Patent ID: 8016561

Claim:
A method for assembling a turbofan engine, said method comprising: providing a booster compressor configured to produce booster discharge air; providing a first fan disk forward of the booster compressor, the first fan disk configured to rotate in a first rotational direction; coupling a first fan blade to the first fan disk, the first fan blade including a first plurality of internal channels configured to: direct a first airflow through the first fan blade, wherein the first airflow is bled from the booster discharge air and channeled axially toward the first fan disk; and discharge the first airflow proximate a trailing edge of the first fan blade; providing a second fan disk aft of the booster compressor and downstream from the first fan disk, wherein the second fan disk is configured to rotate in a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction; and coupling a second fan blade to the second fan disk, the second fan blade including a second plurality of channels configured to: receive a second airflow that is bled from the booster discharge air; and direct the second airflow through the second fan blade; and discharge the second airflow proximate a trailing edge of the second fan blade.