US 11,931,981 B2
Reinforced composite blade and method of making a blade
Gary Willard Bryant, Jr., Loveland, OH (US); and Phani Nandula, Bangalore (IN)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Jan. 29, 2018, as Appl. No. 15/882,044.
Prior Publication US 2019/0234420 A1, Aug. 1, 2019
Int. Cl. B29D 99/00 (2010.01); B29C 70/22 (2006.01); B29C 70/30 (2006.01); B29L 31/08 (2006.01); B32B 3/14 (2006.01); B32B 5/12 (2006.01); B32B 5/26 (2006.01); B32B 27/08 (2006.01); F01D 5/28 (2006.01); F04D 29/38 (2006.01); B29K 307/04 (2006.01); B29K 309/08 (2006.01); B64D 27/16 (2006.01); B64D 33/02 (2006.01)
CPC B29D 99/0025 (2013.01) [B29C 70/302 (2021.05); B32B 3/14 (2013.01); B32B 5/12 (2013.01); B32B 5/26 (2013.01); B32B 27/08 (2013.01); F01D 5/282 (2013.01); F04D 29/388 (2013.01); B29C 70/228 (2013.01); B29K 2307/04 (2013.01); B29K 2309/08 (2013.01); B29L 2031/08 (2013.01); B32B 2262/101 (2013.01); B32B 2262/106 (2013.01); B32B 2603/00 (2013.01); B64D 27/16 (2013.01); B64D 33/02 (2013.01); B64D 2033/022 (2013.01); F05D 2220/36 (2013.01); F05D 2300/6034 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A blade comprising:
a plurality of first composite fiber plies; and
a plurality of second composite fiber plies including a plurality of spanwise fiber plies that decrease in both a chordwise length and a spanwise length monotonically from a surface of the blade inwardly, the plurality of second composite fiber plies further including a plurality of non-spanwise fiber plies that do not monotonically decrease or increase in either a chordwise length or a spanwise length from the surface of the blade inwardly;
wherein ends of the plurality of second fiber plies are staggered such that interlock between the first composite fiber plies and the second composite fiber plies is formed in a region where the second composite fiber plies end and meet with the first composite fiber plies.