Hollow Composite Airfoil With Wrapping Edge Shell Portions
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hollow airfoils, particularly in gas turbine engines, face issues with lines of weakness at the leading and trailing edges and are unsuitable for conveying fluids due to chemical reactivity and temperature limitations, limiting their operational effectiveness and functionality.
Innovation Solution
A hollow composite airfoil design featuring a corrugated core and a hollow shell with unitary edge shell portions that wrap around the edges, formed from fibre-reinforced thermoplastic materials, allowing for reduced joins and enhanced material optimization for load-bearing and protective capabilities, along with thermoplastic-coated passages for fluid and wiring conduits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If stacked assemblies of laminae are joined at the leading and trailing edges to form hollow composite airfoils, then the airfoil can be constructed with composite materials, but lines of weakness are produced at the edges where the joins occur
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow shell is divided into multiple portions (leading edge portion, trailing edge portion, and side portions) that are separately formed and then joined together. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized independently while the joining process creates integrated connections that eliminate weak points, resolving the contradiction between material versatility and edge strength.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple shell portions are merged through joining processes (such as welding, bonding, or mechanical connections) to form a continuous, integrated hollow shell structure. This merging eliminates the lines of weakness that would otherwise exist at the joints, while still allowing the use of diverse composite materials in each portion.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional materials are used for hollow airfoils, then manufacturing is simpler, but chemical reactivity and temperature limitations prevent fluid conveyance
Solution Approach 1:
The airfoil is constructed using composite materials that combine materials with complementary properties - some providing chemical resistance and temperature tolerance for fluid conveyance, while others providing structural integrity and ease of manufacture. This composite approach enables both manufacturing simplicity and fluid conveyance capability simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the hollow airfoil are assigned different material compositions based on their specific functional requirements. Portions requiring fluid conveyance use chemically resistant and temperature-tolerant materials, while other structural portions use materials optimized for manufacturing and strength, creating a multi-material solution that satisfies all requirements.
3Ease of manufacture
If the hollow shell is formed as a single unitary structure, then manufacturing is simpler, but the shell cannot be optimized for different materials in different parts
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow shell is segmented into multiple portions that can be manufactured separately using different materials and processes optimized for each portion's specific requirements. These portions are then joined together to form the complete structure, achieving both manufacturing simplicity through modular production and material optimization through selective material assignment.
Data Source
AI summary
An airfoil has a hollow shell providing external airfoil surfaces, and a corrugated core within the shell. The core contacts inner surfaces of the shell to support the shell. The airfoil is formed by consolidating a hollow shell pre-form and a corrugated core pre-form. At least a part of the hollow shell has a leading edge shell portion and/or a trailing edge shell portion which, before consolidation of the pre-forms, is a unitary body having a shape which wraps around the respective edge.