US 12,435,634 B2
Notched turbine airfoils for weight reduction in gas turbine engines
Matthew J. Bloxham, Indianapolis, IN (US)
Assigned to Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Indianapolis, IN (US)
Filed by Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Indianapolis, IN (US)
Filed on Nov. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/516,320.
Prior Publication US 2025/0163810 A1, May 22, 2025
Int. Cl. F01D 5/14 (2006.01)
CPC F01D 5/146 (2013.01) [F01D 5/147 (2013.01); F05D 2220/32 (2013.01); F05D 2240/305 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A turbine wheel assembly adapted for use in a gas turbine engine, the turbine wheel assembly comprising,
a rotor hub configured to rotate about an axis, and
an airfoil coupled with the rotor hub and configured to rotate the rotor hub about the axis in response to gases acting on the airfoil during use of the turbine wheel assembly, the airfoil including a base coupled with the rotor hub and an airfoil body that extends radially outward from the base to a tip of the airfoil body, the airfoil body having a leading edge, a trailing edge spaced apart axially from the leading edge, a suction side that extends between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and a pressure side that extends between the leading edge and the trailing edge opposite the suction side,
wherein the pressure side of the airfoil is formed to define a plurality of notches that extend into an external surface of the airfoil toward the suction side, at least one of the plurality of notches extends chordwise between the leading edge and the trailing edge along a majority of a chord length of the airfoil body, and each of the plurality of notches are spaced apart radially from a neighboring one of the plurality of notches between the base and the tip so that a weight of the airfoil is minimized while isolating radial separation of pressure surface boundary layer separation within each of the plurality of notches to allow airflow along the airfoil,
wherein each of the plurality of notches includes an inner surface and an outer surface spaced radially apart from the inner surface towards the tip of the airfoil, the inner surface and the outer surface are planar, and the radial distance between the inner surface and the outer surface of each of the plurality of notches defines a height for each of the plurality of notches, the plurality of notches includes a first notch having a first height and a second notch spaced radially apart from the first notch and having a second height equal to the first height, wherein a radial distance between the outer surface of the first notch and the inner surface of the second notch is less than the first height.