Airfoil Multi-Material Reinforcement for Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fan blades in turbine engines, particularly those made of composite materials like carbon fiber reinforced epoxy, are prone to brittle fracture and delamination during foreign object impacts due to low ductility, and metallic cladding adds weight without fully addressing these issues.
Innovation Solution
An airfoil design incorporating regions with increased elongation properties using composite materials, specifically a primary region with carbon fibers and secondary regions with glass fibers, combined with metallic cladding elements for enhanced impact resistance and weight management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metallic cladding is used over extensive areas of the airfoil, then impact protection is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies metallic cladding selectively only to the leading edge region where impact damage is most critical, rather than covering the entire airfoil surface. This localized application provides necessary impact protection at the high-risk area while avoiding the weight penalty of extensive cladding coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure combining metallic cladding on the leading edge with composite airfoil material in the remaining areas. This multi-material approach leverages the high impact resistance of metal where needed while maintaining the weight advantages of composite materials in less critical regions.
2Productivity
If thin airfoil design is used for best aerodynamic performance, then aerodynamic efficiency is improved, but susceptibility to impact damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reinforces the thin airfoil design by applying metallic cladding specifically to the leading edge region where impact damage is most likely to occur. This allows the airfoil to maintain its thin, aerodynamically efficient profile while providing localized impact protection where the thin structure is most vulnerable.
Solution Approach 2:
The metallic cladding is applied in advance to the leading edge region to prevent impact damage before it occurs. This preliminary protective measure allows the airfoil to maintain its thin design for aerodynamic performance while being pre-protected against the specific threat of leading edge impact damage.
Data Source
AI summary
An airfoil includes: an airfoil body having convex and concave sides extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge, the airfoil body including primary and secondary regions having differing physical properties; and at least one metallic cladding element attached to the airfoil body.