Airfoil including loose damper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9267380-B2
Application number	US-201213454488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2012
Priority date	Apr 24, 2012
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

An airfoil includes an airfoil body that has a leading edge and a trailing edge and a first sidewall and a second sidewall that is spaced apart from the first sidewall. The first sidewall and the second sidewall join the leading edge and the trailing edge and at least partially define a cavity in the airfoil body. A damper member is enclosed in the cavity and is loose within the cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An airfoil comprising:
an airfoil body including a leading edge and a trailing edge and a first sidewall and a second sidewall that is spaced apart from the first sidewall, the first sidewall and the second sidewall joining the leading edge and the trailing edge and at least partially defining a cavity in the airfoil body;
a damper member enclosed in the cavity, the damper member being loose within the cavity; and
at least one guide member fixed with regard to the first sidewall and the second sidewall, the at least one guide member including a bearing surface that circumscribes the damper member, wherein the at least one guide member includes at least one support arm fixed to at least one of the first sidewall or the second sidewall, and a guide piece is supported on the least one support arm, the guide piece including a guide wall that defines an opening through which the damper member extends, the guide wall including the bearing surface.

2. The airfoil as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one support arm is inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis defined by the airfoil body.

3. The airfoil as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one support arm includes at least one opening there through.

4. The airfoil as recited in claim 1 , wherein the damper member is enclosed inside the cavity.

5. An airfoil comprising:
an airfoil body including a leading edge and a trailing edge and a first sidewall and a second sidewall that is spaced apart from the first sidewall, the first sidewall and the second sidewall joining the leading edge and the trailing edge and at least partially defining a cavity in the airfoil body;
a damper member enclosed in the cavity, the damper member being loose within the cavity; and
at least one guide member fixed with regard to the first sidewall and the second sidewall, the at least one guide member including a bearing surface that circumscribes the damper member, wherein the at least one guide member includes a cup having cup sidewalls, a cup bottom wall joining the cup sidewalls, and an open top through which the damper member extends.

6. The airfoil as recited in claim 5 , wherein the bottom wall includes openings extending there through.

7. A turbine engine comprising:
a fan;
a compressor section;
a combustor in fluid communication with the compressor section; and
a turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor, the turbine section being coupled to drive the compressor section and the fan, and
at least one of the fan, the compressor section and the turbine section including an airfoil having an airfoil body including a leading edge and a trailing edge and a first sidewall and a second sidewall that is spaced apart from the first sidewall, the first sidewall and the second sidewall joining the leading edge and the trailing edge and at least partially defining a cavity in the airfoil body, a damper member enclosed in the cavity, the damper member being loose within the cavity, and at least one guide member fixed with regard to the first sidewall and the second sidewall, the at least one guide member including a bearing surface that circumscribes the damper member, wherein the at least one guide member includes at least one support arm fixed to at least one of the first sidewall or the second sidewall, and a guide piece is supported on the least one support arm, the guide piece including a guide wall that defines an opening through which the damper member extends, the guide wall including the bearing surface.

8. The turbine engine as recited in claim 7 , wherein the damper member is tapered.

9. The turbine engine as recited in claim 7 , further including at least one guide member fixed with regard to the first sidewall and the second sidewall, the at least one guide member including a bearing surface that circumscribes the damper member.

10. The turbine engine as recited in claim 9 , wherein the bearing surface is frustoconical.

11. The turbine engine as recited in claim 7 , wherein the damper member includes longitudinally alternating bearing sections and non-bearing sections with respect to a longitudinal axis defined by the airfoil body.

12. A method for processing an airfoil, the method comprising:
depositing multiple layers of a powdered metal onto one another;
joining the layers to one another with reference to data relating to a particular cross-section of an airfoil; and
producing the airfoil with an airfoil body including a leading edge and a trailing edge and a first sidewall and a second sidewall that is spaced apart from the first sidewall, the first sidewall and the second sidewall joining the leading edge and the trailing edge and at least partially defining a cavity in the airfoil body, a damper member enclosed in the cavity, the damper member being loose within the cavity, and at least one guide member fixed with regard to the first sidewall and the second sidewall, the at least one guide member including a bearing surface that circumscribes the damper member, wherein the at least one guide member includes at least one support arm fixed to at least one of the first sidewall or the second sidewall, and a guide piece is supported on the least one support arm, the guide piece including a guide wall that defines an opening through which the damper member extends, the guide wall including the bearing surface.

Assignees

• Houston David P
• Propheter-Hinckley Tracy A
• Fisk Benjamin T
• Tracy Anita L
• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Houston David P
• Propheter-Hinckley Tracy A
• Fisk Benjamin T
• Tracy Anita L

Classifications

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• F04D29/38

  Blades {(for axial flow compressors F04D29/324)} · CPC title

• B22F5/10

  of articles with cavities or holes, not otherwise provided for in the preceding subgroups · CPC title

• F01D25/04

  Antivibration arrangements · CPC title

• F04D29/542

  Bladed diffusers (fixing blades to stators F01D9/042) · CPC title