F05D2240/121

FLARED CENTRAL CAVITY AFT OF AIRFOIL LEADING EDGE

A blade includes an airfoil defined by a pressure side outer wall and a suction side outer wall connecting along leading and trailing edges and form a radially extending chamber for receiving a coolant flow. A rib configuration may include: a leading edge transverse rib connecting the pressure side outer wall and the suction side outer wall and partitioning the radially extending chamber into a leading edge passage within the leading edge of the airfoil and a central passage adjacent to the leading edge passage. One or both camber line ribs connect to a corresponding pressure side outer wall and suction side outer wall at a point aft of the leading edge transverse rib causing the central passage to extend towards one or both of the pressure side outer wall and the suction side outer wall, resulting in a flared center cavity aft of the leading edge.

LOW SOUND TUBEAXIAL FAN
20170306978 · 2017-10-26 · ·

A tubeaxial fan housing has a planar support vane that is fixed at sides thereof to opposing interior sides of the tubular housing, toward an inlet of the housing. The support vane receives a shaft on an underside thereof, upon which a propeller is mounted near an outlet end of the housing. The support vane has a curved edge facing the propeller to change a pattern of eddies generated downstream of the support plate and thereby reduce the noise generated by the fan. The curve is an S-shape and may be a sine wave whose period is ⅕ the propeller diameter. The propeller is positioned a relatively large distance from the curved edge of the support vane to reduce further the generation of eddies. That is, the closest point of the curved edge to the propeller is one chord length, which chord is at a tip of a propeller blade. A rounded inlet bell on the housing includes a rounded surface to reduce further turbulence across the propeller and support vane to further reduce sound. The propeller has only five blades to further reduce the generation of eddies.

Supporting structure for a gas turbine engine

A supporting structure for a gas turbine engine includes an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced, load carrying radial elements connecting the inner and outer rings. The radial elements have an airfoil shape with a leading edge directed towards the inlet side of the supporting structure, a trailing edge directed towards the outlet side of the supporting structure, and two opposite sides connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge. At least one of the radial elements includes a gas passage arrangement configured to lead a separate bleeding gas flow from the supporting structure. The gas passage arrangement includes a radially extending gas channel arranged inside the radial element and at least one opening in communication with the gas channel. The at least one opening is arranged at one of the two opposite sides of the radial element.

INTERNAL COOLING OF STATOR VANES
20170335700 · 2017-11-23 ·

A stator for a gas turbine engine includes a stator vane, a first cooling passage located at the stator to provide a cooling fluid flow to a first portion of the stator, and a second cooling passage located at the stator to provide a cooling fluid flow to a second portion of the stator. A connection passage extends at least partially through the stator to connect a first cooling passage inlet of the first cooling passage to a second cooling passage inlet of the second cooling passage. The cooling fluid flow is directed from a common cooling flow source into the first cooling passage and the second cooling passage via the first cooling passage inlet.

AEROFOIL BODY
20170298758 · 2017-10-19 · ·

An aerofoil body for a gas turbine engine is provided. The aerofoil body has leading and trailing edge portions, wherein one of the leading and trailing edge portions is a morphable edge portion having a composite layer structure. The aerofoil body further has a non-morphing central portion which forms pressure and suction surfaces of the aerofoil body between the leading and trailing edge portions. The composite layer structure includes a return spring, one or more shape memory alloy layers, and a flexible cover for the return spring and the one or more shape memory alloy layers. The flexible cover defines pressure and suction surfaces of the aerofoil body at the morphable edge portion. The one or more shape memory alloy layers are electrically heatable to deform the layers against the resistance of the return spring, and thereby alter the pitch of the aerofoil body at the morphable edge portion.

Gas turbine engine having support structure with swept leading edge
09790861 · 2017-10-17 · ·

A gas turbine engine nacelle assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a core casing defined about an axis; a fan nacelle mounted at least partially around the core nacelle; and a support structure extending radially from the core nacelle to the fan nacelle, wherein the support structure has a leading edge that is swept.

Engine systems and methods

A system includes an airfoil disposed inside an engine assembly that includes a pressure side and a suction side that are coupled together at a leading edge and a trailing edge. The airfoil extends a radial length away from a central axis of the engine assembly between a hub end and a tip end. The airfoil includes a sweep feature disposed at the leading edge that is shaped to alter the air inside the engine assembly. Altering the air inside the engine assembly reduces a surface unsteady pressure level on the airfoil. The system includes a fan frame assembly comprising an inner and outer surface. The hub end is coupled with the inner surface and the tip end is coupled with the outer surface. The airfoil is integrated with the fan frame assembly such that the airfoil increases a structural load supporting capability of the fan frame assembly.

Profiled structure for an aircraft or turbomachine

A profiled structure for an aircraft or turbomachine is elongated in a direction in which the structure has a length exposed to an airflow and includes serrations defined by successive teeth and depressions. The serrations may be transverse to a leading edge and/or a trailing edge of the profiled structure and in the direction of elongation. Along the profiled leading edge and/or profiled trailing edge, the successive teeth and depressions may extend only over a part of the length exposed to the flow. The amplitude and/or spacing of the teeth may vary monotonically except for the few teeth nearest each end of the part, with a remaining part of the length being smooth.

Turbine engine vane with asymmetrical profile
09784112 · 2017-10-10 · ·

The invention relates to a turbine engine vane comprising a main body made of composite material, a leading edge, a trailing edge, and at least one metal structural reinforcement, the structural reinforcement comprising a junction surface portion connected to the main body, the structural reinforcement extending between the junction surface portion and one of the leading or trailing edges, the vane being characterized in that the profile of the junction surface portion of the structural reinforcement has a camber less than 30%.

Variable stator vane assemblies and variable stator vanes thereof having a locally swept leading edge and methods for minimizing endwall leakage therewith

Variable stator vane assemblies and stator vanes thereof having a local swept leading edge are provided. The variable stator vane comprises an airfoil disposed between spaced apart inner and outer buttons centered about a rotational axis. The inner and outer buttons each have a button forward edge portion. The airfoil includes leading and trailing edges, pressure and suction sides, and a root and a tip. The leading edge includes a local forward sweep at the root, a local aft sweep at the tip, or both, thereby forming a locally swept leading edge thereat. The button forward edge portion of one or both of the inner and outer buttons is substantially coextensive with the locally swept leading edge. Methods are also provided for minimizing endwall leakage in the variable stator vane assembly using the same.