Methods and apparatus for providing damping of airfoil components

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles for providing damping of airfoils are disclosed. An example airfoil is disposed in a flow path and includes a shell defining an outer surface of the airfoil and forming a cavity in an inner surface of the airfoil, and a grid damper disposed in the cavity for reducing vibrational loads applied to the airfoil.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to turbines, and more specifically, to methods and apparatus for providing damping for airfoils. Background Technology

[0002] Gas turbine engines typically consist of an inlet section, compressor section, combustion section, turbine section, and exhaust section in a series flow sequence. During operation, air enters the inlet section and flows to the compressor section, where one or more axial-flow compressors progressively compress the air until it reaches the combustion section, producing combustion gases. The combustion gases then flow from the combustion section through a hot gas path defined within the turbine section, and finally exit the turbine section via the exhaust section. Attached Figure Description

[0003] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of an example turbofan gas turbine engine in which the examples disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0004] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of an example open rotary engine in which the examples disclosed herein can be implemented.

[0005] Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 The line AA is intercepted Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an example outlet guide vane, wherein the example outlet guide includes an example lattice damper.

[0006] Figure 4A It shows that it can be used Figure 3 The first example unit cell implemented in the example lattice damper.

[0007] Figure 4B It shows that it can be used Figure 3 The second example cell is implemented in the example lattice damper.

[0008] Figure 5 It shows Figure 3 An example of a lattice damper, which implements a second lattice pattern.

[0009] Figure 6 It shows Figure 3 An example of a lattice damper, which implements a third lattice pattern.

[0010] Figure 7 This is a flowchart representing the example method that produces the examples disclosed in this article.

[0011] The accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale. Instead, the thickness of layers or regions may be enlarged in the drawings. Although layers and regions with sharp lines and boundaries are shown in the drawings, some or all of these lines and / or boundaries may be idealized. In reality, boundaries and / or lines may be unobservable, mixed, and / or irregular. Generally, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the accompanying drawings and the accompanying written description to refer to the same or similar parts. As used herein, unless otherwise stated, the term "above" describes the relationship of two parts relative to the Earth. If the second part has at least one part between the Earth and the first part, then the first part is above the second part. Similarly, as used herein, when the first part is closer to the Earth than the second part, the first part is "below" the second part. As stated above, the first part may be above or below the second part, having one or more of the following: there are other parts between them, there are no other parts between them, the first part and the second part are in contact, or the first part and the second part are not in direct contact with each other. As used herein, a statement that any portion (e.g., layer, film, region, area, or plate) is in any manner on (e.g., positioned, located, disposed on, or formed on, etc.) another portion indicates that the referred portion is in contact with the other portion, or that the referred portion 5 is above the other portion, wherein one or more intermediate portions are located between the two. As used herein, unless otherwise stated,

[0012] Otherwise, a connection reference (e.g., attachment, coupling, connection, and joining) may include intermediate components between elements referred to by the connection reference and / or relative movement between those elements. Therefore, a connection reference does not necessarily infer a direct connection between two elements and / or...

[0013] Or they may have a fixed relationship with each other. As used in this article, a statement that any part is "in contact" with another part is defined as meaning that there is no intermediate part between the two parts.

[0014] Unless otherwise specified, descriptors such as "first," "second," and "third" used in this document are not assigned...

[0015] The descriptor is not intended to indicate priority, physical order, arrangement in a list, and / or any sorting in any way, but is merely used as a label and / or arbitrary name to distinguish elements for ease of understanding of the disclosed examples. In some examples, the descriptor...

[0016] The term "first" can be used to refer to an element in a detailed description, while different descriptors (e.g., "the first") can be used in the claims.

[0017] The term "second" or "third" refers to the same element. In this case, it should be understood that such descriptors are only used to clearly identify elements that may, for example, share the same name in other ways. As used herein, "approximately" and "about" mean...

[0018] Dimensions may be inaccurate due to manufacturing tolerances and / or other real-world defects. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Aircraft include engines that act as propulsion systems to generate mechanical power and forces such as thrust. A gas turbine, also known as a combustion turbine or turbine engine, is an internal combustion engine that can be implemented in the propulsion system of an aircraft. For example, a gas turbine...

[0020] Turbines can be implemented in conjunction with turbofan engines or turbojet aircraft engines. Gas turbines also have important applications in fields such as industrial power generation.

[0021] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the description, and which are illustrated by way of example.

[0022] Specific examples that can be implemented are shown. These examples are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the five topics, and it should be understood that other examples can be utilized. Therefore, the following detailed description is provided to describe exemplary implementations.

[0023] This should not be construed as limiting the scope of the subject matter described in this disclosure. Certain features from different aspects of the following description can be combined to form yet another new aspect of the subject matter discussed below.

[0024] In describing the elements of various embodiments of this disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “the” are intended to indicate…

[0025] One or more elements exist. Terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are used to distinguish one element from another. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to include and mean that there may be additional elements besides those listed. Because the terms “connected to,” “linked to,” etc., are used herein, an object (e.g., a material, element, structure, component, etc.) may be connected to or linked to another object, regardless of whether the object is directly connected to or linked to the other object, or whether there are one or more intermediate objects between the two objects.

[0026] The terms “upstream” and “downstream” refer to the relative directions of fluid flow within a fluid path. For example, “upstream” refers to the direction from which fluid flows, and “downstream” refers to the direction towards which fluid flows. As used herein, “vertical” refers to a direction perpendicular to the ground. As used herein, “horizontal” refers to a direction parallel to the centerline of a gas turbine engine. As used herein, “lateral” refers to a direction perpendicular to both the axial and vertical directions (e.g., entering and exiting). Figure 1 and / or Figure 2 (planes, etc.).

[0027] In some examples used in this article, the term "substantially" is used to describe the relationship between two parts that is within three degrees of the relationship (e.g., substantially collinear is within three degrees of linearity, substantially perpendicular is within three degrees of perpendicularity, substantially parallel is within three degrees of parallelism, etc.).

[0028] As used herein, the terms “axial” and “longitudinal” refer to directions parallel to the centerline axis of the gas turbine (e.g., turbofan, core gas turbine engine, etc.), while “radial” refers to a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and “tangential” or “circumferential” refers to directions perpendicular to both the axial and radial directions. Therefore, as used herein, “radially inward” refers to a radial direction from the outer circumference of the gas turbine toward the centerline axis of the gas turbine, and “radially outward” refers to a radial direction from the centerline axis of the gas turbine toward the outer circumference of the gas turbine. As used herein, the terms “forward,” “front,” and “front portion” refer to a position relatively upstream in the airflow passing through or around the component, and the terms “rear” and “rear portion” refer to a position relatively downstream in the airflow passing through or around the component.

[0029] The basic operation of a gas turbine implemented by a turbofan engine in conjunction with an aircraft propulsion system involves drawing in a large volume of fresh air through the front of a turbofan engine equipped with a fan. In the operation of a turbofan engine, a first portion of the intake air bypasses the core gas turbine engine of the turbofan to directly generate thrust. A second portion of the intake air travels through a booster compressor (e.g., a first compressor), located between the fan and a high-pressure compressor (e.g., a second compressor) within the core gas turbine engine (e.g., the gas turbine). The booster compressor is used to increase or raise the pressure of the second portion of the intake air before it enters the high-pressure compressor. The airflow can then travel through the high-pressure compressor, which further pressurizes the airflow. Both the booster compressor and the high-pressure compressor include a set of blades attached to a rotor and / or shaft. The blades rotate at high speed relative to stationary blades, and each rotation of the blades subsequently compresses the airflow. The high-pressure compressor then supplies the pressurized airflow to a combustion chamber (e.g., a combustor). In some examples, the high-pressure compressor supplies the pressurized airflow at speeds of hundreds of miles per hour. In some cases, the combustion chamber includes one or more turns of fuel injectors that inject a steady stream of fuel into the combustion chamber, where the fuel mixes with the pressurized airflow. The secondary use of compressors (especially high-pressure compressors) is to discharge air for use by other systems of the aircraft (e.g., cabin pressure, heating, and air conditioning).

[0030] In the combustion chamber of a core gas turbine engine, fuel is ignited by an electric spark provided by an igniter, where, in some examples, the fuel burns at temperatures exceeding 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. The resulting combustion produces a high-temperature, high-pressure gas stream (e.g., hot combustion gas), which passes through another set of blades called a turbine. For example, the turbine may include a low-pressure turbine and a high-pressure turbine. Each of the low-pressure and high-pressure turbines comprises a complex array of alternating rotating blades and stationary airfoil-section blades (e.g., wheel blades). The high-pressure turbine is located axially downstream of the combustor and axially upstream of the low-pressure turbine. As the hot combustion gas passes through the turbine, it expands through the blades and / or wheel blades, causing the rotating blades of the rotors coupled to the high-pressure and low-pressure turbines to rotate.

[0031] The rotating blades of high-pressure and low-pressure turbines serve at least two purposes. The first purpose of the rotating blades is to drive a fan, high-pressure compressor, and / or booster compressor to draw more pressurized air into the combustion chamber. For example, in a twin-shaft design of a turbofan, a low-pressure turbine (e.g., a first turbine) can be attached to and force-transmitted to a booster compressor (e.g., a first compressor) and a fan via a first shaft (collectively referred to as the first shaft of the gas turbine) such that the rotation of the low-pressure turbine's rotor drives the booster compressor's rotor and the fan. Similarly, a high-pressure turbine (e.g., a second turbine) can be attached to and force-transmitted to a high-pressure compressor (e.g., a second compressor) via a second shaft coaxial with the first shaft (collectively referred to as the second shaft of the gas turbine) such that the rotation of the high-pressure turbine's rotor drives the high-pressure compressor's rotor. The second purpose of the rotating blades is to rotate a generator operatively coupled to the turbine section to generate electricity. For example, the turbine can generate electricity for use in aircraft, power plants, etc.

[0032] Considering the static, dynamic, centrifugal, and / or thermal stress constraints and weight factors of various aspects of core gas turbine engines and / or turbofan engines, the design objective of aircraft engines (e.g., turbofans) is typically to compress as much air as possible within the compressor of the core gas turbine engine. A metric defining the compression effect of a compressor is its compression ratio (e.g., pressure ratio). The compression ratio of a turbofan engine compressor is the ratio of the pressure at the compressor outlet (e.g., the high-pressure compressor outlet at the combustion chamber of the gas turbine) to the pressure at the fan inlet. A higher compression ratio increases the thermal efficiency of the turbine engine and reduces its fuel consumption rate (e.g., the air-to-fuel ratio used to generate thrust produced by a jet engine). Therefore, increasing the compression ratio of a gas turbine compressor can increase the thrust produced by a jet engine (e.g., a turbofan, etc.) and / or increase the fuel efficiency of the jet engine. In turn, the goal of gas turbine design is to minimize or otherwise reduce pressure losses through the compressor to maximize or otherwise increase the compression ratio. Although the examples disclosed herein are discussed in conjunction with turbofan jet engines, it should be understood that the examples disclosed herein can be implemented in conjunction with turbojet engines, turboprop jet engines, gas turbines for power generation, or any other suitable application in which it is desirable to increase the compression ratio across one or more compressors.

[0033] An example of a turbofan's turbine engine includes a low-pressure compressor and a high-pressure compressor, each comprising one or more stages. Each stage includes an annular array of compressor blades (e.g., first airfoils) mounted around a central rotor, paired with an annular array of stationary compressor impeller blades (e.g., second airfoils) spaced apart from the rotor and fixed to the compressor housing. In the later portion of the compressor stage, the rotation of the rotor and the accompanying blades provides an increase in the velocity, temperature, and pressure of the airflow. In the earlier portion of the compressor stage, the airflow diffuses (e.g., loses velocity) through the compressor impeller blades, providing an increase in pressure. This multi-stage implementation of the low-pressure and high-pressure compressors provides the compression ratio required to operate a jet engine (e.g., a turbofan).

[0034] In examples of high-pressure and low-pressure compressors, compressor blades (also referred to herein as blades and / or dovetail blades) are arranged around the corresponding high-pressure compressor rotor and low-pressure compressor rotor, respectively. The high-pressure rotor and the associated compressor blades (e.g., blades, dovetail blades, etc.) may be made of titanium alloys (e.g., titanium-aluminum alloys, titanium-chromium alloys, etc.) and / or steel alloys (e.g., steel-chromium alloys). For example, to improve ease of maintenance and assembly, blade replaceability, and / or modularity of the high-pressure compressor, discrete compressor blades are mounted in series in a ring around the high-pressure rotor to achieve a substantially uniform ring distribution around the rotor. For this purpose, an example compressor blade implemented according to the teachings of this disclosure includes an airfoil portion and a mounting portion (e.g., a root). The airfoil portion of the compressor blade results in an increase in airflow velocity, pressure, and temperature. The mounting portion of the compressor blade enables the blade to be mounted onto the rotor. In some examples, the geometry of the airfoil portion and / or mounting portion may be different for the compressor blades in each stage of the high-pressure compressor and may be the same for the compressor blades within each stage of the high-pressure compressor.

[0035] In some propeller or open rotor engine applications, high vibrational loads are experienced during various phases of flight due to asymmetric propeller loads (e.g., P-factor or 1P load). The 1P load (also known as + / -1P load) is typically highest at takeoff, but can also occur at any point where the airflow is not perpendicular to the engine orientation. In some cases, + / -1P loads are addressed by applying radial preloads to the blade assemblies, providing better blade retention and allowing for better maintainability. In some situations, vibrational loads experienced by the airfoil during engine operation can cause airfoil deflection. This deflection generates moments at the blade root and, in some cases, can lead to blade wear and / or failure. In some cases, when a blade fails, a complex disassembly process is required to remove the blade, increasing the time and effort required for maintenance equipment.

[0036] The examples disclosed herein suppress vibrational loads applied to airfoils during operation of a gas turbine engine. In the examples disclosed herein, an example outlet guide vane includes an example cavity formed within an example housing, wherein the housing defines the outer surface of the outlet guide vane. An example lattice damper is disposed within the cavity. In some examples, the lattice damper is formed using multiple cells, wherein the cells may be cross-cubic, rhomboid, and / or honeycomb-shaped. In some examples, during operation of the gas turbine engine, the lattice damper may elastically deform to absorb loads applied to the outlet guide vane, thereby reducing damage to the outlet guide vane. In some examples, the outlet guide vane includes an inlet opening and an outlet opening disposed within the housing. In some examples, heated fluid from the core engine of the gas turbine engine may enter the cavity via the inlet opening. In such examples, the heated fluid may circulate throughout the cavity and flow to the outlet opening via one or more channels formed in the lattice damper. Advantageously, the circulation of the heated fluid within the cavity reduces and / or prevents ice formation on the outer surface of the outlet guide vane, thereby reducing damage to the outlet guide vane. Furthermore, by forming a cavity in the outlet guide vane, the weight of the outlet guide vane and / or the associated material costs can be reduced.

[0037] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of a turbofan gas turbine engine in which the examples disclosed herein may be implemented. Referring now to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 This is a schematic partial cross-sectional side view of an exemplary gas turbine engine 10, which can be combined with various examples of this disclosure. Engine 10 can be specifically configured as a gas turbine engine for an aircraft. Although further described herein as a turbofan engine, engine 10 can be defined as a turbine shaft, turboprop, or turbojet gas turbine engine, including marine and industrial engines and auxiliary power units. Figure 1 As shown, engine 10 has a longitudinal or axial centerline axis 12 extending through engine 10 for reference. An axial direction A extends in the same direction as axial centerline axis 12 for reference. Engine 10 also defines an upstream end 99 and a downstream end 98 for reference. Typically, engine 10 may include a fan assembly 14 and a core engine 16 disposed downstream of fan assembly 14. For reference, engine 10 defines an axial direction A, a radial direction R, and a circumferential direction C. Typically, axial direction A extends parallel to axial centerline axis 12, radial direction R extends outward and inward from axial centerline axis 12 in a direction orthogonal to axial direction A, and the circumferential direction extends 360° around axial centerline axis 12.

[0038] The core engine 16 typically includes a generally tubular housing 18 defining an annular inlet 20. The housing 18 surrounds or at least partially forms, in a series flow relationship, a compressor section having a supercharger or low-pressure (LP) compressor 22, a high-pressure (HP) compressor 24, a heat addition system 26 including an expansion section or turbine section of a high-pressure (HP) turbine 28 and a low-pressure (LP) turbine 30, and an injection exhaust nozzle section 32. A high-pressure (HP) rotor shaft 34 drivesly connects the HP turbine 28 to the HP compressor 24. A low-pressure (LP) rotor shaft 36 drivesly connects the LP turbine 30 to the LP compressor 22. The LP rotor shaft 36 may also be connected to a fan shaft 38 of the fan assembly 14. In some examples, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the LP rotor shaft 36 is connected to the fan shaft 38 via a reduction gear 40, for example in an indirect drive or gear drive configuration.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, the fan assembly 14 includes a plurality of fan blades 42 coupled to and extending radially outward from the fan shaft 38. An annular fan housing or nacelle 44 may circumferentially surround the fan assembly 14 and / or at least a portion of the core engine 16. Those skilled in the art will understand that the nacelle 44 may be configured to be supported relative to the core engine 16 by a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet guide vanes (OGVs) or struts 46. Furthermore, at least a portion of the nacelle 44 may extend over the outer portion of the core engine 16 to define a fan flow passage 48 therebetween. However, it should be understood that various configurations of the engine 10 may omit the nacelle 44, or omit the nacelle 44 extending around the fan blades 42, for example to provide… Figure 2 The engine 10 depicted has an open rotor or propeller fan configuration.

[0040] It should be understood that the combination of shafts 34, 36, compressors 22, 24, and turbines 28, 30 defines the rotor assembly 90 of engine 10. For example, the HP rotor shaft 34, HP compressor 24, and HP turbine 28 may define a high-speed or HP rotor assembly of engine 10. Similarly, the combination of LP rotor shaft 36, LP compressor 22, and LP turbine 30 may define a low-speed or LP rotor assembly of engine 10. Various examples of engine 10 may further include a fan shaft 38 and fan blades 42 as an LP rotor assembly. In some examples, engine 10 may further define a fan rotor assembly that is at least partially mechanically separated from the LP spool via the fan shaft 38 and reduction gear 40. Still other examples may further define one or more intermediate rotor assemblies (not shown) defined by an intermediate-pressure compressor, intermediate-pressure shaft, and intermediate-pressure turbine disposed between the LP rotor assembly and the HP rotor assembly (relative to a series aerodynamic flow arrangement).

[0041] During operation of engine 10, an airflow, schematically indicated by arrow 74, enters inlet 76 of engine 10, defined by fan housing or nacelle 44. A portion of the air, schematically indicated by arrow 80, enters core engine 16 through an annular inlet 20 defined at least partially via outer casing 18. The airflow is provided in series via core flow path 70 through compressors 22, 24, heat additive system 26, and expansion section. Airflow 80 is progressively compressed as it flows through successive stages of compressors 22, 24, as schematically indicated by arrow 82. Compressed air 82 enters heat additive system 26 and mixes with liquid and / or gaseous fuel, and is ignited to produce combustion gases 86. It should be understood that heat additive system 86 can form any suitable system for producing combustion gases, including but not limited to detonation or knock combustion systems, or combinations thereof. Heat additive system 26 may include annular, canister, canister-annular, vortex, involute or vortex, rich, lean, rotary detonation or pulse detonation configurations, or combinations thereof.

[0042] Combustion gas 86 releases energy to drive the rotation of the HP rotor assembly and LP rotor assembly before exiting the exhaust nozzle section 32. The energy released from combustion gas 86 further drives the rotation of fan assembly 14 (including fan blades 42). A portion of air 74 bypasses the core engine 16 and flows through fan flow passage 48, as schematically shown by arrow 78.

[0043] It should be understood that Figure 1 A dual-flow engine with a fan flow path 48 and a core flow path 70 is depicted and described. Figure 1 The example depicted has a nacelle 44 surrounding the fan blades 42, for example to provide noise reduction, blade shedding protection and other known benefits of the nacelle, and may be referred to herein as a “ducted fan”, or the entire engine 10 may be referred to as a “ducted engine”.

[0044] Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example open rotor turbine engine according to one example of this disclosure. Specifically, Figure 2 The image shows an aviation three-flow turbofan engine, referred to in this article as "Three-flow Engine 100". Figure 2 The three-flow engine 100 can be mounted on aircraft, such as fixed-wing aircraft, and can generate thrust for propulsion. The architecture of the three-flow engine 100 provides three different airflows that generate thrust during operation. Unlike... Figure 1 The engine 10 shown, the three-flow engine 100 includes a fan that does not form a duct by the nacelle or fairing, and therefore it may be referred to herein as a “ductless fan”, or the entire engine 100 may be referred to as a “ductless engine”.

[0045] For reference, the three-flow engine 100 defines an axial direction A, a radial direction R, and a circumferential direction C. Furthermore, the three-flow engine 100 defines an axial centerline or longitudinal axis 112 extending along the axial direction A. Typically, the axial direction A extends parallel to the longitudinal axis 112, the radial direction R extends outward and inward from the longitudinal axis 112 in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction A, and the circumferential direction extends 360° around the longitudinal axis 112. The three-flow engine 100 extends between a front end 114 and a rear end 116, for example, along the axial direction A.

[0046] The three-flow engine 100 includes a core engine 120 and a fan section 150 positioned upstream therefrom. Typically, the core engine 120 includes a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, and an exhaust section in a series flow sequence. Specifically, as... Figure 2 As shown, the core engine 120 includes a core cowling 122 defining an annular core inlet 124. The core cowling 122 further surrounds the low-pressure system and the high-pressure system. In some examples, the core cowling 122 may surround and support a turbocharger or low-pressure (“LP”) compressor 126 for pressurizing air entering the core engine 120 through the core inlet 124. A high-pressure (“HP”), multi-stage, axial compressor 128 receives the pressurized air from the LP compressor 126 and further increases the air pressure. The pressurized air flows downstream to a combustor 130, where fuel is injected into the pressurized air flow and ignited to increase the temperature and energy level of the pressurized air. It should be understood that, as used herein, the terms “high / low speed” and “high / low pressure” are used interchangeably with respect to a high-pressure / high-speed system and a low-pressure / low-speed system. Furthermore, it should be understood that the use of the terms “high” and “low” in the same context to distinguish between the two systems does not imply any absolute speed and / or pressure values.

[0047] High-energy combustion products flow downstream from combustor 130 to high-pressure turbine 132. High-pressure turbine 132 drives high-pressure compressor 128 via high-pressure shaft 136. In this respect, high-pressure turbine 132 is drivably coupled to high-pressure compressor 128. High-energy combustion products then flow to low-pressure turbine 134. Low-pressure turbine 134 drives components of low-pressure compressor 126 and fan section 150 via low-pressure shaft 138. In this respect, low-pressure turbine 134 is drivably coupled to components of low-pressure compressor 126 and fan section 150. In this example, LP shaft 138 is coaxial with HP shaft 136. After driving each of the turbines 132, 134, combustion products exit core engine 120 through core exhaust nozzle 140 to generate propulsive thrust. Therefore, core engine 120 defines a core flow path or core conduit 142 extending between core inlet 124 and core exhaust nozzle 140. The core duct 142 is an annular duct that is roughly located inside the core fairing 122 along the radial direction R.

[0048] Fan section 150 includes fan 152, which in this example is the main fan. For Figure 2 In the depicted example, fan 152 is an open rotor or ductless fan. However, in other examples, fan 152 may have ductwork formed, for example, by a fan housing or nacelle surrounding fan 152. As depicted, fan 152 includes an array of fan blades 154. Figure 2 (Only one is shown). Fan blades 154 are, for example, rotatable about longitudinal axis 112. As described above, fan 152 is drivenly coupled to low-pressure turbine 134 via LP shaft 138. Fan 152 can be directly coupled to LP shaft 138, for example, in a direct drive configuration. Alternatively, as... Figure 2 As shown, fan 152 can be connected to LP shaft 138 via reduction gearbox 155, for example, in an indirect drive or gear drive configuration.

[0049] Furthermore, the fan blades 154 may be arranged at equal intervals around the longitudinal axis 112. Each blade 154 has a root and a tip, and a span defined between them. Each blade 154 defines a central blade axis 156. In this example, each blade 154 of the fan 152 may rotate about its respective central blade axis 156 (e.g., coherently with each other). One or more actuators 158 may be controlled to pitch the blades 154 about their respective central blade axes 156. However, in other examples, each blade 154 may be fixed or may not pitch about its central blade axis 156.

[0050] Fan section 150 also includes a fan outlet guide vane array 160, which includes fan outlet guide vanes 162 arranged around a longitudinal axis 112. Figure 2(Only one is shown in the image). For this example, the fan outlet guide vane 162 cannot rotate about the longitudinal axis 112. Each fan outlet guide vane 162 has a root and a tip, and a span defined between them. The fan outlet guide vane 162 can be as follows: Figure 2 The fan outlet guide vanes 162 shown are not covered, or may be covered, for example, by an annular shroud spaced outwards along the radial direction R from the tips of the fan outlet guide vanes 162. Each fan outlet guide vane 162 defines a central blade axis 164. In this example, each fan outlet guide vane 162 of the fan outlet guide vane array 160 is rotatable about its respective central blade axis 164 (e.g., co-located with each other). One or more actuators 166 can be controlled to pitch the fan outlet guide vanes 162 about their respective central blade axes 164. However, in other examples, each fan outlet guide vane 162 may be fixed or unable to pitch about its central blade axis 164. The fan outlet guide vanes 162 are mounted to the fan shroud 170.

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown, in addition to the ductless fan 152, a ducted fan 184 is included at the rear of fan 152, such that the three-flow engine 100 includes both ducted and ductless fans, both used to generate thrust through the motion of air not passing through the core engine 120. The ducted fan 184 is shown at approximately the same axial position as the fan outlet guide vane 162 and radially inward of the fan outlet guide vane 162. Alternatively, the ducted fan 184 may be located between the fan outlet guide vane 162 and the core duct 142, or further in front of the fan outlet guide vane 162. The ducted fan 184 may be driven by a low-pressure turbine 134 (e.g., coupled to the LP shaft 138) or by any other suitable rotational source and may be used as the first stage of a supercharger or operated independently.

[0052] The fan fairing 170 annularly surrounds at least a portion of the core fairing 122 and is generally positioned radially outward of the core fairing 122. Specifically, a downstream section of the fan fairing 170 extends above the front portion of the core fairing 122 to define a fan flow path or fan duct 172. Incoming air may enter the fan duct 172 through the fan duct inlet 176 and may exit through the fan exhaust nozzle 178 to generate propulsive thrust. The fan duct 172 is an annular duct generally positioned radially outward of the core duct 142. Stationary struts 174 may each have an aerodynamic profile to guide airflow therefrom. In some examples, additional struts besides the stationary struts 174 are provided for connecting and supporting the fan fairing 170 and / or the core fairing 122. In many examples, the fan duct 172 and the core fairing 122 may extend at least partially (generally axially) together on opposite sides (e.g., opposite radial sides) of the core fairing 122. For example, the fan duct 172 and the core fairing 122 may each extend directly from the leading edge 144 of the core fairing 122 and may extend together in a generally axial manner on the opposite radial side of the core fairing 122.

[0053] The three-flow engine 100 also defines or includes an inlet duct 180. The inlet duct 180 extends between the engine inlet 182 and the core inlet 124 / fan duct inlet 176. The engine inlet 182 is generally defined at the front end of the fan cowl 170 and positioned along the axial direction A between the fan 152 and the fan outlet guide vane array 160. The inlet duct 180 is an annular duct positioned radially R inside the fan cowl 170. Air flowing downstream along the inlet duct 180 is separated (not necessarily uniformly) by a separator or leading edge 144 of the core cowl 122 into the core duct 142 and the fan duct 172. The inlet duct 180 is wider than the core duct 142 along the radial direction R. The inlet duct 180 is also wider than the fan duct 172 along the radial direction R.

[0054] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of an example exit guide vane (e.g., airfoil, hollow airfoil, etc.) 300. Figure 3 In the example shown, the outlet guide vane 300 refers to Figure 1 One of the export guide vanes or struts 46, wherein along Figure 1 The line AA is used to capture a cross-sectional view. In other examples, the outlet guide vane 300 refers to... Figure 2 One of the fan outlet guide vanes 162, wherein along Figure 2 The line BB is used to cut the cross-sectional view. Figure 3In the illustrated example, the outlet guide vane 300 includes an example housing 302 defining the outer surface of the outlet guide vane 300. An example cavity 304 is formed and / or otherwise defined within the housing 302. In this example, the cross-sectional shape of the cavity 304 is substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of the housing 302. In other examples, the cross-sectional shape of the cavity 304 may be different, such that the thickness of the example wall 306 of the housing 302 may vary along the periphery of the housing 302. In some examples, the cavity 304 further... Figure 1 The outlet guide vane 300 extends radially between the core engine 16 and the nacelle 44.

[0055] In this example, an example lattice damper 308 is disposed in a cavity 304. The lattice damper 308 includes example cells 310 forming a first lattice pattern, wherein one of the cells 310 is in… Figure 3 The text mentions, for example, that cell 310 is joined to form a three-dimensional lattice pattern, such that cell 310 forms example channels 312 therebetween. In some examples, the lattice damper 308 is manufactured in the housing 302 via additive manufacturing. In this example, the lattice damper 308 is made of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) material. In other examples, one or more different materials may be used for the lattice damper 308. In some examples, in addition to or instead of the lattice damper 308, foam material may be disposed in the cavity 304 to provide damping and / or absorption of loads on the outlet guide vane 300.

[0056] In some examples, Figure 1 During the operation of the gas turbine engine 10, the outlet guide vane 300 guides the gas flow through Figure 1 The fan flow path 48. In such an example, the gas exerts bending and / or vibration loads on the outlet guide vane 300, and over time, such loads may cause damage and / or failure of the outlet guide vane 300. To reduce and / or otherwise prevent damage to the outlet guide vane 300, during bending of the outlet guide vane 300, the grid damper 308 elastically deforms to absorb and / or otherwise dissipate a portion of the load. Furthermore, the grid damper 308 can return to an undeformed position to maintain the structural integrity of the housing 302, and thus maintain the structural integrity of the outlet guide vane 300.

[0057] exist Figure 3In the example shown, example inlet opening 314 extends through wall 306 of housing 302 near the leading edge 316 of outlet guide vane 300, and example outlet opening 318 extends through wall 306 near the trailing edge 320 of outlet guide vane 300. In other examples, the positions of inlet opening 314 and outlet opening 318 may differ. For example, while in this example inlet opening 314 and outlet opening 318 are located on the same cross section along line AA of outlet guide vane 300, in other examples, inlet opening 314 is located near... Figure 1 The core engine 16, and the outlet opening 318 is positioned radially outward from the inlet opening 314 and close to the nacelle 44. Figure 3 In the example shown, the inlet opening 314 and the outlet opening 318 are in fluid communication via the channel 312.

[0058] In some examples, Figure 1 The gas turbine engine 10 is implemented in the propulsion system of an aircraft. During flight, the gas turbine engine 10 may be exposed to cold atmospheric conditions, which may cause ice to form on the exit guide vane 300. Ice may cause damage and / or reduced functionality to the gas turbine engine 10. In some examples, to reduce and / or prevent ice formation, a hot fluid is supplied to the cavity 304 via an inlet opening 314. For example, the hot fluid may be heated air from the core engine 16 and / or fluid coupled to different heat sources to the inlet opening 314. In some examples, the hot fluid circulates throughout the cavity 304 through a flow passage 312 and then exits the cavity 304 via an outlet opening 318. In some examples, the circulation of the hot fluid through the cavity 304 increases the temperature therein, thereby increasing the surface temperature of the outer casing 302. In some examples, increasing the surface temperature of the outer casing 302 reduces and / or prevents ice formation thereon.

[0059] In some examples, multiple outlet guide vanes 300 are spaced circumferentially around the core engine 16. In some examples, some outlet guide vanes 300 may be solid (e.g., excluding the cavity 304), comprising one or more different materials, and / or implementing different lattice patterns of the lattice damper 308, compared to some other outlet guide vanes 300. In some examples, two or more of the outlet guide vanes 300 positioned at the top and bottom of the core engine 16 (e.g., at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions) are subjected to greater loads during operation of the gas turbine engine 10 compared to other outlet guide vanes 300 (e.g., at other locations around the core engine 16). Therefore, the outlet guide vanes 300 positioned at the top and bottom of the core engine 16 may be made of a first material (e.g., titanium), which has higher strength than a second material (e.g., aluminum) used for the other outlet guide vanes 300. Additionally or alternatively, the outlet guide vanes 300 positioned at the top and bottom of the core engine 16 may be solid, while other outlet guide vanes 300 include cavities 304 and lattice dampers 308 disposed therein. In some examples, one or more outlet guide vanes of the outlet guide vanes 300 may be implemented with Figure 3 The first lattice pattern is shown for the lattice damper 308, while the remaining outlet guide vanes in the outlet guide vanes 300 may implement one or more different lattice patterns for the lattice damper 308. Different example lattice patterns are combined below. Figure 5 and / or Figure 6 Describe it.

[0060] Although Figure 3 The example of the outlet guide vane 300 can be implemented in the gas turbine engine 10, but the outlet guide vane 300 can also correspond to an airfoil implemented in conjunction with a gearbox. In some such examples, the airfoil can rotate at a lower tip speed and / or a wider frequency range compared to the airfoil implemented in the gas turbine engine 10. In such examples, the airfoil may be subjected to vibrational loads caused by frequency variations, resulting in deflection of the airfoil. In some examples, compared to a solid airfoil (e.g., excluding the cavity 304 and / or the lattice damper 308), Figure 3 The 308 grid damper can reduce the deflection of the airfoil.

[0061] In some examples, housing 302 implements a housing device, grid damper 308 implements a damping device, channel 312 implements a fluid flow device, inlet opening 314 implements a fluid inlet device, and outlet opening 318 implements a fluid outlet device.

[0062] Figure 4A and 4B They respectively show that they can be used in Figure 3 The example grid damper 308 implements a first example cell 400 and a second example cell 402. Figure 4A In the example shown, the first cell 400 is a cross-shaped cube with rounded corners 404 between the example tubes (e.g., hollow tubes) 406. In this example, each tube 406 has a generally circular cross-sectional shape and includes a cylindrical orifice extending therethrough. In some examples, multiple first cells 400 may be joined together at the ends of the tubes 406 to form Figure 3 The first grid pattern of the grid damper 308.

[0063] Go to Figure 4B The second cell 402 is a cross-shaped cube and includes example bars (e.g., cylindrical bars) 408 intersecting at example intersection 410. In this example, the corners between corresponding bars in bar 408 are not rounded. Furthermore, with Figure 4A The opposite of tube 406, Figure 4B The cylindrical rod 408 is solid (e.g., not hollow). In some examples, the second cell 402 can be used instead. Figure 4A The first cell 400 is formed Figure 3 The first grid pattern of the grid damper 308. In other examples, one or more different cells may be used instead of the cells used to construct the grid damper 308.

[0064] Figure 5 It shows Figure 3 The lattice damper 308 implements a second example lattice pattern. Figure 5 In the example shown, cell 502 from the third example is used instead. Figure 4A The first cell 400 and / or Figure 4B The second cell 402 forms the grid damper 308. In this example, the third cell 502 includes an example rhomboid member 504 inscribed within a corresponding rectangular member 506. In this example, the size and / or shape of the rhomboid member 504 may vary within the second grid pattern. In other examples, the size and / or shape of the rhomboid member 504 is the same throughout the second grid pattern.

[0065] Figure 6 It shows Figure 3 The lattice damper 308 implements a fourth example lattice pattern. Figure 6 In the example shown, cell 602 of the fourth example is used instead. Figure 4A The first cell is 400. Figure 4B The second cell 402, and / or Figure 5The third cell 502 forms the lattice damper 308. In this example, the fourth cell 602 is hexagonal and / or honeycomb.

[0066] Figure 7 This is a flowchart representing the example method 700 that produces the examples disclosed herein. Figure 7 Example method 700 can be executed to produce Figure 3 The 300mm guide vane at the outlet. Figure 7 In the example shown, method 700 begins at box 702, and at box 702... Figure 3 An example cavity 304 is formed in an example housing 302, wherein the housing 302 defines the outer surface of the outlet guide vane 300. In some examples, the cavity 304 is formed by forming the housing 302 surrounding the cavity 304 via additive manufacturing. In some examples, the cavity 304 generally has the same shape as the cross-section of the outlet guide vane 300 and extends between the leading edge 316 and the trailing edge 320 of the outlet guide vane 300.

[0067] At box 704 Figure 3 An example grid damper 308 is disposed in cavity 304. For example, grid damper 308 uses... Figure 4A The first example cell is 400. Figure 4B The second example cell is 402. Figure 5 The third example cell 502 or Figure 6 At least one of the fourth example cells 602 is formed. In some examples, the grid damper 308 is formed using additive manufacturing. In such examples, the grid damper 308 can be formed using a plastic material (e.g., PEEK). In other examples, one or more different manufacturing processes (e.g., machining, molding) may alternatively be used to form the grid damper 308. In some examples, the grid damper 308 is formed during the additive manufacturing of the housing 302.

[0068] "Comprising" and "including" (and all forms and tenses thereof) are used herein as open-ended terms. Therefore, when a claim uses any form of "comprising" or "including" (e.g., including, comprising, having, etc.) in a preamble or in any type of claim statement, it should be understood that additional elements, terms, etc., may be present without exceeding the scope of the corresponding claim or statement. As used herein, the phrase "at least" is open-ended when used as a transitional term, for example, in the preamble of a claim, as the terms "comprising" and "including" are open-ended. The term "and / or," when used, for example, in the form of A, B, and / or C, refers to any combination or subset of A, B, C, such as (1) A alone, (2) B alone, (3) C alone, (4) A and B, (5) A and C, (6) B and C, or (7) A and B and C. As used herein in the context of describing structures, components, items, objects, and / or things, the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to refer to any implementation including (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing structures, components, items, objects, and / or things, the phrase "at least one of A or B" is intended to refer to any implementation including (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. As used herein in the context of describing the conduct or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, and / or steps, the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to refer to any implementation including (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing the conduct or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, and / or steps, the phrase "at least one of A or B" is intended to refer to any implementation including (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0069] As used herein, singular references (e.g., “a,” “an,” “first,” “second,” etc.) do not exclude plurals. As used herein, the term “a” or “an” refers to one or more of those objects. The terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more,” and “at least one” are used interchangeably herein. Furthermore, although listed separately, multiple means, elements, or method actions may be performed by, for example, the same entity or object. Additionally, while individual features may be included in different examples or claims, these may be combined, and inclusion in different examples or claims does not imply that combining features is impractical and / or disadvantageous.

[0070] As can be understood from the foregoing, example systems, methods, apparatuses, and articles of manufacture for providing damping of airfoils during the operation of gas turbine engines have been disclosed. The disclosed systems, methods, apparatuses, and articles of manufacture reduce and / or prevent airfoil failure when exposed to vibration loads, thereby reducing the parts costs, time, and workload required for repairing and / or replacing the airfoils. Furthermore, the examples disclosed herein enable heated air to circulate throughout the airfoil cavity, thereby reducing and / or preventing ice formation on the airfoil. The disclosed systems, methods, apparatuses, and articles of manufacture accordingly relate to one or more improvements in the operation of machines and / or mechanical devices.

[0071] Further aspects of this disclosure are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses:

[0072] Example 1 includes an airfoil comprising: a housing defining an outer surface of the airfoil and forming a cavity in an inner surface of the airfoil; and a grid damper disposed in the cavity, the grid damper being used to reduce vibrational loads applied to the airfoil.

[0073] Example 2 includes any of the airfoil elements described in the preceding clauses, wherein the cell of the lattice damper is a cross-cube shape.

[0074] Example 3 includes any of the airfoil elements described in the preceding clauses, wherein the cells of the lattice damper are honeycomb-shaped.

[0075] Example 4 includes any of the airfoil elements described in the preceding clauses, wherein the lattice damper comprises a foam material.

[0076] Example 5 includes any of the airfoil elements described in the preceding clauses, and further includes a plurality of channels defined in the lattice damper.

[0077] Example 6 includes any of the airfoil elements described in the preceding clauses, and further includes an inlet opening and an outlet opening extending through the wall of the housing, the inlet opening and the outlet opening being fluidly connected via the plurality of channels.

[0078] Example 7 includes any of the airfoils described in the preceding clauses, wherein the inlet opening is fluidly connected to a high-temperature region, the inlet opening receives heated fluid from the high-temperature region, and the heated fluid flows from the inlet opening to the outlet opening via the plurality of channels.

[0079] Example 8 includes a gas turbine comprising: a core fairing; a fan fairing surrounding the core fairing; and an outlet guide vane connected between the core fairing and the fan fairing, the outlet guide vane comprising: a housing defining an outer surface of the outlet guide vane and forming a cavity in an inner surface of the outlet guide vane; and a grid damper disposed in the cavity, the grid damper being used to reduce vibrational loads applied to the outlet guide vane.

[0080] Example 9 includes any of the gas turbines described in the preceding clauses, wherein the cells of the lattice damper are cross-cubic in shape.

[0081] Example 10 includes any of the gas turbines described in the preceding clauses, wherein the cells of the lattice damper are honeycomb-shaped.

[0082] Example 11 includes any of the gas turbines described in the preceding clauses, wherein the lattice damper comprises a foam material.

[0083] Example 12 includes any of the gas turbines described in the preceding clauses, and further includes a plurality of channels defined in the lattice damper.

[0084] Example 13 includes any of the gas turbines described in the preceding clauses, further including an inlet opening and an outlet opening extending through the wall of the housing, the inlet opening and the outlet opening being fluidly connected via the plurality of channels.

[0085] Example 14 includes any of the gas turbines described in the preceding clauses, further including a high-temperature region fluidly connected to the inlet opening, the inlet opening receiving heated fluid from the high-temperature region, the heated fluid flowing from the inlet opening to the outlet opening via the plurality of channels.

[0086] Example 15 includes any of the gas turbines described in the preceding clauses, wherein the outlet guide vane is a first outlet guide vane, and further includes a second outlet guide vane connected between the core fairing and the fan fairing, the first outlet guide vane being positioned on top of the core fairing, and the second outlet guide vane being spaced apart from the first outlet guide vane in the circumferential direction of the core fairing.

[0087] Example 16 includes any of the gas turbines described in the preceding clauses, wherein the first outlet guide vane comprises titanium and the second outlet guide vane comprises aluminum.

[0088] Example 17 includes an apparatus comprising: a housing that defines an outer surface of an outlet guide vane and forms a cavity in an inner surface of the outlet guide vane; and a damping device disposed in the cavity for reducing vibrational loads applied to the outlet guide vane.

[0089] Example 18 includes any of the devices described in the preceding clauses, wherein the cell of the damping device is in the shape of a cross cube.

[0090] Example 19 includes any of the devices described in the preceding clauses, further including a fluid flow device for enabling fluid to flow through it, the fluid flow device being defined in the damping device.

[0091] Example 20 includes any of the devices described in the preceding clauses, further including a fluid inlet device for receiving the fluid and a fluid outlet device for discharging the fluid, the fluid inlet device and the fluid outlet device extending through the housing device, the fluid inlet device and the fluid outlet device being fluidly connected via the fluid flow device.

[0092] Although certain example systems, methods, apparatuses, and articles of manufacture have been disclosed herein, the scope of this patent is not limited thereto. Rather, this patent covers all systems, methods, apparatuses, and articles of manufacture that fall fully within the scope of the claims of this patent.

[0093] The appended claims are incorporated herein by reference in the detailed description, wherein each claim is an independent embodiment of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An airfoil component, characterized in that, include: The housing defines the outer surface of the airfoil and forms a cavity in the inner surface of the airfoil; and A lattice damper, disposed in the cavity, is used to reduce the vibration load applied to the airfoil. The lattice damper includes multiple cells, which are cross-cubic in shape and are hollow structures with a single continuous surface. An inlet opening extends through the wall of the housing near the leading edge of the airfoil; An outlet opening extends through the wall of the housing near the trailing edge of the airfoil; Multiple channels are defined in the lattice damper to fluidly connect the inlet opening to the outlet opening, the inlet opening receiving heated fluid flowing from the leading edge to the trailing edge via the multiple channels.

2. The airfoil according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inlet opening and the outlet opening are located on the same cross-section of the airfoil.

3. The airfoil according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inlet opening and the outlet opening are located at the same radial distance as the core engine.

4. The airfoil according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lattice damper mentioned above comprises foam material.

5. The airfoil according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lattice damper mentioned above comprises polyetheretherketone.

6. The airfoil according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inlet opening is fluidly connected to a high-temperature region, and the inlet opening receives the heating fluid from the high-temperature region.

7. A gas turbine, characterized in that, include: Core fairing; A fan shroud that surrounds the core shroud; and An outlet guide vane, connected between the core fairing and the fan fairing, the outlet guide vane comprising: A housing that defines the outer surface of the outlet guide vane and forms a cavity in the inner surface of the outlet guide vane; and A grid damper is disposed in the cavity and is used to reduce the vibration load applied to the outlet guide vane. The grid damper includes multiple cells, which are cross-cubic in shape and are hollow structures with a single continuous surface. An inlet opening extends through the wall of the housing near the leading edge of the outlet guide vane; An outlet opening extends through the wall of the housing near the trailing edge of the outlet guide vane; Multiple channels are defined in the lattice damper to fluidly connect the inlet opening to the outlet opening, the inlet opening receiving heated fluid flowing from the leading edge to the trailing edge via the multiple channels.

8. The gas turbine according to claim 7, characterized in that, The lattice damper mentioned above comprises a foam material.

9. The gas turbine according to claim 7, characterized in that, It further includes a high-temperature region fluidly connected to the inlet opening, the inlet opening receiving heated fluid from the high-temperature region, the heated fluid flowing from the inlet opening to the outlet opening via the plurality of channels.

10. The gas turbine according to claim 7, characterized in that, The outlet guide vane is a first outlet guide vane, and further includes a second outlet guide vane connected between the core fairing and the fan fairing. The first outlet guide vane is positioned on top of the core fairing, and the second outlet guide vane is spaced apart from the first outlet guide vane in the circumferential direction of the core fairing.

11. The gas turbine according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first outlet guide vane comprises titanium, and the second outlet guide vane comprises aluminum.

12. A device, characterized in that, include: A housing device that defines the outer surface of the outlet guide vane and forms a cavity in the inner surface of the outlet guide vane; and A damping device is disposed in the cavity and is used to reduce the vibration load applied to the outlet guide vane. A fluid inlet device that extends through the wall of the housing device near the leading edge of the outlet guide vane; A fluid outlet device that extends through the wall of the housing device near the trailing edge of the outlet guide vane; A fluid flow device, defined in the damping device, for fluidly connecting the fluid inlet device to the fluid outlet device, the fluid inlet device receiving heated fluid flowing from the leading edge to the trailing edge via the fluid flow device.

13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The cell of the damping device is in the shape of a cross cube.

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