Gas turbine engine having a rotor assembly and a flow splitter
A gas turbine engine including a fan section, a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow arrangement, with the compressor section, the combustion section, and the turbine section defining an engine core, wherein the fan section includes a rotor assembly defining a rotational axis, the rotor assembly including a first blade and a second blade circumferentially spaced about the rotational axis to define an intervening gap, a rotor receiving a portion of the first blade and a portion of the second blade, and a flow splitter located within the intervening gap, wherein the flow splitter defines at least a portion of a working airflow passage fluidly coupled to the engine core, and wherein the flow splitter defines at least a portion of an exterior airflow passage that is fluidly coupled with at least a portion of the gas turbine engine outside the engine core.
1 . A gas turbine engine comprising:
a fan section, a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow arrangement with the compressor section, the combustion section, and the turbine section defining an engine core, wherein the fan section includes a rotor assembly defining a rotational axis, the rotor assembly comprising:
a first blade having a pressure side and a second blade having a suction side circumferentially spaced about the rotational axis from the pressure side of the first blade to define an intervening gap having a first circumferential length;
a rotor receiving a portion of the first blade and a portion of the second blade; and
a flow splitter defined by a second circumferential length less than the first circumferential length, the flow splitter located fully within the intervening gap,
wherein the flow splitter defines at least a portion of a working airflow passage fluidly coupled to the engine core,
wherein the flow splitter defines at least a portion of an exterior airflow passage that is fluidly coupled with at least a portion of the gas turbine engine downstream of the rotor assembly and outside the engine core, and
wherein the flow splitter comprises an inner platform having a first radially inner surface and a first radially outer surface, and an outer platform having a second radially inner surface and a second radially outer surface, the outer platform being radially spaced outwardly from the inner platform.
2 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the working airflow passage is defined by the inner platform, the first blade, the second blade, and the outer platform.
3 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the working airflow passage defines a radially innermost airflow passage of the rotor assembly with respect to the rotational axis.
4 . The gas turbine engine of claim 3 , wherein the rotor assembly further comprises a cavity defined by the inner platform, the first blade, the second blade, and the rotor.
5 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the exterior airflow passage is defined by the outer platform, the first blade, and the second blade.
6 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the flow splitter further comprises a support structure extending between the inner platform and the outer platform.
7 . The gas turbine engine of claim 6 , wherein the support structure comprises a set of connecting walls, each extending radially and coupling the inner platform to the outer platform.
8 . The gas turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein an intersection between a connecting wall of the set of connecting walls and the inner platform forms an angle in a range from 80° to 100°.
9 . The gas turbine engine of claim 6 , wherein the inner platform, the outer platform, and the support structure are integrally formed.
10 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the inner platform and the outer platform each include a pair of wings having a different composition than the respective platform.
11 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inner platform or the outer platform comprises a set of splitter vanes extending radially outwardly with respect to the rotational axis from the at least one of the inner platform or the outer platform.
12 . The gas turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein a cross-section of each splitter vane of the set of splitter vanes is in a shape of an airfoil, a rectangle, a triangle, a semicircle, an elongated semicircle, or any combination thereof.
13 . The gas turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein the set of splitter vanes includes at least two splitter vanes that are at least one of radially, axially or circumferentially spaced from each other with respect to the rotational axis.
14 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein a leading edge of at least one of the first blade or the second blade extends axially forward of a leading edge of at least one of the inner platform or the outer platform.
15 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein a leading edge of at least one of the inner platform or the outer platform extends axially forward of a leading edge of at least one of the first blade or the second blade.
16 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein a trailing edge of at least one of the inner platform or the outer platform extends axially aft of a trailing edge of at least one of the first blade or the second blade.
17 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the working airflow passage is fluidly coupled with a portion of the gas turbine engine outside the engine core.
18 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising a seal between the outer platform and a housing of the engine core.
19 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the flow splitter comprises a composite material.
20 . A gas turbine engine comprising:
a fan section, a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow arrangement with the compressor section, the combustion section, and the turbine section defining an engine core, wherein the fan section includes a rotor assembly defining a rotational axis, the rotor assembly comprising:
a first blade having a pressure side and a second blade having a suction side circumferentially spaced about the rotational axis from the pressure side of the first blade to define an intervening gap;
a rotor receiving a portion of the first blade and a portion of the second blade; and
a flow splitter located and sized to fit within a circumferential length of the intervening gap, the flow splitter comprising an inner platform and an outer platform radially spaced and separate from the inner platform, wherein the flow splitter defines at least a portion of a working airflow passage fluidly coupled to the engine core, and wherein the flow splitter defines at least a portion of an exterior airflow passage that is fluidly coupled with at least a portion of the gas turbine engine downstream of the rotor assembly and outside the engine core.