Efficient, low pressure ratio propulsor for gas turbine engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016369703-A1
Application number	US-201615233142-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 10, 2016
Priority date	Jul 5, 2011
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes a gear assembly and a bypass flow passage that includes an inlet and an outlet that define a design pressure ratio between 1.3 and 1.55. A fan is arranged at the inlet. A first turbine is coupled with a first shaft such that rotation of the first turbine will drive the fan, through the first shaft and the gear assembly, at a lower speed than the first shaft. The fan includes a row of fan blades. The row includes 12-16 (N) fan blades, a solidity value (R) that is from 1.0 to 1.3, and a ratio of N/R that is from 10.0 to 16.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A gas turbine engine comprising:
a gear assembly; a bypass flow passage, the bypass flow passage including an inlet and an outlet which define a design pressure ratio with regard to an inlet pressure at the inlet and an outlet pressure at the outlet at a design rotational speed of the engine, the design pressure ratio being between 1.3 and 1.55; a fan arranged at the inlet of the bypass flow passage; a first shaft and a second shaft mounted for rotation about an engine central longitudinal axis; a first turbine coupled with the first shaft such that rotation of the first turbine is configured to drive the fan, through the first shaft and the gear assembly, at a lower speed than the first shaft; and a second turbine coupled with the second shaft; wherein the fan includes a hub and a row of fan blades that extend radially outwardly from the hub and the row includes a number (N) of the fan blades that is from 12 to 16, a solidity value (R) that is from 1.0 to 1.3, and a ratio of N/R that is from 10.0 to 16.

2 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second turbine includes two stages.

3 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 2 , further comprising a first compressor located between the first turbine and the gear assembly along the engine central longitudinal axis.

4 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 3 , wherein the first compressor is coupled with the first shaft, the first compressor including three stages.

5 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 3 , wherein the number (N) of fan blades is 16, and the solidity value (R) is from 1.0 to 1.2.

6 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 3 , wherein the number (N) of fan blades is 14, and the solidity value (R) is from 1.0 to 1.1.

7 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 2 , wherein the outlet has a cross-sectional area, and further comprising a variable area nozzle, the variable area nozzle being operative to change the cross-sectional area of the outlet to thereby control the design pressure ratio, and wherein each fan blade is fixed in position between the hub and the tip.

8 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 7 , wherein the variable area nozzle is configured to achieve the design pressure ratio with the variable area nozzle fully open.

9 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 6 , wherein the fan blades include a carbon-fiber reinforced polymer matrix material.

10 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 9 , wherein the fan blades further include a three-dimensional fiber structure.

11 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10 , wherein the carbon-fiber has an average diameter of 1-100 micrometers.

12 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 9 , further comprising a case surrounding the fan, the case including a carbon-fiber reinforced polymer matrix material.

13 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 12 , wherein the case further includes glass fiber, aramid fiber, or combinations thereof.

14 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 13 , wherein the carbon-fiber reinforced polymer matrix material of the fan blades and the carbon-fiber reinforced polymer matrix material of the case each include a polymer and a fiber, and the carbon-fiber reinforced polymer matrix material of the fan blades is different from the carbon-fiber reinforced polymer matrix material of the case in one or more of the kinds of polymers of the matrices, or the kinds of fibers.

15 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 14 , wherein the fan blades and case are tailored for thermal conformance, and the fan blades have vibrational properties locally tailored to control vibration.

16 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 15 , further comprising a core flow passage, wherein the bypass flow passage defines a bypass ratio with regard to flow through the bypass flow passage and flow through the core flow passage, and the bypass ratio is less than or equal to approximately 18.

17 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 3 , wherein the number (N) of fan blades is 12, and the solidity value (R) is from 1.0 to 1.1.

18 . A gas turbine engine comprising:
a gear assembly; a bypass flow passage and a core flow passage, the bypass flow passage including an inlet; a fan arranged at the inlet of the bypass flow passage; a first shaft and a second shaft mounted for rotation about an engine central longitudinal axis; a first turbine coupled with the first shaft such that rotation of the first turbine is configured to drive the fan, through the first shaft and the gear assembly, at a lower speed than the first shaft; and a second turbine coupled with the second shaft, the second turbine including two stages; wherein the fan includes a hub and a row of fan blades that extend from the hub, and the row includes a number (N) of the fan blades that is from 14 to 16, a solidity value (R) that is from 1.0 to 1.3, and a ratio of N/R that is from 11.7 to 16.

19 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 18 , wherein the number (N) of fan blades is 16, the solidity value (R) is from 1.0 to 1.2.

20 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 19 , wherein the bypass flow passage further includes an outlet, the inlet and the outlet define a design pressure ratio with regard to an inlet pressure at the inlet and an outlet pressure at the outlet at a design rotational speed of the engine, and the design pressure ratio is between 1.3 and 1.55.

21 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 20 , wherein the design pressure ratio is between 1.3 and 1.4.

22 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 18 , further comprising a first compressor located between the first turbine and the gear assembly along the engine central longitudinal axis, and wherein the number (N) of fan blades is 14, and the solidity value (R) is from 1.0 to 1.1.

23 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 22 , wherein the first compressor is coupled with the first shaft, the first compressor includes three stages, the bypass flow passage defines a bypass ratio with regard to flow through the bypass flow passage and flow through the core flow passage, and the bypass ratio is greater than 8.5.

24 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 22 , further comprising a case surrounding the fan, wherein:
the case includes a carbon-fiber reinforced polymer matrix material; the fan blades include a carbon-fiber reinforced polymer matrix material with the carbon-fiber having an average diameter of 1-100 micrometers; and the carbon-fiber reinforced polymer matrix material of the fan blades and the carbon-fiber reinforced polymer matrix material of the case each include a polymer and a fiber, and the carbon-fiber reinforced polymer matrix material of the fan blades is different from the carbon-fiber reinforced polymer matrix material of the case in one or more of the kinds of polymers of the matrices, or the kinds of fibers.

25 . A gas turbine engine comprising:
a gear assembly; a bypass flow passage and a core flow passage; a fan arranged at an inlet of the bypass flow passage; a first shaft and a second shaft mounted for rotation about an engine central longitudinal axis; a first turbine coupled with the first shaft such that rotation of the first turbine is configured to drive the fan, through the first shaft and the gear assembly, at a lower speed than the first sh

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Gallagher Edward J
• Monzon Byron R
• Bugaj Shari L

Classifications

• F02K3/06 Primary

  with front fan · CPC title

• F01D15/12

  Combinations with mechanical gearing (driven by multiple engines F01D13/00) · CPC title

• F02C3/06

  the compressor comprising only axial stages (F02C3/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04D29/023 Primary

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · 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