LAMINOR/TURBULENT TRANSITION ZONE STABILIZATION ON A TURBINE VANE

摘要

A turbine fan blade (40) adapted to trip and control a boundary layer transition at a side surface of the blade (40) during operation as a component in a turbine fan assembly (35). The turbine fan blade (40) includes a leading edge (55), a trailing edge (58), and two side surfaces including a high-pressure side surface (49) and a low-pressure side surface (52). At least one of the two side surfaces has an essentially smooth surface portion (61) located between the leading and trailing edges, and the essentially smooth surface portion is interrupted by a surface deviation (64). The surface deviation is configured to trip a positionally stabilized boundary layer transition (24) at a location toward the trailing edge from the surface deviation during operation of the turbine fan blade in the turbine fan assembly. In this manner, fatigue inducing aerodynamic forces experienced upon the blade during operation are controlled.