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US3883268A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Blunted leading edge fan blade for noise reduction

Assignee: General Electric Co
•
Filing: 1973-08-29
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Granted: 1975-05-13
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Expires: 1993-08-29
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Abstract

Abstract A blade of a turbomachinery rotor stage includes a leading edge with a blunted contour over at least a portion of the radial length thereof. The blunting is accomplished in a variety of ways, such as by removing material from a portion of the leading edge, by blowing air into the leading edge or by positioning a mechanical device such as an inflatable boot around a portion of the leading edge. The aerodynamic or mechanical blunting can be utilized during selective portions of flight, such as take-off and landing. The blunting of leading edges of each of a plurality of blades in this way provides significant reduction in noise generated during rotation of the associated turbomachinery rotor state.

Inventors

  • 👤 Robert C Evans
  • 👤 Donald K Dunbar

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 10:01
CPC Classifications
F; F01; F01D; F01D5/00; F01D5/12; F02; F02C; F02C7/00; F02C7/04; F02C7/045; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T50/00; Y02T50/60

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim 77 words
In a gas turbine engine of the type which includes rotating turbomachinery, a combustion section, and an exhaust nozzle adapted to provide a propulsive force, the improvement comprising: a rotatable disc; and a plurality of turbomachinery rotor blades carried by said disc and having leading edges at least a portion of which include blunting means for reducing the noise generated by the rotation of said blade, and wherein said leading edges of said blades are generally coplanar.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 77 words
In a gas turbine engine of the type which includes rotating turbomachinery, a combustion section, and an exhaust nozzle adapted to provide a propulsive force, the improvement comprising: a rotatable disc; and a plurality of turbomachinery rotor blades carried by said disc and having leading edges at least a portion of which include blunting means for reducing the noise generated by the rotation of said blade, and wherein said leading edges of said blades are generally coplanar.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 29 words
The improvement of claim 1 wherein said blunting means comprises a flattened leading edge which extends over at least a portion of the length of each of said blades.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 20 words
The improvement of claim 2 wherein said flattened leading edge extends along approximately the outer one-third of the blade height.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 20 words
The improved turbomachinery rotor blade recited in claim 1 wherein said blade comprises a fan blade of a turbofan engine.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 24 words
The improvement of claim 2 wherein said flattened leading edge is more blunt than that of an aerodynamically ideal blade in a selected application.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3347520A Cited
US3403893A Cited
US3542486A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1978-05-12 1978-11-11 1979-05-13 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1982-05-12 1982-11-11 1983-05-13 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1986-05-12 1986-11-11 1987-05-13 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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