Rotor blade root spacer with a fracture feature
A rotor assembly is provided that includes a rotor disk, a rotor blade and a root spacer. The rotor disk includes a slot. The rotor blade includes a blade root that is arranged within the slot. The root spacer is arranged within the slot between the rotor disk and the blade root. The root spacer includes a base segment, a side segment and a fracture feature. The base segment radially engages the rotor disk. The side segment is radially separated from the rotor disk by a gap. The fracture feature may radially fracture the root spacer at an intersection between the base segment and the side segment.
1. A rotor assembly, comprising:
a rotor disk including a slot;
a rotor blade including a blade root arranged within the slot; and
a root spacer arranged within the slot between the rotor disk and the blade root, the root spacer including a base segment, a side segment and a groove, wherein
the base segment radially engages the rotor disk;
the side segment is radially separated from the rotor disk defining a gap; and
the groove extends radially into the root spacer at an intersection between the base segment and the side segment.
2. The rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the slot extends longitudinally into the rotor disk; and
the groove extends longitudinally within the root spacer.
3. The rotor assembly of claim 2 , wherein the groove extends longitudinally through the root spacer.
4. The rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the side segment radially engages the blade root.
5. The rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base segment is radially separated from the blade root by a gap.
6. The rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the intersection between the base segment and the side segment is laterally offset from a centroid of the blade root.
7. The rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the groove extends in a radial outwards direction into the root spacer.
8. The rotor assembly of claim 7 , wherein
the groove comprises a first groove, and the root spacer further includes a second groove; and
the second groove extends in a radial inwards direction into the root spacer at the intersection between the base segment and the side segment.
9. The rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the groove extends in a radial inwards direction into the root spacer.
10. The rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the side segment comprises a first side segment, the groove comprises a first groove, and the root spacer further includes a second side segment that defines a second groove;
the base segment is arranged between the first side segment and the second side segment;
the second side segment is radially separated from the rotor disk by a gap; and
the second groove extends radially into the root spacer at an intersection between the base segment and the second side segment.
11. The rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rotor blade comprises a turbine engine fan blade.
12. The rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the slot is one of a plurality of slots that extend longitudinally into the rotor disk;
the rotor blade is one of a plurality of rotor blades that are arranged circumferentially around an axis, and each of the rotor blades includes a respective blade root that is arranged within a respective one of the slots; and
the root spacer is one of a plurality of root spacers, and each of the root spacers is arranged within a respective one of the slots between the rotor disk and a respective one of the blade roots.
13. A rotor assembly, comprising:
a rotor disk including a slot;
a rotor blade including a blade root arranged within the slot; and
a root spacer arranged within the slot between the rotor disk and the blade root, the root spacer including a base segment, a side segment and a fracture feature, wherein
the base segment radially engages the rotor disk;
the side segment is radially separated from the rotor disk by a gap; and
the fracture feature is adapted to radially fracture the root spacer at an intersection between the base segment and the side segment.
14. The rotor assembly of claim 13 , wherein the fracture feature is adapted to break the side segment off of the base segment.
15. The rotor assembly of claim 13 , wherein the fracture feature defines a groove that extends radially into the root spacer at the intersection between the base segment and the side segment.
16. The rotor assembly of claim 15 , wherein the groove extends in a radial outwards direction into the root spacer.
17. The rotor assembly of claim 16 , wherein
the groove comprises a first groove, and the fracture feature defines a second groove; and
the second groove extends in a radial inwards direction into the root spacer at the intersection between the base segment and the side segment.
18. The rotor assembly of claim 13 , wherein
the side segment comprises a first side segment, the fracture feature comprises a first fracture feature, and the root spacer further includes a second side segment and a second fracture feature;
the base segment is arranged between the first side segment and the second side segment;
the second side segment is radially separated from the rotor disk by a gap; and
the second fracture feature is adapted to radially fracture the root spacer at an intersection between the base segment and the second side segment.
19. A turbine engine, comprising:
a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section arranged along an axis, the fan section including a rotor disk, a fan blade and a root spacer;
the rotor disk including a slot;
the fan blade including a blade root arranged within the slot; and
the root spacer arranged within the slot between the rotor disk and the blade root, the root spacer including a base segment, a side segment and a fracture feature, wherein
the base segment radially engages the rotor disk;
the side segment is radially separated from the rotor disk by a gap; and
the fracture feature is adapted to radially fracture the root spacer at an intersection between the base segment and the side segment.
20. The engine of claim 19 , wherein the fracture feature includes a groove that extends radially into the root spacer at the intersection between the base segment and the side segment.