Rolls-Royce Corporation

Richard M Jones

Oliver Michael Strother

Phillip Brennand

A method of manufacturing a reinforcing edge for attachment to a turbo machine aerofoil, wherein the reinforcing edge comprises a relatively thick nose portion contoured for fitting along the edge of the turbo machine aerofoil, and a pair of opposing, relatively thin, tail portions for overlapping the suction surface and pressure surface respectively of the aerofoil, the method comprising: pressure forming a predefined hollow workpiece under fluid pressure from a respective pre-form, the hollow workpiece incorporating the reinforcing edge; and cutting out said reinforcing edge from the hollow workpiece, wherein the pre-form is created by bonding a pair of relatively thin metal sheets to opposite faces of a relatively thick inner plate or bonded stack of inner plates, the inner plate or stack of inner plates having an opening which defines a closed cavity between the metal sheets for introducing said fluid pressure, each tail portion of the reinforcing edge being constituted by part of a respective one of the relatively thin metal sheets, and the nose portion of the reinforcing edge being constituted by a part of the inner plate or stack of inner plates running along one edge of the cavity.

Method of manufacturing a reinforcing edge for a turbo machine aerofoil

A method of manufacturing a blade () for a turbomachine by superplastic forming and diffusion bonding a first layer (), a second layer () and a membrane (), the membrane () being disposed between the first and second layers (), the method comprising: applying a stop-off material in a first predetermined pattern between the first layer () and the membrane () so as to prevent a diffusion bond from forming between the first layer and the membrane across said first predetermined pattern; and applying the stop-off material in a second predetermined pattern between the second layer () and the membrane () so as to prevent a diffusion bond from forming between the second layer and the membrane across said second predetermined pattern.

Method of manufacturing a blade

A method of joining plates of material to form a predetermined structure, the method comprising: assembling a first plate () of a material comprising at least one recess () against a second plate () of material such that the at least one recess () of the first plate () is in an exterior surface of the first plate () on a side of the first plate opposite to the side which faces the second plate (); bonding a portion () of the first and second plates () to one another; superplastically forming the bonded plates, wherein the superplastic forming causes the material of the second plate () which is opposite to the at least one recess () of the first plate () to be driven towards the recess (), and wherein the unbonded portion of the second plate () is deflected away from the plate to form the predetermined structure.

Method of joining plates of material to form a structure

A fan blade () comprises a leading edge (), a trailing edge (), a concave wall portion () extending from the leading edge () to the trailing edge () and a convex wall portion () extending from the leading edge () to the trailing edge (). A flexible wall () is arranged within the fan blade () to partially define a plurality of chambers () with an internal surface () of the convex wall portion (). The flexible wall () is arranged substantially parallel to the internal surface () of the convex wall portion () and a plurality of walls () connect the internal surface () of the concave wall portion () and the flexible wall (). The chambers () contain a fluid. The chambers () are interconnected by apertures () such that in operation deflection of the flexible wall () by vibrations of the fan blade () produce a flow of fluid between the chambers () through apertures (), which is restricted by the apertures () to damp vibrations of the fan blade ().

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Colne, United Kingdom

Richard M Jones