Airfoil assembly with a trunnion and spar
An airfoil assembly and a method of forming the airfoil assembly, the airfoil assembly having a trunnion, a spar, and a set of inserts. The trunnion having a flared socket with an open top. The spar extending from the flared socket and through the open top. The spar having a first end located within the flared socket.
1. An airfoil assembly for a turbine engine, the airfoil assembly comprising:
an airfoil comprising a wall bounding an interior and defining an exterior surface, the wall extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge to define a chordwise direction, and between a root and a tip to define a spanwise direction;
a trunnion having a flared socket with an open top;
a spar including a 3-dimensional preform, the spar extending from the flared socket, through the open top of the flared socket, and into the interior of the airfoil, the spar having a furcated tail with a set of branches defining a set of intervening gaps, with each gap of the set of intervening gaps being formed between adjacent branches of the set of branches; and
a set of inserts, with each insert of the set of inserts being received within a respective intervening gap of the set of intervening gaps, with the set of inserts being co-cured with the spar to define a unitary body.
2. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spar extends along a centerline axis and the furcated tail is symmetric about the centerline axis.
3. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spar includes a composite material.
4. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the airfoil includes a composite material.
5. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the set of intervening gaps includes three or more intervening gaps.
6. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spar extends along a centerline axis in the spanwise direction, and the flared socket includes a rectangular cross-sectional area when viewed along a horizontal plane that is perpendicular to the centerline axis.
7. The airfoil assembly of claim 6 , wherein the spar includes a rectangular cross-sectional area when viewed along the horizontal plane.
8. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the set of inserts include a metallic material or a composite material.
9. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the set of inserts, the spar, and the trunnion are co-cured with each other to form a unitary body.
10. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the turbine engine includes a fan section, a compressor section, a combustion section and a turbine section in serial flow arrangement with the airfoil assembly being provided within one of the fan section, the compressor section, or the turbine section of the turbine engine.
11. A turbine engine comprising:
an airfoil assembly having:
an airfoil comprising a wall bounding an interior and defining an exterior surface, the wall extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge to define a chordwise direction, and between a root and a tip to define a spanwise direction;
a trunnion having a flared socket with an open top;
a spar including a 3-dimensional preform, the spar extending from the flared socket, through the open top of the flared socket, and into the interior of the airfoil, the spar having a furcated tail with a set of branches defining a set of intervening gaps, with each gap of the set of intervening gaps being formed between adjacent branches of the set of branches; and
a set of inserts, with each insert of the set of inserts being received within a respective intervening gap of the set of intervening gaps, with the set of inserts being co-cured with the spar to define a unitary body.
12. A method of forming an airfoil assembly for a turbine engine, the airfoil assembly having a trunnion having a flared socket with an open top, and a spar, the method comprising:
furcating the spar such that the spar includes a furcated tail having a set of branches, with the set of branches defining a set of intervening gaps, with each gap of the set of intervening gaps being formed between adjacent branches of the set of branches;
inserting at least the furcated tail of the spar into the trunnion;
inserting a set of inserts into the set of intervening gaps, with each insert of the set of inserts corresponding to a respective intervening gap of the set of intervening gaps; and
curing the spar and the set of inserts such that the spar and the set of inserts form a unitary body.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising furcating the tail such that the tail is symmetric about a centerline axis extending along the spar.
14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising curing the spar, the trunnion, and the set of inserts such that the spar, the trunnion and the set of inserts form a unitary body.
15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising inserting the spar through the open top.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising inserting the set of inserts through an open bottom, opposite the open top, of the flared socket.
17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising forming the spar with a composite material.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising forming the spar as a 3-dimensional preform.
19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising providing the spar within an interior of an airfoil assembly having a wall bounding an interior and defining an exterior surface extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge to define a chordwise direction, and between a root and a tip to define a spanwise direction.
20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising providing the airfoil assembly within a fan section, a compressor section or a turbine section of the turbine engine.