US 12,286,897 B2
Airfoil ribs for rotor blades
Paul Aitchison, Hamilton (CA); Paul Stone, Guelph (CA); and Dikran Mangardich, Richmond Hill (CA)
Assigned to PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP., Longueuil (CA)
Filed by PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP., Longueuil (CA)
Filed on Jun. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/805,049.
Prior Publication US 2023/0392503 A1, Dec. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. F01D 5/14 (2006.01); F01D 5/02 (2006.01); F01D 5/30 (2006.01); F01D 5/34 (2006.01); F04D 29/32 (2006.01); F04D 29/38 (2006.01)
CPC F01D 5/147 (2013.01) [F01D 5/021 (2013.01); F01D 5/141 (2013.01); F01D 5/3007 (2013.01); F01D 5/34 (2013.01); F04D 29/324 (2013.01); F04D 29/325 (2013.01); F04D 29/384 (2013.01); F05D 2240/307 (2013.01); F05D 2250/181 (2013.01); F05D 2260/941 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aircraft engine, comprising:
a rotor, the rotor having:
a disc having an outer rim surface extending circumferentially about a rotation axis and circumscribed by an outer rim diameter;
a plurality of blades extending to radially outward of the outer rim surface relative to the rotation axis, at least one blade of the plurality of blades including:
an airfoil spaced radially outward from the outer rim surface relative to the rotation axis;
a root extending from the outer rim surface to the airfoil, the root corresponding to a fillet being radially bound between an inner transition radius and an outer transition radius of the blade, a difference between the outer and the inner transition radii defining a maximum radial height of the fillet;
a tip radially outward of the airfoil; and
at least one crack-mitigating rib extending chordwise along the airfoil, the at least one crack-mitigating rib being radially closer to the root than to the tip, the at least one crack-mitigating rib having a suction side portion located on a suction side of the at least one blade and a pressure side portion located on a pressure side of the at least one blade, the at least one crack-mitigating rib extending radially outwardly relative to the inner transition radius by no more than three times the maximum radial height of the fillet, the at least one crack-mitigating rib having a cross-section defining an arcuate convex crest portion, the at least one crack-mitigating rib projecting from the airfoil by a rib depth and extending radially by a rib height, the rib depth being less than the rib height.