Composite airfoil metal leading edge assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016010468-A1
Application number	US-201314771970-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 1, 2013
Priority date	Mar 1, 2013
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An airfoil assembly ( 30 ) comprises a composite airfoil ( 40 ) having a leading edge ( 32 ) and a trailing edge ( 34 ), a pressure side ( 36 ) extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, a suction side ( 38 ) extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, opposite the leading edge, a metallic leading edge assembly ( 130 ) disposed over the composite air-foil, the metallic leading edge assembly including a high density base ( 50 ), the metallic leading edge assembly also including a nose ( 60 ) disposed over the base, an adhesive bond layer disposed between the composite airfoil and the metallic leading edge assembly.

First claim

1 . An airfoil assembly, comprising:
a composite foil having:
a leading edge and a trailing edge;
a pressure side extending between said leading edge and said trailing edge;
a suction side extending between said leading edge and said trailing edge, opposite said leading edge;
a metallic leading edge assembly disposed over said composite foil; said metallic leading edge assembly including a high density base; said metallic leading edge assembly also including a nose disposed one of over or under said base; an adhesive bond layer disposed between the composite foil and the metallic leading edge assembly.

2 . The airfoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein said high density base is formed of a uniform thickness.

3 . The airfoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein said high density base is formed of a varying thickness.

4 . The airfoil assembly of claim 1 , said base being welded to said nose.

5 . The airfoil assembly of claim 1 , said base being bonded to said nose.

6 . The airfoil of claim 1 , said base having first and second legs which are longer than side walls of said nose.

7 . The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein said metal leading edge assembly is formed of a single construction in a radial direction.

8 . The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein said metal leading edge assembly is formed of multiple segments in a radial direction.

9 . The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein said nose is bonded to said composite foil and covered by said base.

10 . The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein said metal leading edge assembly is a multi-material construction.

11 . The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein said metal leading edge assembly is a single material construction.

12 . The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein said wrap is formed of at least one of Titanium, Steel, Inconel or alloy thereof.

13 . The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein said airfoil is one of a fan blade, a turbine blade, a compressor blade and a vane.

14 . An airfoil assembly, comprising:
an airfoil having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side and a suction side; said airfoil formed of a first material; a metallic leading edge (MLE) assembly of a second material having first and second side walls extending over said pressure side, said suction side and said leading edge; said MLE assembly having a nose portion at a radial outer end of said blade; said MLE assembly having a base portion disposed beneath said nose portion, said base portion also having said first and second side walls; said assembly being adhesively bonded to said airfoil.

15 . The airfoil assembly of claim 14 , said blade being a composite material.

16 . The airfoil assembly of claim 14 , said MLE assembly being formed of sheet metal.

17 . The airfoil assembly of claim 16 , said nose being a solid insert.

18 . The airfoil assembly of claim 16 , said sheet metal being one of constant thickness or tapered thickness.

19 . An airfoil assembly for a composite airfoil, comprising:
a metal leading edge assembly including a high-density metallic sheet base having a first leg and a second leg joining at a curved section; said first and second legs extending over sides of said airfoil; a metal nose disposed one of over said base or under said base; said metal leading edge assembly bonded to said composite airfoil.

20 . The airfoil assembly of claim 19 , said base bonded to said composite airfoil and said nose at least one of welded to said base or bonded to said composite airfoil.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Kray Nicholas Joseph
• Li Qiang
• Albrecht Jr Richard W

Classifications

• F05D2300/133

  Titanium · CPC title

• F05D2300/171

  Steel alloys · CPC title

• F05D2240/303

  related to the leading edge of a rotor blade · CPC title

• F01D5/147

  Construction, i.e. structural features, e.g. of weight-saving hollow blades (F01D5/148, F01D5/16 and F01D5/20 take precedence; blade shape F01D5/141; blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities F01D5/18; heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades F01D5/18) · CPC title

• F05D2300/174

  Titanium alloys, e.g. TiAl · CPC title