Method of manufacturing a fan blade and a fan blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10858944-B2
Application number	US-201916277494-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2019
Priority date	Mar 9, 2018
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

There is disclosed a method of manufacturing a fan blade for a gas turbine engine, the method comprising: providing a root insert comprising quasi-isotropic short fibre reinforced resin, providing a first sub-laminate of a fibre-reinforcement pre-form for the fan blade on a first mould surface, placing the root insert on the first sub-laminate at a position corresponding to a root of the fan blade, providing a second sub-laminate of the pre-form over the root insert and the first-sub-laminate, so that the root insert is at an intermediate position between the first and second sub-laminates; and applying heat and pressure to form the pre-form.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method of manufacturing a fan blade for a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
providing a root insert comprising non-laminated fibre reinforced composite;
providing a first sub-laminate of a fibre-reinforcement pre-form for the fan blade on a first mould surface;
placing the root insert on the first sub-laminate at a position corresponding to a root of the fan blade;
providing a second sub-laminate of the pre-form over the root insert and the first-sub-laminate; and
applying heat and pressure to form and cure the pre-form, wherein
the root insert defines an overall shape of a root portion of the fan blade less a thickness of the first sub-laminate and a thickness of the second sub-laminate,
the fan blade includes a gas-washed portion and a root portion, and
the root insert does not extend into the gas-washed portion.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the root insert is formed by compression moulding quasi-isotropic short fibre reinforced resin.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the root insert is formed by pultrusion of a bundle of fibres.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the root insert is formed by weaving a plurality of fibres.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the root insert is wedge shaped.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein providing the first sub-laminate comprises laying up of plies of fibre reinforcement material on the first mould surface.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein providing the second sub-laminate comprises laying up of plies of fibre reinforcement material over the root insert and the first sub-laminate.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first sub-laminate and the second sub-laminate are provided with a substantially constant thickness along a longitudinal extent of the pre-form.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the root insert and first and second sub-laminates are sized and positioned in the layup, such that the first sub-laminate and second sub-laminate each define 50% of the total thickness through the gas-washed portion of the fan blade.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-form is compression moulded.

11. The method according to claim 1 , comprising providing more than one root insert comprising non-laminated fibre reinforced composite.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the root insert is un-cured or partially cured when placed on the first sub-laminate, and wherein the root insert is fully cured together with the first and second sub-laminates.

13. A fan blade for a gas turbine engine, comprising
a root insert sandwiched between a first sub-laminate and a second sub-laminate within a root of the fan blade, wherein
the root insert comprises non-laminated fibre reinforced composite,
the first and second sub-laminates each comprise laminated fibre reinforced composite,
the root insert defines an overall shape of the root of the fan blade less a thickness of the first sub-laminate and a thickness of the second sub-laminate,
the fan blade includes a gas-washed portion, and
the root insert does not extend into the gas-washed portion.

14. The fan blade according to claim 13 , wherein the root insert comprises quasi-isotropic short fibre reinforced resin.

15. The fan blade according to claim 13 , wherein the root insert comprises a woven pattern of fibre reinforcement material.

16. The fan blade according to claim 13 , wherein the root insert comprises a bundle of coextensive fibres in a resin matrix.

17. The fan blade according to claim 13 , wherein the root insert defines a wedge shape.

18. The fan blade according to claim 13 , wherein the first and second sub-laminates each have a substantially constant thickness along a longitudinal extent.

19. The fan blade according to claim 13 , wherein an interface between the root insert and sub-laminates defines a frangible delamination location at which the fan blade is configured to preferentially delaminate in a failure event.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Gill Vincent

Classifications

• B29C53/382

  using laminated sheets · CPC title

• B29C53/04

  of plates or sheets {(B29C63/04 takes precedence; bending or folding paper B31F1/0003; folding films B65H45/00)} · CPC title

• B29C70/54

  Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations {, e.g. feeding or storage of prepregs or SMC after impregnation or during ageing} · CPC title

• B29C70/30

  Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core · CPC title

• B29C70/46 Primary

  using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs · CPC title