Tilted Fiber Rotor Blade for Centrifugal Load Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rotor blades in turbomachines lack optimal mechanical reinforcement to effectively manage the varying load spectrum caused by centrifugal and gas forces, leading to inefficient stress distribution and reduced component strength.
Innovation Solution
The rotor blade is made of an airfoil material with fibers aligned in specific directions, where the first fiber direction is tilted relative to the threading axis to align parallel with the centrifugal force vector, and additional fiber directions are included to absorb transverse loads, reducing shear forces and enhancing the strength of the composite material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If fibers are oriented exclusively in the longitudinal direction (along the threading axis), then the manufacturing process is simplified and fiber alignment is easier to control, but the mechanical reinforcement is suboptimal because it does not align with the actual load direction during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber orientation parameter is changed from exclusive longitudinal alignment to a tilted orientation relative to the threading axis. This parameter change allows the fibers to align with the actual load direction (centrifugal force vector) during operation, optimizing mechanical reinforcement while maintaining manufacturability through defined angular orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the rotor blade receive fibers with orientations adapted to local stress conditions. The fiber orientation is tilted in regions where centrifugal forces create oblique load paths, providing locally optimized reinforcement that matches the actual stress distribution throughout the blade structure.
2Strength
If fibers are tilted relative to the threading axis to align with centrifugal force vector, then load bearing capability is optimized and component strength increases, but the manufacturing precision requirements become more stringent
Solution Approach 1:
A specific tilt angle parameter is introduced for fiber orientation relative to the threading axis. This defined angular parameter enables optimized load bearing by aligning fibers with the centrifugal force vector, while the parameter itself can be controlled within tolerances during manufacturing to achieve the desired orientation without requiring extreme precision.
3Ease of manufacture
If single fiber direction is used, then the manufacturing process is simpler and material deposition is easier, but the blade cannot effectively manage the varying load spectrum including transverse loads from centrifugal and gas forces
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor blade employs a composite fiber structure with multiple fiber directions embedded in a matrix material. This composite approach combines fibers oriented in different directions (including tilted orientations) to create a material that can simultaneously manage various load types: longitudinal centrifugal forces, transverse loads, and shear stresses, while maintaining manufacturability through established composite deposition techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-directional fiber composite structure provides universal reinforcement capability, enabling the rotor blade to withstand multiple types of loads simultaneously: radial centrifugal forces, tangential gas forces, and shear stresses. This multi-functional reinforcement system replaces the need for separate structural elements for each load type.
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
This approach improves the rotor blade's ability to absorb loads, minimizes stress on the matrix material, and increases the component's strength, particularly under high-speed conditions, by aligning fibers with the main load direction and stabilizing against torsion and bending.
Implementation Method 1
Due to the rotation and expansion of the blade material, the orientation of the centrifugal force vector changes, resulting in an inclination towards the threading axis during operation
Implementation Method 2
by directing the maximum load along these fibers rather than obliquely, shear forces between them can be reduced. This, in turn, reduces the stress on the embedding matrix material and improves the component strength
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a rotor blade (25) for a turbomachine (1) which is designed for rotation about a longitudinal axis (2) of the turbomachine (1), wherein the rotor blade (25) is made of a blade material reinforced with a fiber material (30), wherein at least a part of the fibers of the fiber material (30), in particular at least 20%, preferably at least 30% of the fibers, are aligned in a first fiber direction (31), and wherein the first fiber direction (31) is tilted relative to the threading axis of the rotor blade (25).