United Technologies Corporation

Graham B Fulton

Robert H Zipps

David G Cutts

Amrutur V Srinivasan

Chester H Rynaski

An arrangement for controlling the vibratory behavior of an integral structural component includes at least one element of memory metal material two portions of which that are spaced by a predetermined distance from one another in a first state of the memory metal material are connected while the memory metal material is in its first state to respective locations of the integral structural component that are spaced substantially by the predetermined distance from each other along a region of the integral structural component which undergoes considerable cyclical dimensional changes while the integral structural component vibrates. This element is then heated, such as by causing electric current to flow therethrough, either from time to time as required, or at a certain frequency, to above a temperature of transition of the memory metal material to its second state in which the spacing between the two portions of the element differs from the predetermined distance with attendant change in the vibratory behavior of the integral structural element such as to suppress or generate vibrations of the integral structural component especially at its natural resonance frequency.

Integral structural component vibratory behavior control

The present invention provides improvements to fan rotor blades of turbofan gas turbine engines. Increased low cycle fatigue life is sought, and a specific object is to obtain a more nearly uniform chordwise distribution of maximum stress levels across the root sections of fan blades. In one effective embodiment incorporating concepts of the present invention the root section of a fan blade is contoured to an arcuate geometry which approximates the contour of the airfoil cross section at the inner wall of the working medium flowpath. Further contour specifications for reducing local stress levels are discussed.

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Manchester, CT, United States of America

Graham B Fulton