Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.

Brad Carter

Brian Potter

John E Ryznic

Paul Matheny

The airfoil of fan/compressor and turbine rotors is constructed to include a leading edge that is detachable. The leading edge includes an airfoil section and an attachment that is adapted to fit into a complementary groove formed in the rotor disk. The detachable leading edge is efficacious in integrated bladed rotor (IBR or BLISK) designs because damage to the leading edge can be fixed by either removing the leading edge and repairing it or replacing it without having to disturb the remaining portion of the IBR.

Detachable leading edge for airfoils

An improvement for a turbomachinery blade having an airfoil portion, a neck portion, and a root portion, the neck portion extending from the root portion, and the airfoil portion extending from the neck portion, and the root portion being tear-drop shaped, includes a jacket attached to the root portion and extending along a portion of the neck portion. Additionally, a process of forming a turbomachinery blade includes steps of providing a laminate of a material; providing a blade insert; wrapping the laminate around to insert to form a blade having a root portion, a neck portion extending from the root portion, and an airfoil portion extending from the neck portion; and providing for a jacket secured around the root portion and a portion of the neck portion extending from the root portion, the jacket having such shape as to prevent delamination of the laminates at a critical point due to centrifugal force acting on the blade.

Laminated turbomachine airfoil with jacket and method of making the airfoil

A turbine engine composite blade attachment mechanism is provided, including a blade having an airfoil section, a neck section, and a root section. The root section includes a continuous loop integral with the blade and branching out from the neck section to completely surround a root insert. The blade includes a plurality of fibers which extend from the airfoil section through the neck and around the core. The root section and neck are enveloped by a jacket having a thickness which increases from the distal side surface of the loop to the neck portion, and has an inner contour substantially aligned with the proximal side surface contour of the loop and the core. The jacket and root are disposed inside a rotary disk cavity such that when tensile loading is applied, the neck width is maintained and compressive transverse loads may be applied to the fibers to prevent lamination thereof.

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Jupiter, FL, United States of America

Brad Carter