United Technologies Corporation

Chad J Yetka

Bruce P Biederman

Steven Mark Schirle

Charles R LeJambre

Aaron J Gleixner

A flow directing element, such as a vane for a turbine engine compressor, has a variable chord to improve compressor surge margin without compromising compressor efficiency. The vane has an airfoil section ( ) with a leading edge ( ), a trailing edge ( ), a root ( ) and a tip ( ). The chord of the airfoil generally increases from a first value at the root to a second larger value at a part span location ( ) intermediate the root and the tip so that when the airfoil is installed in a compressor, the location of the trailing edge becomes closer to the compressor discharge as the spanwise distance from the root increases. The chord is generally constant from the part span location to the tip.

Flow directing element for a turbine engine

The end wall of the compressor adjacent the stator vanes and compressor blades is configured so that the annular region between the vanes and blades is held at a constant area and that the flow path convergence of the stator is increased to compensate for the loss of convergence due to the reduction of convergence in the annular region between vanes and blades.

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West Palm Beach, FL, United States of America

Chad J Yetka