end of the tip insert is disposed within the slot, and the rub end of the tip insert extends radially outward from the airfoil tip;
• and
• a containment case disposed radially outside of the rotary blades and circumferentially surrounding the plurality of blades, wherein the containment case includes an abradable blade outer air seal;
• wherein the tip insert and the airfoil are discretely formed bodies;
• wherein the tip insert comprises metal and/or ceramic, and the tip insert is configured as an integrally formed body;
• wherein the tip insert is at least one of welded or brazed to the airfoil;
• wherein the slot is disposed in the tip between the pressure side surface and the suction side surface;
• and
• wherein a portion of the slot extends to the pressure side surface adjacent to the trailing edge.