Granted Patent B2

US 12,509,989 · App. 18/654,718 · Granted Dec 30, 2025

Inventors: JinQuan Xu (East Greenwich, RI); Michael Winter (New Haven, CT)

Assignee: RTX Corporation

F01D5/147F01D21/045F04D29/388F05D2220/323F05D2240/30

Abstract

Claims (128)

1 . A fan blade comprising:

a blade body; and

a break line formed within the blade body at a location that laterally divides the blade body into sections having parametrically defined masses, the break line having less rigidity than surrounding portions of the blade body that surround the break line, the sections including an outer section located closer to a blade tip than an inner section;

wherein:

the blade body is configured to break into the sections when subjected to an excessive stress;

at least two of the parametrically defined masses are defined relative to each other;

the break line comprises one of multiple break lines formed in the blade body;

the sections include an intermediate section located closer to the blade tip than the inner section and located farther from the blade tip than the outer section; and

the outer, intermediate, and inner sections respectively correspond to the parametrically defined masses m 1 , m 2 , and m 3 such that each of the sections has a maximum momentum that is substantially equivalent to the maximum momentums of the other sections.

2 . The fan blade of claim 1 , wherein the parametrically defined masses m 1 , m 2 , and m 3 are defined as:

m 1 +m 2 <m 3

such that the inner section corresponds to a greater mass than a combined mass of the outer section and the intermediate section.

3 . The fan blade of claim 1 , wherein the parametrically defined masses m 1 and m 2 are defined as:

m

1

m

2

≈

_

r

2

r

1

such that a ratio of the masses m 1 and m 2 is substantially equal to a ratio of radiuses r 1 and r 2 that respectively correspond to the outer and intermediate sections; and

each of the radiuses r 1 and r 2 define a distance from a center of fan rotation to a center of gravity of the outer and intermediate sections, respectively.

4 . The fan blade of claim 1 , wherein the parametrically defined masses m 1 , m 2 , and m 3 are defined as:

m 1 <m 2 <m 3

such that the outer section corresponds to lesser mass than the intermediate section and the intermediate section corresponds to lesser mass than the inner section.

5 . The fan blade of claim 1 , wherein:

the parametrically defined masses m 1 , m 2 , and m 3 are such that each of the sections has a maximum kinetic energy that is substantially equivalent to the maximum kinetic energies of the other sections.

6 . The fan blade of claim 1 , wherein the parametrically defined masses m 1 and m 2 that are defined as:

m

1

m

2

≈

_

r

2

2

r

1

2

such that a ratio of the masses m 1 and m 2 is substantially equal to a ratio of mathematical squares of radiuses r 1 and r 2 that respectively correspond to the outer and intermediate sections; and

each of the radiuses r 1 and r 2 define a distance from a center of fan rotation to a center of gravity of the outer and intermediate sections, respectively.

7 . An open rotor fan blade system comprising:

a hub; and

a plurality of fan blades affixed to or integral with the hub;

wherein at least one of the fan blades includes:

a blade body; and

a break line formed within the blade body at a location that laterally divides the blade body into sections having parametrically defined masses, the break line having less rigidity than surrounding portions of the blade body that surround the break line, the sections including an outer section located closer to a blade tip than an inner section;

wherein the blade body is configured to break into the sections when subjected to an excessive stress,

wherein at least two of the parametrically defined masses are defined relative to each other,

wherein, for each of the at least one of the fan blades:

the break line comprises one of multiple break lines formed in the blade body;

the sections include an intermediate section located closer to the blade tip than the inner section and located farther from the blade tip than the outer section; and

the outer, intermediate, and inner sections respectively correspond to the parametrically defined masses m 1 , m 2 , and m 3 such that each of the sections has a maximum momentum that is substantially equivalent to the maximum momentums of the other sections.

8 . The open rotor fan blade system of claim 7 , wherein outer, intermediate, and inner sections respectively correspond to the parametrically defined masses m 1 , m 2 , and m 3 are defined as:

m 1 +m 2 <m 3

such that the inner section corresponds to a greater mass than a combined mass of the outer section and the intermediate section.

9 . The open rotor fan blade system of claim 8 , wherein the parametrically defined masses m 1 , m 2 , and m 3 are defined as:

m 1 <m 2 <m 3

such that the outer section corresponds to lesser mass than the intermediate section and the intermediate section corresponds to lesser mass than the inner section.

10 . The open rotor fan blade system of claim 7 , wherein the parametrically defined masses m 1 and m 2 are defined as:

m

1

m

2

≈

_

r

2

r

1

such that a ratio of the masses m 1 and m 2 is substantially equal to a ratio of radiuses r 1 and r 2 that respectively correspond to the outer and intermediate sections; and

each of the radiuses r 1 and r 2 define a distance from a center of fan rotation to a center of gravity of the outer and intermediate sections, respectively.

11 . The open rotor fan blade system of claim 7 , wherein the parametrically defined masses m 1 , m 2 , and m 3 are such that each of the sections has a maximum kinetic energy that is substantially equivalent to the maximum kinetic energies of the other sections.

12 . The open rotor fan blade system of claim 7 , wherein the parametrically defined masses m 1 and m 2 are defined as:

m

1

m

2

≈

_

r

2

2

r

1

2

such that a ratio of the masses m 1 and m 2 is substantially equal to a ratio of mathematical squares of radiuses r 1 and r 2 that respectively correspond to the outer and intermediate sections; and

each of the radiuses r 1 and r 2 define a distance from a center of fan rotation to a center of gravity of the outer and intermediate sections, respectively.

13 . An open rotor gas turbine engine comprising:

a gearbox; and

a fan blade system coupled to the gearbox, the fan blade system comprising:

a hub; and

a plurality of fan blades affixed to or integral with the hub;

wherein at least one of the fan blades includes:

a blade body; and

a break line formed within the blade body at a location that laterally divides the blade body into sections having parametrically defined masses, the break line having less rigidity than surrounding portions of the blade body that surround the break line, the sections including an outer section located closer to a blade tip than an inner section;

wherein the blade body is configured to break into the sections when subjected to an excessive stress,

wherein at least two of the parametrically defined masses are defined relative to each other,

wherein, for each of the at least one of the fan blades:

the break line comprises one of multiple break lines formed in the blade body;

the sections include an intermediate section located closer to the blade tip than the inner section and located farther from the blade tip than the outer section; and

the outer, intermediate, and inner sections respectively correspond to the parametrically defined masses m 1 , m 2 , and m 3 such that each of the sections has a maximum momentum that is substantially equivalent to the maximum momentums of the other sections.

14 . The open rotor gas turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the parametrically defined masses m 1 , m 2 , and m 3 are defined as:

m 1 +m 2 <m 3

such that the inner section corresponds to a greater mass than a combined mass of the outer section and the intermediate section.

15 . The open rotor gas turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the parametrically defined masses m 1 and m 2 are defined as:

m

1

m

2

≈

_

r

2

2

r

1

2

such that a ratio of the masses m 1 and m 2 is substantially equal to a ratio of radiuses r 1 and r 2 that respectively correspond to the outer and intermediate sections; and

each of the radiuses r 1 and r 2 define a distance from a center of fan rotation to a center of gravity of the outer and intermediate sections, respectively.

16 . The open rotor gas turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein the parametrically defined masses m 1 , m 2 , and m 3 are defined as:

m 1 <m 2 <m 3

such that the outer section corresponds to lesser mass than the intermediate section and the intermediate section corresponds to lesser mass than the inner section.

17 . The open rotor gas turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the parametrically defined masses m 1 , m 2 , and m 3 are such that each of the sections has a maximum kinetic energy that is substantially equivalent to the maximum kinetic energies of the other sections.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (17)