Fan blade

Abstract

A fan blade for a turbine system includes a root portion connectable to a rotating member of a turbine system and airfoil portion having a morphable portion on an edge of the airfoil portion. The morphable portion includes a plurality of layers aligned unsymmetrically relative to each other in a thickness direction and changes in shape in response to a change in a speed of the airfoil portion.

1 . A fan blade for a turbine system comprising:
 a root portion connectable to a rotating member of a turbine system;   an airfoil portion having a morphable portion on an edge of said airfoil portion and a non-morphable remainder of said airfoil portion, said morphable portion comprising a plurality of layers aligned unsymmetrically relative to each other in a thickness direction, said morphable portion changing shape in response to a change in a rotational speed of said airfoil portion.   
     
     
         2 . The blade of  claim 1  wherein said edge comprises at least one of a leading edge and a trailing edge of said airfoil portion. 
     
     
         3 . The blade of  claim 1  wherein said morphable portion is less rigid than said remainder of said airfoil portion. 
     
     
         4 . The blade of  claim 1  wherein said morphable portion comprises a different material relative to said remainder of said airfoil portion. 
     
     
         5 . The blade of  claim 1  wherein said morphable portion comprises a material of a different density relative to said remainder of said airfoil portion. 
     
     
         6 . The blade of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of layers is aligned unsymmetrically relative to a center line in the thickness direction of at least one of said morphable portion and said remainder of said air foil portion. 
     
     
         7 . The blade of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of layers comprises a plurality of morphable portion layers of materials arranged differently relative to a plurality of remainder layers of said remainder of said air foil portion. 
     
     
         8 . The blade of  claim 7  wherein a first morphable portion layer of said plurality of morphable portion layers and a first remainder layer of said plurality of remainder layers are longitudinally aligned at different angles relative to each other. 
     
     
         9 . The blade of  claim 1  wherein said morphable portion and said remainder of said airfoil portion comprise unsymmetrical laminations relative to each other. 
     
     
         10 . The blade of  claim 1  wherein a first layer of said plurality of layers comprises a different material relative to a second layer of said plurality of layers. 
     
     
         11 . The blade of  claim 1  wherein a first layer of said plurality of layers comprises a different material relative to a second layer of said remainder. 
     
     
         12 . The blade of  claim 1  wherein the change in rotational speed comprises an increase in rotational speed and the airfoil portion is configured to change shape from a more curved C-shape to a less curved C-shape in response to the increased rotational speed. 
     
     
         13 . A method for use in operating a turbine;
 rotating a rotor connected to a plurality of fan blades; and   changing a speed of the rotor to cause a change in a shape of a morphable portion on an edge of an airfoil portion of a first fan blade of the plurality of fan blades wherein the morphable portion is formed by a plurality of layers aligned unsymmetrically relative to each other in a thickness direction.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the edge comprises at least one of a leading edge and trailing edge of the airfoil portion. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the morphable portion comprises a different material relative to a remainder of the airfoil portion. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the plurality of layers is aligned unsymmetrically relative to a center line in a thickness direction of at least one of the morphable portion and a remainder of the air foil portion. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein a first morphable portion layer of the plurality of morphable portion layers and a first remainder layer of the plurality of remainder layers are longitudinally aligned at different angles relative to each other. 
     
     
         18 . The blade of  claim 13  wherein the change in shape of the morphable portion comprises a change in shape from a more curved C-shape to a less curved C-shape in response to the change in speed being an increase in the speed. 
     
     
         19 . A fan blade for a turbine system comprising:
 a root portion connectable to a rotating member of a turbine system;   an airfoil portion having a shape changing portion on an edge of said airfoil portion and a remainder, said shape changing portion comprising a different weight distribution relative to said remainder, said shape changing portion changing shape in response to a change in a rotational speed of said airfoil portion.   
     
     
         20 . The blade of  claim 19  wherein said edge comprises at least one of a leading edge and a trailing edge of said airfoil portion. 
     
     
         21 . The blade of  claim 19  wherein said shape changing portion is less rigid than said remainder of said airfoil portion. 
     
     
         22 . The blade of  claim 19  wherein said shape changing portion comprises a material of a different density relative to a second material of said remainder of said airfoil portion.