Fairing ring for a bladed wheel

Abstract

A fairing ring for a bladed wheel is disclosed. The fairing ring includes an annular wall extending axially, the wall presenting a plurality of notches extending axially, each notch being configured to receive a leading edge or a trailing edge of a blade.

Claims

1. A fairing ring for a bladed wheel, the fairing ring comprising: an annular wall extending axially, said wall presenting a plurality of notches extending axially, each notch being configured to receive a leading edge or a trailing edge of a blade, wherein inter-notch portions are made of composite material, the composite material being an assembly of at least two different materials that are not miscible, while a remainder of the ring is made of metal material, the metal material being a metal or a metal-based alloy.

2. A fairing ring according to claim 1, wherein each notch presents a shape of a profile of a leading edge or of a trailing edge of a blade.

3. A fairing ring according to claim 1, wherein each inter-notch portion is configured to deform plastically when subjected to a circumferential force that is greater than or equal to 40 kN30%.

4. A fairing ring according to claim 1, including at least one wear portion configured to be placed facing a blade.

5. A fairing ring according to claim 1, including an annular wall extending radially and configured to mount said fairing ring on a disk of the bladed wheel.

6. A fairing ring according to claim 1, configured to be fitted with an inlet cone or an outlet cone of the bladed wheel.

7. A bladed wheel fitted with a fairing ring according to claim 1.

8. The bladed wheel according to claim 7, wherein the inter-notch portions of the fairing ring extend over not more than 15% of an axial length of the blades.

9. A turbomachine including the bladed wheel according to claim 7.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention and its advantages can be better understood on reading the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention given as non-limiting examples. The description refers to the accompanying sheets of figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a turbojet having a fan;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a fairing ring fitted to the fan of the FIG. 1 turbojet;

(4) FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the fan of the FIG. 1 turbojet fitted with the FIG. 2 fairing ring; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a side view of the fan while partially assembled.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(6) FIG. 1 shows a turbomachine 100, specifically a turbojet 100, having a bladed wheel 80, specifically a fan 80, that is fitted at its inlet with a fairing ring 10 having an inlet cone 50 mounted thereon.

(7) The fairing ring 10 extends in an axial direction X, a radial direction R, and a circumferential direction C. The ring 10 presents an axially extending annular wall 10A (or axial wall 10A) having a plurality of notches 12 formed therein. The ring 10 also presents a radially extending annular wall 10B (or radial wall 10B). Naturally, the axial wall 10A may form an angle lying in the range 0 to 45 with the axial direction X, while the radial wall 10B may form an angle lying in the range 45 to 90 with the axial direction X.

(8) The radial wall 10B presents a first series of fastener holes 10B1 for fastening the ring 10 to the disk of the fan 80. The radial wall 10B presents a second series of fastener holes 10B2 for fastening the cone 50 on the ring 10. Finally, the radial wall 10B presents a third series of holes 10B3 that are oblong. These holes 10B3 are provided to lighten the ring 10.

(9) All of the notches 12 are formed on the same side of the ring 10 in the axial direction X. Each notch 12 presents the shape of the profile of the leading edges 82A of the blades 82 of the fan 80. As can be seen in FIG. 3, each notch 12 receives the leading edge 82A of a blade 82.

(10) As shown in FIG. 4, the fairing ring 10 is mounted on a disk 83 of the fan 80, the disk having the blades 82 mounted at its periphery, with the blades 82 being inserted in slots 83A configured to receive the roots of the blades 82, inter-blade platforms 84 also being mounted at the periphery of the disk, these inter-blade platforms 84 being mounted on teeth 83B of the disk 83.

(11) In this example, the fairing ring 10 co-operates axially in contact with the inter-blade platforms 84 so as to define a gas passage in continuous manner between the blades 82 at the roots of the blades 82. More particularly, in this example, the portions of the wall 10A of the ring 10 that extend between the notches 12 form inter-notch portions 14, while the axial ends of the inter-notch portion 14 are in contact with the facing axial ends of the inter-blade platforms 84.

(12) The axial length L1 of the inter-notch portions 14 in this example is about 8% of the axial length L of the blades 82. Thus, in general manner, the inter-notch portions 14 extend at most over 15% of the axial length L of the blades 82.

(13) Furthermore, the surfaces of the inter-notch portions 14 defining each of the notches 12, which surfaces are placed facing the blades 82, and more particularly the leading edges 82A of the blades 82, present wear portions 12A in contact with the blades 82.

(14) As can be seen on the inter-notch portion 14 that is shown cut away, each inter-notch notch 14 presents a honeycomb internal structure made of poly(m-phenyleneisophthalamide) covered by a metal covering, which in this example is made of titanium. The remainder of the ring 10 is made of metal, in this example of titanium.

(15) Although the present invention is described with reference to specific embodiments, it is clear that modifications and changes may be undertaken on those examples without going beyond the general scope of the invention as defined by the claims. In particular, individual characteristics of the various embodiments illustrated and/or shown may be combined in additional embodiments. Consequently, the description and the drawings should be considered in a sense that is illustrative rather than restrictive.