Turbofan:Blades

Blade design and manufacturing

This page explains how blades should be designed for efficiency, and how can a simple and low-cost manufacturing be relevant.

The root/fixation/insert of the blade is discussed on the related subsystem design page: compressor, turbine or fan.

Blade designs for efficient air flow

Rotor and stator blades have to be carefully designed, since they provide the turbine all its power. Leaks (free air paths) have to be minimized. Swirls have to be avoided in the compressor and turbine for several stages to work. For that reason, the stator deflects air in the opposite direction than the rotor, allowing the next stage to perform as if it receives untouched air, or even better oriented in the most efficient direction for the rotor.

Manufacturing propositions

Hot pressing is used to manufacture real-engines' blades, and Hot isostatic pressing possibly too. I believe that a hot forging press can be done cheaply considering the size of the blades.

Work-hardening and head-treating have to be studied, and depend on the crafting method used in the first place.

The metal used for the blades may be an aluminum alloy for the compressor, and a steel or nickel-rich alloy for the turbine because of heat.

Don't forget that the blade insert will have to be milled at some point.