Composite Propeller Blade Integrated Spar Weaving
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Solution Overview
Problem
Propeller blades for turboprops made of composite materials face challenges in maintaining the spar's position within the fiber structure, especially under mechanical loading, impacts, or shocks, due to their lightweight and aerodynamic design.
Innovation Solution
A fiber reinforcing structure with an airfoil and spar portion, where the spar is integrally formed with the airfoil and surrounded by non-interlinked skins, ensuring secure attachment through continuously woven reinforcement, and a method involving 3D weaving and shaping with shaper parts to enhance mechanical strength without increasing weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If propeller blades are made of composite material to reduce weight, then weight is reduced, but the spar may move or detach under mechanical loading
Solution Approach 1:
The spar and airfoil are merged into a single integral structure, eliminating the interface between separate components. The fiber structure is woven continuously around the spar, creating a unified monolithic component that prevents relative movement and detachment while maintaining composite material weight advantages
Solution Approach 2:
The spar is nested within the fiber structure, with the fiber reinforcement enveloping and securing the spar. The fiber structure is woven around the spar in a manner similar to nested dolls, where the outer structure contains and protects the inner structural element, ensuring the spar remains firmly positioned
2Weight of moving object
If the spar is inserted into the fiber structure, then weight is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spar is positioned and secured within the fiber structure during the weaving process itself, before final curing and assembly. The fiber reinforcement is woven around the spar in its final position, eliminating subsequent alignment and attachment operations that would increase manufacturing complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A reinforcing fiber structure for a propeller blade made of composite material is woven as a single piece to have an airfoil, a spar portion, and an enlarged portion. The fiber structure includes a zone of non-interlinking extending between the front and rear edges of the airfoil, and extending between an intermediate zone and the bottom edge of said airfoil. The spar portion extends inside the airfoil in the zone of non-interlinking, the spar portion extending outside the airfoil through the bottom edge of said airfoil. The enlarged portion extends from the spar portion outside the airfoil. The airfoil includes skins that are not interlinked with each other in the zone of non-interlinking and that surround the spar portion. The skins define two housings present inside the airfoil on respective sides of the spar portion and opening out through the bottom edge of the airfoil.