United Technologies Corporation

Raytheon Technologies Corporation

Rtx Corporation

James R Murdock

Christopher S McKaveney

David Ulrich Furrer

Kwan Hui

Andrew L Haynes

Luke H Rettberg

Vasisht Venkatesh

Janet M Stanley

Michael F Machinchick

Daniel Gynther

Michael J Linden

Gabriel L Suciu

Daniel E Kane

Jason Elliott

Randall Joyner

Michael A Morden

Maria C Kirejczyk

Michael Babu

Donald E Haddad

Thomas H Rogers

James H Moffitt

Matthew Stahl

Scot A Webb

Andrew J Brinks

Randall W Joyner

Christopher S Mckaveney

Disclosed is a method of making an integrally bladed rotor. According to the method, a rotor disk comprising a radially outer rim surface is provided. A portion of the disk outer rim surface is removed, leaving a protrusion on the rotor disk outer rim surface. The disk with material removed is subjected to thermal processing. A blade comprising an airfoil and a base is positioned such that a base surface is in contact with the protrusion, and heat, pressure, and motion are applied between the blade and the disk to friction weld the base surface to the protrusion.

Method of making integrally bladed rotor

A sheath, for protecting the leading edge of airfoils used in gas turbine engines, may have a solid member, a pressure side flank and a suction side flank. The solid member may form an outer edge, which may include a main portion and a projecting portion. The projecting portion may have a variable dimension. The pressure side flank and suction side flank may project from the solid member opposite the outer edge. The pressure side flank and suction side flank may form a receiving cavity for receiving an airfoil.

Locally extended leading edge sheath for fan airfoil

Disclosed is a method of making an integrally bladed rotor. According to the method, a titanium alloy rotor disk with 15-50% by volume of primary alpha grains with a grain size less than 10 &#x3bc;m and secondary alpha grains comprising widmanstatten grains with a grain size less than 1.0 &#x3bc;m is subjected to thermal processing. After thermal processing, a blade having an airfoil and a base is positioned such that a base surface is in contact with an outer rim surface of the disk. Heat, pressure, and motion are applied between the blade and the disk to friction weld the base surface to the disk outer rim surface.

Process of making integrally bladed rotor

A fan for a gas turbine engine is provided. The fan having: a rotor; a hollow fan blade having a cavity, the hollow fan blade secured to the rotor; a cover covering the cavity; a platform independent of the hollow fan blade and secured to the rotor, wherein a portion of the cover is located below a peripheral edge of the platform and the peripheral edge retains the portion of the cover in a desired location.

Fan blade with cover and method for cover retention

A blade assembly comprises a blade () and one or more wear pads (). The blade has an airfoil () having a leading edge (), a trailing edge (), a pressure side (), a suction side (), and extending from an inboard end to a tip (). The blade further includes an attachment root (). The one or more wear pads are along the attachment root. The one or more wear pads have a plurality of slits ().

Blade wear pads and manufacture methods

Light weight fan blades for turbofan jet engines are disclosed. The fan blades may be fabricated from an aluminum alloy. To enhance the hardness of the leading edge of the fan blade, a titanium sheath may be attached to the leading edges of the fan blades. To prevent galvanic coupling between the titanium and the aluminum, a polymeric liner may be disposed between the protective titanium sheath and the aluminum fan blade. The liner may be fabricated from a polymer material, such as a polyimide or another high performance polymer.

Fan blades with protective sheaths and galvanic shields

A blade assembly may be configured to rotate about an axis of a gas turbine engine. The blade assembly may include a blade and a blade cover. A blade may include a first surface defining a perimeter of a cavity in the blade. A first portion of the perimeter of the cavity includes a lip. A blade cover disposed over the cavity in the blade, such that the cavity is disposed between the blade and the blade cover, and under the lip, such that blade cover is between a portion of the blade and the cavity.

Mechanically retained fan blade cover

A fan platform for a gas turbine engine may include an outer flow path surface extending between a first side and a second side. An inner surface extends between the first side and the second side, and faces radially oppositely the outer flow path surface. A plurality of platform hooks may extend radially inwardly from the inner surface.

Injection molded composite fan platform

A method of inspecting components between a pre-coated state and a post-coated state is provided. The method entails providing at least first and second datum points onto the component in the pre-coated state, where each of the at least first and second datum points have a substantially hemi-spherical shape and a center point. The center points of each of the at least first and second datum points are utilized for measurement of a selected portion on the component in the pre-coated state. Then, the component is coated. Next, the center points of each of the at least first and second datum points are utilized for measurement of the selected portion on the component in the post-coated state. The pre-coated state measurements and the post-coated state measurements are then correlated for inspection purposes.

Datum transfer apparatus and method for inspecting coated components

A fan blade includes a root including a front surface, a rear surface, a first side surface connected to the front surface and the rear surface, and a second side surface connected to the front surface and the rear surface. The front surface engages the first side surface and the second side surface by one or more blunted surfaces, and the rear surface engages the first side surface and the second side surface by one or more blunted surfaces. A blade extends from the root.

Fan blade attachment of gas turbine engine

A fan rotor includes a fan blade for use in a gas turbine engine includes a sheath formed of a material that is more conductive than a main fan blade body. A grounding element provides a grounding path from the sheath into a rotor receiving the fan blade. A gas turbine engine incorporating the fan blade is also disclosed.

Electrical grounding for fan blades

A rotor in a gas turbine engine has a rotor body with at least one slot receiving a blade. The blade has an outer surface formed of a first material and an airfoil extending from a dovetail. The dovetail is received in the slot. A grounding element is in contact with a portion of the dovetail formed of a second material that is more electrically conductive than the first material. The grounding element is in contact with a rotating element that rotates with the rotor and is formed of a third material. The first material is less electrically conductive than the third material. The grounding element and rotating element together form a ground path from the portion of the dovetail into the rotor.

Electrical grounding for blades

A blade for use in a gas turbine engine has an airfoil including a leading edge and a trailing edge. A sheath is positioned at the leading edge and secured to the airfoil by a first adhesive formed of a first material. The sheath is formed of a second material that is distinct from said first material. The first material is less electrically conductive than the second material. A grounding element is in contact with the sheath. The grounding element is in contact with a portion of the airfoil formed of a third material that is more electrically conductive than the first material. The grounding element and the portion of the airfoil together form a ground path from the sheath into the airfoil.

Electrical grounding for blade sheath

A fan blade has a main body extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. Channels are formed into the main body from at least one open side. A plurality of ribs extend across the main body intermediate the channels. The fan blade has a dovetail, and an airfoil extending radially outwardly from the dovetail. The channels have a termination end adjacent a radially inner end of the ribs. The termination end is formed along a complex fillet with a first radius of curvature formed at the termination end, and a second radius of curvature merging into sides of the ribs. The second radius of curvature is greater than the first radius of curvature.

Fan blade channel termination

A fan blade has a main body extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. Channels are formed into the main body from at least one open side. A plurality of ribs extend across the main body intermediate the channels. The fan blade has a dovetail, and an airfoil extends radially outwardly from the dovetail. The ribs having a thickness defined as measured from said leading edge toward said trailing edge. The ribs have break-edges at ends of the thickness that extend away from an outer face of the rib.

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Tolland, CT, United States of America

James R Murdock