Rolls-royce Corporation

Composite Technology & Applications Limited

Nicholas Michael Merriman

Simon Read

Darren Ivor James

A fan blade comprising a tip surface configured in use to face an internal wall of a nacelle. The tip surface having a suction side edge, a pressure side edge and a chamfer such that in use the suction side edge is further than the pressure side edge from the internal wall of the nacelle. The chamfer angle of the chamfer varies along the tip surface between a leading edge of the fan blade and a trailing edge of the fan blade.

Fan blade

An aerofoil structure () for a gas turbine engine (), the aerofoil structure comprising a carbon composite aerofoil portion () and a tip portion (), wherein the tip portion comprises a tip surface () configured to face a corresponding casing structure (), the tip portion further comprising a ridge line () extending along at least a portion of the tip surface, wherein the tip surface comprises a first surface () and a second surface () provided either side of the ridge line, the ridge line being defined by the intersection of the first and second surfaces, wherein the ridge line is configured to cut into the casing structure during an interaction between the aerofoil structure and casing structure.

Composite aerofoil structure with a cutting edge tip portion

A method of manufacturing a gas turbine engine, the method including providing a fan having a plurality of fan blades circumscribed by a fan track liner and attaching a cutter to the fan track liner, the cutter is arranged towards the blades of the fan. The fan blades are rotated so that one or more of the fan blades are trimmed by the cutter. Once one or more of the fan blades have been trimmed by a desired amount, the cutter is removed from the fan track liner.

Method of manufacturing a gas turbine engine

A composite turbomachine blade () comprises a composite material including reinforcing fibers in a matrix material, the turbomachine blade () comprises an aerofoil portion (), a shank portion () and a root portion (). The aerofoil portion () has a leading edge (), a trailing edge (). The composite turbomachine blade () also has a metallic protective member () arranged in the region of the leading edge () of the aerofoil portion () of the turbomachine blade (). The metallic protective member () is adhesively bonded to the composite material in the region of the leading edge () of the aerofoil portion () of the composite turbomachine blade (). The metallic protective member () has at least one metallic projection () extending from the metallic protective member () towards the root portion () of the composite turbomachine blade (). The at least one metallic projection () reduces local peak stress levels and increases high cycle fatigue strength in the composite material, the adhesive and the metallic protective member.

Composite turbomachine blade

A turbomachine blade having features arranged to initiate bending of the leading edge towards the pressure surface upon impact of a foreign object on the leading edge. The features may be features weaker than the material of the leading edge located on the pressure surface side of a mid-thickness line. By causing the leading edge to bend towards the pressure surface on impact the volume of the foreign object, typically a bird, that passes over the suction surface is reduced.

Growing community of inventors

Derby, United Kingdom

Nicholas Michael Merriman