Blade with fiber-reinforced structure and open rotor engine

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a blade and an open rotor engine with a fiber-reinforced structure; wherein the blade comprises: a fiber-reinforced structure, the fiber-reinforced structure being made of a fiber reinforcement and a matrix in which the fiber reinforcement is embedded; a blade root, the blade root being used to cooperate with a wheel disk to connect the blade to the wheel disk; a blade body, the blade body comprising a first end close to the blade root, and a second end away from the blade root and forming a blade tip; wherein the fiber-reinforced structure extends in a height direction between the blade root and the blade tip, and comprises a continuous single piece formed by a first part and a second part, the first part being fixedly connected to the blade root, and the second part being fixedly connected to the blade body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of aviation engines, and in particular to a blade with a fiber-reinforced structure and an open rotor engine. Background Art

[0002] Aircraft engine fan blades can fly off at high speeds. At that moment, they possess significant kinetic energy, creating a severe load that can cause significant damage to the engine or aircraft. Therefore, high-bypass turbofan engines require a fan containment case capable of containing detached fan blades. However, open rotor engines lack a containment case structure, so detached fan blades could directly impact the aircraft fuselage, posing a significant threat to flight and crew safety. A common protective measure involves reinforcing the aircraft fuselage to achieve a similar effect as a fan containment case. These protective measures all come at the expense of increased engine or aircraft weight, adversely impacting the economic performance of commercial engines and aircraft.

[0003] The problem of fan blades flying off cannot be completely avoided. Therefore, how to effectively prevent the problem of blades flying off, especially providing protection without significantly increasing the weight of the engine and aircraft, has become a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a blade having a fiber reinforced structure.

[0005] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an open rotor engine.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a blade with a fiber-reinforced structure includes: a fiber-reinforced structure, the fiber-reinforced structure being made of a fiber reinforcement and a matrix in which the fiber reinforcement is embedded; a blade root, the blade root being used to cooperate with a wheel disk to connect the blade to the wheel disk; a blade body, the blade body including a first end close to the blade root and a second end away from the blade root and forming a blade tip; wherein the fiber-reinforced structure extends in a height direction between the blade root and the blade tip, and includes a continuous single piece formed by a first part and a second part, the first part being fixedly connected to the blade root, and the second part being fixedly connected to the blade body.

[0007] The principle of achieving beneficial effects by adopting the above technical solution is that it is generally believed that the blade will break along the minimum cross-section when flying off, that is, the first end portion breaks at the connection position with the blade root, and the blade root generally does not fall off because it is connected to the wheel disc; therefore, generally, the blade flying off is caused by the separation of the blade body and the blade root. By setting the fiber reinforced structure, the impact load when the blade body flies off is transferred to the blade root and the wheel disc, and the design of the first part and the second part is adopted to achieve the connection reinforcement between the blade body and the blade root; when the blade body is separated from the blade root, the fiber reinforced structure will produce a dragging effect, which effectively reduces the kinetic energy of the fan blade at the moment of flying off and the impact load generated; and because the effect of the fiber reinforced structure on weight is negligible, its adverse effect on the economic performance of the engine and aircraft is relatively small.

[0008] In one or more embodiments of the blade, the fiber reinforced structure further comprises a third portion; the third portion has a predetermined length and is connected between the first portion and the second portion to form a continuous single piece, and the third portion is not fixedly connected to the blade.

[0009] In one or more embodiments of the blade, the predetermined length of the third portion is not less than the maximum deformation of the blade under normal operating conditions.

[0010] In one or more embodiments of the blade, the first end portion includes an end surface, and the fiber-reinforced structure further includes a fourth portion, wherein the fourth portion extends through the end surface and is fixedly connected to the end surface.

[0011] In one or more embodiments of the blade, the first portion is fixedly connected to the blade root in a curved shape, so as to increase the length of the fixed connection between the first portion and the blade root.

[0012] In one or more embodiments of the blade, the first portion and the blade root together form a smoothly transitioned outer surface.

[0013] In one or more embodiments of the blade, the second portion of at least one fiber-reinforced structure extends to the second end portion of the blade airfoil.

[0014] In one or more embodiments of the blade, at least one second portion of the fiber-reinforced structure is fixedly connected to the suction side of the blade airfoil, and at least one second portion of the fiber-reinforced structure is fixedly connected to the pressure side of the blade airfoil.

[0015] In one or more embodiments of the blade, at least one second portion of the fiber reinforced structure extends in a thickness direction on a cross-sectional profile of the blade at a predetermined height position and is fixedly connected to both the suction side and the pressure side of the blade.

[0016] In one or more embodiments of the blade, the blade further comprises a shell structure, wherein the shell structure covers the blade root and the first portion, so as to form an isolation between the first portion and the wheel disk.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an open rotor engine includes the blade described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The above and other features, properties and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent through the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals always represent the same features. It should be noted that these drawings are only for illustration and are not drawn to scale. They should not be used to limit the actual scope of protection claimed by the present disclosure. Among them:

[0019] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a typical fan blade.

[0020] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of a blade according to an embodiment.

[0021] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the first end portion and the root area of ​​a blade according to an embodiment.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment in which the first part is fixedly connected to the blade root.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of the first part of an embodiment.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of the second part of an embodiment.

[0025] Figure 7 Based on Figure 6 Cross-sectional view of section AA.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment in which the first part is fixedly connected to the blade root.

[0027] Description of reference numerals:

[0028] 1. Fiber reinforced structure;

[0029] 11. Part 1; 12. Part 2; 13. Part 3; 14. Part 4;

[0030] 2. Leaves;

[0031] 21. Blade root; 22. Blade body; 221. First end; 2211. End surface; 222. Second end; 23. Suction surface; 24. Pressure surface; 25. Shell structure;

[0032] 3. Roulette. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings and described below. Although the present disclosure will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it should be appreciated that the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the present disclosure is intended to cover not only those exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0034] This disclosure uses specific terms to describe the embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, "one embodiment" and / or "an embodiment" refers to a feature, structure, or characteristic associated with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" mentioned twice or multiple times in different places in this disclosure does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be appropriately combined.

[0035] In the following description, the directions or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "front," and "back," or other directional terms are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to facilitate and simplify the description of the present disclosure. They are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and / or implemented in a specific direction, and are therefore not to be construed as limitations on the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, the terms "first," "second," and the like are used solely for distinguishing descriptions and are not to be construed as indicating or implying a positional relationship or ranking of importance.

[0036] As previously mentioned, a fan blade breaking off can cause significant damage to the engine and aircraft. This is especially true for aircraft equipped with open rotor engines, where the fuselage is directly subjected to the impact load of the blade breaking off. Existing protective measures include reinforcing the fan casing and / or fuselage structure, but these measures increase the weight of the relevant structures, significantly adversely affecting the economic performance of the engine and aircraft. Therefore, after in-depth research, the inventors of the present disclosure have proposed a blade and open rotor engine with a fiber-reinforced structure. This approach aims to effectively protect against blade breaking off by reducing the kinetic energy and resulting impact load at the moment of blade breaking off, without significantly increasing the weight of the engine and aircraft.

[0037] It should be noted that the present disclosure is not intended to exclude the reinforcement design of the fan containment case and / or the fuselage structure; optionally, the fiber reinforced structure described in the present disclosure can be simultaneously adopted for engines and aircraft that adopt the fan containment case and / or fuselage structure reinforcement design to achieve double or multiple protection effects without adding additional weight.

[0038] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, one aspect of the present disclosure provides a blade 2 with a fiber reinforced structure 1, the blade 2 comprising: a fiber reinforced structure 1, the fiber reinforced structure 1 being made of a fiber reinforcement and a matrix in which the fiber reinforcement is embedded; a blade root 21, the blade root 21 being used to cooperate with a wheel disk 3 to fix the blade 2 to the wheel disk 3; a blade airfoil 22, the blade airfoil 22 comprising a first end 221 close to the blade root 21, and a second end 222 away from the blade root 21 and forming a blade tip; wherein the fiber reinforced structure 1 extends along a height direction H between the blade root 21 and the blade tip, and comprises a continuous single piece formed by a first part 11 and a second part 12, the first part 11 being fixedly connected to the blade root 21, and the second part 12 being fixedly connected to the blade airfoil 22.

[0039] Generally, the flying off of a fan blade is caused by the separation of the blade body 22 and the blade root 21. The blade root 21 does not fly off because it is connected to the wheel disc 3, for example, it can adopt a mortise and tenon structure. Therefore, the impact load generated by the blade body 22 at the moment of flying off is transferred to the blade root 21 and the wheel disc 3 through the design of the fiber reinforced structure 1. The design of the first part 11 and the second part 12 is adopted to realize the reinforced connection between the blade body 22 and the blade root 21. When the blade body 22 is separated from the blade root 21, the fiber reinforced structure 1 will produce a dragging effect to prevent the blade from flying off, effectively reducing the kinetic energy of the fan blade 2 at the moment of flying off and the impact load generated by it. In addition, the effect of the fiber reinforced structure 1 on weight is negligible, and its adverse effect on the economic performance of the engine and aircraft is very small.

[0040] It is understandable that the connection strength between the first portion 11 and the blade root 21 should be able to ensure that the first portion 11 can still be fixedly connected to the blade root 21 when the blade body 22 flies off and causes the fiber reinforced structure 1 to deform significantly.

[0041] Optionally, multiple fiber-reinforced structures 1 are disposed on the suction side 23 and the pressure side 24 of the blade 2, i.e., a portion of the second portions 12 of the multiple fiber-reinforced structures 1 are fixedly connected to the suction side 23, and another portion is fixedly connected to the pressure side 24. The multiple fiber-reinforced structures 1 may also be evenly distributed on the blade airfoil 22, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The multiple fiber-reinforced structures 1 may also be unevenly distributed on the blade airfoil 22 to provide different degrees of protection to different areas of the blade airfoil 22.

[0042] Optionally, the fiber reinforcement has a bundled, laminated, or textured form; the fiber reinforcement may also be selected from one or more fiber materials with good impact resistance, such as, but not limited to, aramid or polyimide. The matrix may be a polymer matrix, in which the fiber reinforcement is densely embedded.

[0043] like Figure 3 As shown, in one or more embodiments, the fiber reinforced structure 1 further includes a third part 13; the third part 13 has a predetermined length and is connected between the first part 11 and the second part 12 to form a continuous single piece, and the third part 13 is not fixedly connected to the blade 2.

[0044] It is understood that the blade 2 will elongate and deform under the action of centrifugal load when rotating. The third portion 13 is not fixedly connected to the blade 2 and is provided with the predetermined length as a margin to cope with the elongation and deformation of the blade 2. That is, it is loosely connected to the first portion 11 and the second portion 12. The design of the third portion 13 helps to avoid breakage caused by the elongation and deformation of the blade 2 under normal operating conditions.

[0045] Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, the predetermined length of the third portion 13 is no less than the maximum deformation of the blade airfoil 22 under normal operating conditions, i.e., the maximum deformation that the blade airfoil 22 can produce without blade shedding. This design ensures that the fiber-reinforced structure 1 only drags the blade airfoil 22 and withstands height-direction loads in the event of blade shedding.

[0046] like Figure 3As shown, in one or more embodiments, the first end portion 221 includes an end surface 2211, and the fiber-reinforced structure 1 further includes a fourth portion 14, which extends through the end surface 2211 and is fixedly connected to the end surface 2211. Optionally, the fourth portion 14 is glued to the end surface 2211. The design of the fourth portion 14 fixes the fiber-reinforced structure 1 to the end surface 2211, primarily to avoid adverse effects caused by the excessive length of the third portion 13, i.e., the excessive length of the loose portion. It is understandable that in the case where the surfaces of the blade airfoil 22 and the blade root 21 have a smooth transition, i.e., when the fiber-reinforced structure 1 does not extend through the end surface 2211, the fourth portion 14 may not be provided.

[0047] like Figure 5 As shown, in one or more embodiments, the first portion 11 is fixedly connected to the blade root 21 in a curved shape to increase the length of the fixed connection between the first portion 11 and the blade root 21. This design is beneficial for increasing the strength of the fixed connection between the first portion 11 and the blade root 21.

[0048] like Figure 4 As shown, in one or more embodiments, the first portion 11 and the blade root 21 together form a smoothly transitioned outer surface. For example, the first portion 11 may be embedded in the surface of the blade root 21 or buried within the blade root 21. Because the impeller 3 vibrates during engine operation, this design helps reduce the vibration and friction loads exerted by the impeller 3 on the first portion 11, thereby preventing the first portion 11 from breaking.

[0049] like Figure 2 As shown, in one or more embodiments, the second portion 12 of at least one of the fiber-reinforced structures 1 extends to the second end portion 222 of the blade airfoil 22. This design allows the second portion 12 to extend to the blade tip, that is, to be fully fixedly connected to the blade airfoil 22 in the height direction, which helps to ensure the connection strength between the second portion 12 and the blade airfoil 22; at the same time, it can also, to a certain extent, suppress the possibility of the blade airfoil 22 flying off due to partial breakage.

[0050] In one or more embodiments, the second portion 12 of at least one of the fiber reinforced structures 1 is fixedly connected to the suction surface 23 of the blade 22 , and the second portion 12 of at least one of the fiber reinforced structures 1 is fixedly connected to the pressure surface 24 of the blade 22 .

[0051] like Figure 6 、 Figure 7As shown, in one or more embodiments, the second portion 12 of at least one of the fiber-reinforced structures 1 extends along the thickness direction of the cross-sectional profile of the blade airfoil 22 at a predetermined height position and is fixedly connected to both the suction side 23 and the pressure side 24 of the blade airfoil 22. This design allows the fiber-reinforced structure 1 fixedly connected to the suction side 23 and the pressure side 24 of the blade airfoil 22 to become one and the same. When the blade airfoil 22 is released, the fiber-reinforced structure 1 is also fixedly connected in the thickness direction between the suction side 23 and the pressure side 24, thereby increasing the resistance to release to a certain extent.

[0052] like Figure 8 As shown, in one or more embodiments, the blade 2 further includes a shell structure 25, which covers the blade root 21 and the first portion 11 to isolate the first portion 11 from the disk 3. This design helps reduce the vibration and friction loads generated by the disk 3 on the first portion 11, thereby protecting the first portion 11.

[0053] As described above, the present disclosure further provides an open rotor engine, which includes the blades 2 described in the above embodiment.

[0054] In summary, the advanced technical effects of the present disclosure include but are not limited to at least one of the following:

[0055] 1. The fiber-reinforced structure design transfers the impact load generated by the blade at the moment of separation to the blade root and the impeller. The design of the first and second parts achieves a reinforced connection between the blade and the blade root. When the blade separates from the blade root, the fiber-reinforced structure creates a dragging effect that prevents the blade from separating, effectively reducing the kinetic energy of the fan blade at the moment of separation and the resulting impact load. Furthermore, the fiber-reinforced structure has a negligible impact on weight, with minimal adverse effects on the economic performance of the engine and aircraft.

[0056] 2. When rotating, the blade will elongate and deform under centrifugal load. The third portion is not fixedly connected to the blade and has a predetermined length to provide margin to accommodate this elongation. In other words, it loosely connects the first and second portions. The design of the third portion helps prevent breakage of the blade 2 due to elongation and deformation under normal operating conditions.

[0057] 3. The design of the fourth portion securely connects the fiber-reinforced structure to the end face, primarily to avoid adverse effects caused by the third portion being too long, ie, the loose portion being too long.

[0058] Although the present disclosure is disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, this is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Any person skilled in the art may make possible changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent variations, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present disclosure without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present disclosure shall fall within the scope of protection defined by the claims of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A blade (2) having a fiber-reinforced structure (1), characterized in that: include: A fiber reinforced structure (1), the fiber reinforced structure (1) being made of a fiber reinforcement and a matrix in which the fiber reinforcement is embedded; a blade root (21), the blade root (21) being used for cooperating with the wheel disc (3) to connect the blade (2) to the wheel disc (3); A blade body (22), the blade body (22) comprising a first end (221) close to the blade root (21), and a second end (222) away from the blade root (21) and forming a blade tip; The fiber-reinforced structure (1) extends in a height direction between the blade root (21) and the blade tip, and comprises a continuous single piece formed by a first portion (11) and a second portion (12), wherein the first portion (11) is fixedly connected to the blade root (21), and the second portion (12) is fixedly connected to the blade airfoil (22); The fiber reinforced structure (1) further includes a third portion (13); the third portion (13) has a predetermined length and is connected between the first portion (11) and the second portion (12) to form a continuous single piece, and the third portion (13) is not fixedly connected to the blade (2).

2. The blade (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that The predetermined length of the third portion (13) is not less than the maximum deformation of the blade (22) under normal operating conditions.

3. The blade (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that The first end portion (221) includes an end surface (2211), and the fiber-reinforced structure (1) further includes a fourth portion (14), wherein the fourth portion (14) extends through the end surface (2211) and is fixedly connected to the end surface (2211).

4. The blade (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that The first portion (11) is fixedly connected to the blade root (21) in a curved manner, so as to increase the length of the fixed connection between the first portion (11) and the blade root (21).

5. The blade (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that The first portion (11) and the blade root (21) together form a smoothly transitioned outer surface.

6. The blade (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that The second portion (12) of at least one of the fiber-reinforced structures (1) extends to the second end (222) of the blade airfoil (22).

7. The blade (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that The second portion (12) of at least one of the fiber-reinforced structures (1) is fixedly connected to the suction surface (23) of the blade (22), and the second portion (12) of at least one of the fiber-reinforced structures (1) is fixedly connected to the pressure surface (24) of the blade (22).

8. The blade (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that The second portion (12) of at least one of the fiber-reinforced structures (1) extends in a thickness direction on a cross-sectional profile of the blade (22) at a predetermined height position and is fixedly connected to both the suction surface (23) and the pressure surface (24) of the blade (22).

9. The blade (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that The blade (2) further comprises a shell structure, wherein the shell structure covers the blade root (21) and the first portion (11) so as to form an isolation between the first portion (11) and the wheel disc (3).

10. An open rotor engine, characterized in that: Comprising a blade (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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