Composite Fan Blade Cover via Retention Slots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engine fan blades require enhanced strength, stiffness, and lightweight materials to improve performance, lifecycle, safety, and reliability, while existing designs face challenges such as damage from bird strikes and internal forces.
Innovation Solution
A fan blade design featuring a metallic body with composite covers made from materials like graphite epoxy, where the composite covers are coupled to the metallic body via retention slots and fingers, providing a continuous pressure and suction surface, and are manufactured using adhesive bonding and curing processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a metallic fan blade is used, then strength and stiffness are improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by covering the metallic blade body with composite material layers (such as ceramic matrix composites or metal matrix composites). This composite structure provides enhanced strength and stiffness while maintaining lower weight compared to solid metallic blades, directly resolving the contradiction between strength and weight
2Reliability
If composite covers are added to the metallic blade, then protection against bird strikes and internal forces is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is segmented into a metallic blade body and separate composite covers that can be applied to specific regions. This segmentation allows the protective function to be added without redesigning the entire blade structure, thereby improving reliability while controlling complexity through modular design
3Strength
If the composite cover is coupled via retention slots and fingers, then bonding strength is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Retention slots and fingers are pre-formed during the blade manufacturing process before the composite covers are applied. This preliminary action ensures strong bonding capability is built into the structure early, while the standardized pre-formed features actually simplify the subsequent composite application process rather than increasing overall manufacturing complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enhances mechanical strength, stiffness, and reduces weight, improving the fan blade's ability to withstand bird strikes and internal forces, while maintaining efficient performance and reducing the risk of blade strikes and vibratory frequencies.
Implementation Method 1
coupled to the first side of the metallic body, wherein the first composite cover includes a plurality of first fingers that extend through the first retention slots and are coupled to the second side of the metallic body
Data Source
AI summary
A fan blade includes a metallic body, a first composite cover, and a second composite cover. The metallic body may have a first side, a second side, a plurality of first retention slots, and a plurality of second retention slots, in accordance with various embodiments. The first and second retention slots may extend from the first side to the second side of the metallic body. The first composite cover may be coupled to the first side of the metallic body and may include a plurality of first fingers that extend through the first retention slots and are coupled to the second side of the metallic body. The second composite cover may be coupled to the second side of the metallic body and may include a plurality of second fingers that extend through the second retention slots and are coupled to the first side of the metallic body.