Rolls-Royce Corporation

Andrew G Dutton

Michael H Coney

David A Richardson

The present invention relates to turbine blades and in particular to turbine blades for use in gas turbine engines. Tensile stresses are introduced into turbine blades when they rotate at high speeds on a turbine rotor. In order to minimize the stresses in an outer skin of an aerofoil of the turbine blade, the outer skin is secured to a platform and an inner core, and in operation a temperature difference is set up between the outer skin and the inner core. The temperature difference produces a thermal compressive stress in the outer skin which opposes the tensile stress produced due to the rotation of the turbine blade. The extremities of the outer skin may be secured to the platform with either a tensile or compressive prestress depending upon the temperature difference between the outer skin and inner core at normal operating conditions. If the operating speed of the gas turbine engine changes, the temperature difference between the outer skin and the inner core may be varied in order to adjust the thermal compressive stress in the outer skin, so that the tensile stress in the outer skin may be opposed, to ensure the stresses in the outer skin are maintained at a minimum during operation of the engine.

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Stockport, United Kingdom

Andrew G Dutton