General Electric Company

Jay L Cornell

Jan Christopher Schilling

Joseph T Stevenson

Robert William Bruce

James Michael Forrester

Rolf R Hetico

Michael Harvey Schneider

Wayne Ray Bowen

William Terence Dingwell

William Carl Ruehr

Kurt L Hansen

James Edward Gutknecht

Jeffrey Clayton Potter

Sean Joel Corrigan

Gary B Manharth

Robert Russell Grant

Sunil Kumar Sinha

Donald Charles Slavik

Matthew Alban Scott

A method for assembling a rotor assembly and a rotor assembly are provided. The method comprises providing a rotor blade including a first sidewall, a second sidewall, where the first and second sidewalls are connected at a leading edge and a trailing edge and extend in span from a root portion to a tip portion, removing blade material from the tip portion to form a tip portion rake angle that enables the tip portion to extend obliquely between the first and second sidewalls, and coupling the rotor blade to a shaft such that during tip rubs the tip portion rake angle facilitates reducing radial loading induced to the blade during tip rubs.

Methods and apparatus for fabricating a rotor assembly

A variable stator vane assembly and a bushing thereof. The bushing includes a metal bushing body and a wear-resistant coating. The assembly includes a rotatable trunnion and a first metal bushing. The trunnion is capable of being located in a through hole extending between outer and inner surfaces of a compressor casing of a gas turbine engine. The first metal bushing is capable of being located in the through hole proximate the outer surface to surround a first portion of the trunnion when the trunnion is located in the through hole. The first metal bushing and the first portion have wear-resistant coatings which are in mutual contact, apart from any intervening lubricant, when the trunnion and the first metal bushing are located in the through hole and the trunnion is rotating with respect to the first metal bushing.

Variable stator vane assembly and bushing thereof

A rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of radially extending and circumferentially spaced rotor blades and a seal. Each of the blades includes a platform including a radially outer surface and a radially inner surface. The platform radially outer surface defines a surface for fluid flowing thereover. The seal includes at least one hollow member coupled to each rotor blade platform radially inner surface that is configured to reduce fluid flow through a gap defined between adjacent rotor blades.

Methods and apparatus for limiting fluid flow between adjacent rotor blades

A gas turbine engine rotor disk has a number of annular hubs circumscribed about a centerline and each of the hubs is connected to a disk rim by a web. A plurality of circumferentially spaced apart circular arc dovetail slots are disposed through the rim. Circumferentially extending annular burst slots extend radially through the rim into the dovetail slots between each adjacent pair of the webs. The fan blades have circular arc dovetail roots disposed within the circumferentially spaced apart circular arc dovetail slots. A one piece spinner attached to a forward extension of the disk at a location between a tip and an axially aft spinner end of the spinner. Non-integral platforms circumferentially disposed between the fan blades. A booster spool is connected to the rotor disk by a mounting plate therebetween and the platforms are radially retained to the disk and mounting plates by pins through holes in mounting lugs depending radially inwardly from the platforms. Pairs of circumferentially oppositely facing retaining slots have retainers disposed therein which extend across the dovetail slots to axially retain the dovetail roots in the dovetail slots.

Non-integral fan platform

A fan blade includes a metal airfoil having first and second opposite sides extending radially between a root and a tip, and axially between a leading edge and a trailing edge. The airfoil further includes a pocket disposed in the first side having an elastomeric filler bonded therein. A panel is bonded to the filler along the pocket for allowing differential movement therebetween for damping vibratory response of the airfoil.

Panel damped hybrid blade

A fan blade includes a metal airfoil having first and second opposite sides extending radially between a root and tip, and axially between a leading edge and a trailing edge. The airfoil further includes a plurality of pockets disposed in the first side and separated by corresponding ribs. A filler is bonded in the pocket, and is coextensive with the airfoil first side. Radial and diagonal ribs respectively intersect solely each other for selectively increasing torsional and bending stiffness to increase frequency margin between adjacent torsional and bending resonant modes of vibration.

Frequency tuned hybrid blade

Hollow airfoils, such as fan blades, nozzles and struts used in axial flow gas turbine engines, that have improved resistance to impact from foreign objects are disclosed. Relocation of airfoil material is used to preferentially strengthen the airfoil to respond to the stress from the impact of a foreign object. Internal spacers are redistributed toward the leading edge and the material from the skin of the concave side and the convex side is shifted from one side to the other and toward the leading edge of the airfoil where impact stress is greatest.

Hollow airfoil impact resistance improvement

Gas turbine engines are used as powerplants for aircraft. When the aircraft are parked on the ground, the wind can blow through the engines and set fans and rotors into motion, i.e., windmill them. Given that the blades of the fans and rotors are loosely fastened to their rotors, the low speed rotation caused by windmilling causes the blades to clatter or clank, thus causing wear. The present invention provides means for clamping blades into position during this low speed rotation for reducing clanking.

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Hamilton, OH, United States of America

Jay L Cornell