Containment ring for gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12378896-B1
Application number	US-202418652708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 1, 2024
Priority date	May 1, 2024
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

A casing for a gas turbine engine, including: at least one axial hairpin feature located proximate to either a forward flange or a rearward flange of the casing; and a central connecting portion extending from the at least one axial hairpin feature, the at least one axial hairpin feature being located between the central connecting portion and one of the forward flange or a rearward flange, the central connecting portion including a plurality of features that extend from the at least one axial hairpin features, each feature of the plurality of features has a pair of radially extending portions, each pair of radially extending portions are connected to each other by an upper portion and one of each pair of the radially extending portions of one of the plurality of features is connected to another one of a pair of radially extending portions of an adjacent feature of one of the plurality of features by a lower portion, wherein the upper portion is radially outward with respect to the lower portion such that a plurality of troughs and peaks are defined by the plurality of features.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A casing for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
at least one axial hairpin feature located proximate to either a forward flange or a rearward flange of the casing, the at least one axial hairpin feature includes a first radially extending wall portion spaced from a second radially extending wall portion, the first radially extending wall portion and the second radially extending wall portion are connected to each other at one end by an axially extending portion while an opposite end of the first radially extending wall portion and the second radially extending wall portion are not connected to each other such that a cavity is defined by the first radially extending wall portion, the second radially extending wall portion and the axially extending portion of the at least one axial hairpin feature; and
a central connecting portion extending from the at least one axial hairpin feature, the at least one axial hairpin feature being located between the central connecting portion and one of the forward flange or the rearward flange, the central connecting portion including a plurality of features that extend from the at least one axial hairpin features, each feature of the plurality of features has a pair of radially extending portions, each pair of radially extending portions are connected to each other by an upper portion and one of each pair of the radially extending portions of one of the plurality of features is connected to another one of a pair of radially extending portions of an adjacent feature of one of the plurality of features by a lower portion, wherein the upper portion is radially outward with respect to the lower portion such that a plurality of troughs and peaks are defined by the plurality of features.

2. The casing as in claim 1 , wherein the first radially extending wall portion, the second radially extending wall portion and the axially extending portion of the at least one axial hairpin feature is formed from a ductile metal.

3. The casing as in claim 2 , wherein the cavity of the at least one axial hairpin feature is filled with a lightweight bulk material and the lightweight bulk material is one of a potting material, foam or honeycomb.

4. The casing as in claim 1 , wherein the at least one axial hairpin feature is a first axial hairpin feature and the casing further comprises a second axial hairpin feature,
the second axial hairpin feature includes a first radially extending wall portion spaced from a second radially extending wall portion, the first radially extending wall portion and the second radially extending wall portion of the second axial hairpin feature are connected to each other at one end by an axially extending portion while an opposite end of the first radially extending wall portion and the second radially extending wall portion of the second axial hairpin feature are not connected to each other such that a cavity is defined by the first radially extending wall portion, the second radially extending wall portion and the axially extending portion of the second axial hairpin feature, and the second radially extending wall portion of the first axial hairpin feature is connected to the first radially extending wall portion of the second axial hairpin feature by the central connecting portion; and
the plurality of features that extend between the first axial hairpin feature and the second axial hairpin feature.

5. The casing as in claim 4 , wherein the cavity of the first axial hairpin feature and the cavity of the second axial hairpin feature is filled with a lightweight bulk material and the lightweight bulk material is one of a potting material, foam or honeycomb.

6. The casing as in claim 5 , wherein the lightweight bulk material extends along the connecting portion.

7. The casing as in claim 1 , wherein the central connecting portion varies radially as it extends from the at least one axial hairpin feature.

8. The casing as in claim 1 , wherein the first radially extending wall portion of the at least one axial hairpin feature is connected to either the forward flange or the rearward flange by a connecting portion which extends axially while the forward flange or the rearward flange extends radially therefrom.

9. The casing as in claim 1 , wherein the casing is a fan casing.

10. The casing as in claim 1 , wherein the pair of radially extending portions and the upper portion of each of the plurality of features define a cavity and the cavity is filled with a lightweight bulk material and the lightweight bulk material is one of a potting material, foam or honeycomb.

11. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
a fan having a plurality of fan blades;
a casing surrounding the plurality of fan blades, the casing comprising:
at least one axial hairpin feature located proximate to either a forward flange or a rearward flange of the casing, the at least one axial hairpin feature includes a first radially extending wall portion spaced from a second radially extending wall portion, the first radially extending wall portion and the second radially extending wall portion are connected to each other at one end by an axially extending portion while an opposite end of the first radially extending wall portion and the second radially extending wall portion are not connected to each other such that a cavity is defined by the first radially extending wall portion, the second radially extending wall portion and the axially extending portion of the at least one axial hairpin feature; and
a central connecting portion extending from the at least one axial hairpin feature, the at least one axial hairpin feature being located between the central connecting portion and one of the forward flange or the rearward flange, the central connecting portion including a plurality of features that extend from the at least one axial hairpin feature, each feature of the plurality of features has a pair of radially extending portions, each pair of radially extending portions are connected to each other by an upper portion and one of each pair of the radially extending portions of one of the plurality of features is connected to another one of a pair of radially extending portions of an adjacent feature of one of the plurality of features by a lower portion, wherein the upper portion is radially outward with respect to the lower portion such that a plurality of troughs and peaks are defined by the plurality of features.

12. The gas turbine engine as in claim 11 , wherein the first radially extending wall portion, the second radially extending wall portion and the axially extending portion of the at least one axial hairpin feature is formed from a ductile metal.

13. The gas turbine engine as in claim 12 , wherein the cavity of the at least one axial hairpin feature is filled with a lightweight bulk material and the lightweight bulk material is one of a potting material, foam or honeycomb.

14. The gas turbine engine as in claim 11 , wherein the at least one axial hairpin feature is a first axial hairpin feature and the casing further comprises a second axial hairpin feature,
the second axial hairpin feature includes a first radially extending wall portion spaced from a second radially extending wall portion, the first radially extending wall portion and the second radially extending wall portion of the second axial hairpin feature are connected to each other at one end by an axially extending portion while an opposite end of the first radially extending wall portion and the second radially extending wall portion of the second axial hairpin feature are not connected to each other such that a cavity is defined by the first radially extending

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Tomes Nathan

Classifications

• F05D2250/185

  serpentine-like · CPC title

• F05D2250/184

  sinusoidal · CPC title

• F05D2250/182

  crenellated, notched · CPC title

• F01D25/24

  Casings (modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14); Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings (casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M {; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045}) · CPC title

• F01D21/045 Primary

  special arrangements in stators or in rotors dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor · CPC title