Method for fabricating foreign object damage protection for rotar blades

摘要

A filament composite compressor blade is provided with a fine wire mesh subsurface layer around its leading edge. This subsurface layer is clad with nickel. Internal mesh layers are also incorporated in the blade adjacent its leading edge. The wire mesh provides protection against impact damage by large and small foreign objects such as stones and sand. Where the subsurface mesh layer is bonded in place by a non-conductive adhesive, the adhesive in the interstices of the mesh is coated with silver and the nickel is atomically bonded to the nubs of the mesh. Also described is a novel method of incorporating the internal mesh layers in a blade formed from laminates of filament/matrix material.