Fan containment case

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9828876-B2
Application number	US-201514696963-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2015
Priority date	Apr 28, 2014
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A fan case for use in a gas turbine engine of an aircraft includes an outer shroud and a liner extending along the outer shroud. The fan case provides a protective band that blocks fan blades from being thrown out of the fan case in case of a blade-off event in which a fan blade is released during operation of the gas turbine engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fan case adapted to extend around blades of a fan rotor included in a gas turbine engine, the fan case comprising
an annular outer shroud arranged around a central axis and extending axially between a front and a back of the fan case, the annular outer shroud having an outer radial surface facing away from the central axis and an inner radial surface facing toward the central axis, and
a composite liner arranged along the inner radial surface of the annular outer shroud, the composite liner including an outer skin arranged in confronting relation with the inner radial surface of the annular outer shroud, an inner skin bonded to the outer skin adjacent to the front of the fan case to form an axially-forward section of the composite liner and bonded to the outer skin adjacent to the back of the fan case to form an axially-rearward section of the composite liner, and a liner-filler body arranged radially between the outer skin and the inner skin and axially between the axially-forward section and the axially-rearward section to form a force-distribution band between the front and the back of the fan case, the force-distribution band adapted to circumferentially distribute forces from a blade released outwardly from a fan rotor rotating in the fan case so that the forces are not point loaded onto the annular outer shroud when the released blade contacts the surrounding fan case,
wherein the annular outer shroud is made of a composite material including a plurality of reinforcing fibers suspended in a matrix material,
wherein the liner-filler body includes a honeycomb material having a density lower than a density of the inner skin and the outer skin.

2. The fan case of claim 1 , wherein the axially-forward section of the composite liner defines a front pocket that receives a forward damper-filler body adapted to absorb noise from a rotating fan rotor, the forward damper-filler body is arranged axially between the liner-filler body and the front of the fan case, and the forward damper-filler body includes a honeycomb material having a density lower than a density of the liner-filler body.

3. The fan case of claim 1 , wherein the axially-rearward section of the composite liner defines a back pocket that receives a rear damper-filler body adapted to absorb noise from a rotating fan rotor, the rear damper-filler body is arranged axially between the liner-filler body and the back of the fan case, and the rear damper-filler body includes a honeycomb material having a density lower than a density of the liner-filler body.

4. The fan case of claim 1 , wherein the inner skin and the outer skin are made of a plurality of layers including reinforcing fibers.

5. The fan case of claim 1 , wherein the inner skin includes an outer layer made of reinforcing fibers suspended in a matrix material, an inner layer made of reinforcing fibers suspended in a matrix material, and an intermediate layer arranged between the outer layer and the inner layer made of woven reinforcing fibers not suspended in a matrix material.

6. The fan case of claim 1 , wherein the composite liner includes a plurality of segments arranged to form an annular assembly arranged around the central axis.

7. A fan case adapted to extend around blades of a fan rotor, the fan case comprising
an annular outer shroud arranged around a central axis and extending axially between a front and a back of the fan case, the annular outer shroud having an outer radial surface facing away from the central axis and an inner radial surface facing toward the central axis,
a composite liner arranged along the inner radial surface of the annular outer shroud, the composite liner including an outer skin arranged in confronting relation with the inner radial surface of the annular outer shroud, an inner skin spaced apart from the inner radial surface of the annular outer shroud, and a liner-filler body arranged between the outer skin and the inner skin along a portion of the annular outer shroud between the front and the back of the fan case, and
a plurality of fasteners that extend through the annular outer shroud from the outer radial surface of the annular outer shroud into the composite liner to secure the composite liner to the annular outer shroud,
wherein some of the plurality of fasteners are arranged axially between the liner-filler body and the front of the fan case and some of the plurality of fasteners are arranged axially between the liner-filler body and the back of the fan case,
wherein the plurality of fasteners extend through the outer skin and the inner skin of the composite liner.

8. The fan case of claim 7 , wherein the annular outer shroud includes a composite material including a plurality of reinforcing fibers suspended in a matrix material.

9. The fan case of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of fasteners extends through a corresponding load-spreading washer arranged along the outer radial surface of the annular outer shroud.

10. The fan case of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of fasteners are threaded and engage corresponding threaded fastener receivers mounted to the composite liner.

11. A fan case adapted to extend around blades of a fan rotor, the fan case comprising
an annular outer shroud arranged around a central axis and extending axially between a front and a back of the fan case, the annular outer shroud having an outer radial surface facing away from the central axis and an inner radial surface facing toward the central axis,
a composite liner arranged along the inner radial surface of the annular outer shroud, the composite liner including an outer skin arranged in confronting relation with the inner radial surface of the annular outer shroud, an inner skin spaced apart from the inner radial surface of the annular outer shroud, and a liner-filler body arranged between the outer skin and the inner skin along a portion of the annular outer shroud between the front and the back of the fan case, and
a plurality of fasteners that extend through the annular outer shroud from the outer radial surface of the annular outer shroud into the composite liner to secure the composite liner to the annular outer shroud,
wherein each of the plurality of fasteners are threaded and engage corresponding threaded fastener receivers mounted to the composite liner,
wherein the fastener receivers are mounted by a potting material in pockets formed in the composite liner.

12. The fan case of claim 11 , wherein the inner skin is bonded to the outer skin adjacent to the front of the fan case and cooperates with the outer skin to define a front pocket, the inner skin is bonded to the outer skin adjacent to the back of the fan case and cooperates with the outer skin to define a back pocket, the composite liner further includes a forward damper and a rear damper, the forward damper is received in the front pocket and arranged axially between the liner-filler body and the front of the fan case to dampen noise from a fan rotor rotating in the fan case, and the rear damper is received in the back pocket and arranged axially between the liner-filler body and the back of the fan case to dampen noise from a fan rotor rotating in the fan case.

13. A fan case adapted to extend around blades of a fan rotor, the fan case comprising
an annular outer shroud arranged around a central axis, the annular outer shroud having an outer radial surface facing away from the central axis and an inner radial surface facing toward the central axis, and
a composite inner skin arranged along the inner radial surface of the annular outer shroud, the composite inner skin including an outer layer made of reinforcing f

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Kappes Matthew J

Classifications

• F05D2230/50

  Building or constructing in particular ways · CPC title

• F05D2230/60

  Assembly methods · CPC title

• F01D11/122 Primary

  with erodable or abradable material (blades having cutting or grinding tips F01D5/20) · CPC title

• F01D21/045

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

• F05D2300/603

  Composites; e.g. fibre-reinforced · CPC title