General Electric Company

Thomas Chadwick Waldman

Apostolos Pavlos Karafillis

Nicholas Joseph Kray

Nitesh Jain

Scott Roger Finn

Manoj Kumar Jain

Nagamohan Govinahalli Prabhakar

Mojibur Rahman

James Thompson

Douglas Duane Ward

Michael Edward Eriksen

Kishore Budumuru

Joel Francis Kirk

Deepak Ghiya

Edward Atwood Rainous

Theodore Anderson

Sreekanth Kumar Dorbala

Veeraraju V

Light weight fan casing configurations for energy absorption are disclosed herein. An apparatus includes a first set of metal bands positioned within a containment casing of a turbofan engine, and a second set of metal bands traversing the first set of metal bands, the first set of metal bands and the second set of metal bands to surround at least a portion of the turbofan engine.

Light weight fan casing configurations for energy absorption

A softwall containment system for a machine includes an inner wall circumscribing a bladed rotatable member of the machine and extending from a forward end to an aft end. The softwall containment system also includes an outer wall circumscribing the inner wall and extending from a forward end to an aft end. The outer wall is spaced radially outwardly from the inner wall. The outer wall extends axially between a first joint coupling the forward end of the inner wall to the forward end of the outer wall and a second joint coupling the aft end of the inner wall to the aft end of the outer wall. The softwall containment system also includes an anti-ballistic material wrap covering the outer wall, the anti-ballistic material wrap including at least one of a first extension extending forward of the first joint and a second extension extending aft of the second joint.

Softwall containment systems

A bolted joint apparatus includes: a first component including a first row of first bolt holes extending therethrough; a second component including a second row of second bolt holes extending therethrough wherein the second bolt holes are aligned coaxially with the first bolt holes, a plurality of fasteners, each of fasteners disposed through aligned pairs of the first and second bolt holes to couple together the first and second components, each of the fasteners including a shank; and crushable spacers disposed around the shanks of the fasteners, the crushable spacers clamped in compression between the fasteners and one of the components, wherein each of the crushable spacers has a tubular body interconnecting first and second enlarged ends, the tubular body being defined by a peripheral wall which incorporates at least one weakening feature.

Crushable spacer and bolted joint for a gas turbine engine

A containment structure for surrounding a rotatable machine includes a double-walled inner shell having a forward end, an aft end, and a substantially cylindrical body extending therebetween. The inner shell includes an inner wall at least partially surrounding a bladed portion of the bladed rotor, and an outer portion that branches radially outward from the inner wall. The containment structure also includes a substantially cylindrical back sheet coupled to the outer portion and disposed radially outward of the inner wall.

Airfoil containment structure including a notched and tapered inner shell

A turbine engine that includes an engine casing including a shell and an angel wing member. The angel wing member includes a base defined at the shell, a tip positioned distal from the base, and a first side and a second side that define a thickness of the angel wing member. The thickness of the angel wing member is non-uniform between the base and the tip.

Turbine engine and containment assembly for use in a turbine engine

A turbine engine that includes an engine casing including a shell and an angel wing member. The angel wing member includes a base defined at the shell and a tip positioned distal from the base. The turbine engine also includes a backsheet extending over the angel wing member such that an angled region is defined in the backsheet at an interface with the tip. The tip has a predetermined contour capable of mitigating stress concentrations in the angled region induced from said tip.

A backsheet for use in a turbine engine fan case includes a first portion including a first portion first end and an opposing first portion second end. The first portion is tapered between the first portion first end and the first portion second end. The backsheet also includes a second portion coupled to the first portion. The second portion includes a second portion first end and an opposing second portion second end. The second portion defines a constant thickness between the second portion first end and the second portion second end.

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Boston, MA, United States of America

Thomas Chadwick Waldman