# US 10,309,240 B2 · Method and system for interfacing a ceramic matrix composite component to a metallic component > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,309,240 B2 - Document ID: US10309240B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/808,000 - Filed: 2015-07-24 - Published: 2017-01-26 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-24 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Bryce Loring Heitman; Darrell Glenn Senile; Michael Ray Tuertscher; Greg Scott Phelps; Brian Gregg Feie; Steven James Murphy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309240B2 ## CPC - F01D 9/041: {using blades (F01D5/148 takes precedence)} - F01D 5/284: {Selection of ceramic materials} - F01D 9/042: {fixing blades to stators (fixing stator-rings in the casing or to each other F01D25/246)} - F01D 25/005: {Selecting particular materials} - F01D 25/243: {Flange connections; Bolting arrangements (F01D25/265 takes precedence)} - F01D 5/18: Hollow blades, {i.e. blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities (structure of hollow blades in general F01D5/147)}; Heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades - F05D 2220/32: in gas turbines - F05D 2240/128: Nozzles - F05D 2260/30: Retaining components in desired mutual position - F05D 2260/941: particularly aimed at mechanical or thermal stress reduction - F05D 2300/6033: Ceramic matrix composites [CMC] - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract An airfoil assembly for a gas turbine engine and a method of transferring load from the ceramic matrix composite (CMC) airfoil assembly to a metallic vane assembly support member are provided. The airfoil assembly includes a forward end and an aft end with respect to an axial direction of the gas turbine engine. The airfoil assembly includes a radially outer end component, a radially inner end component, and a hollow airfoil body extending therebetween. The radially outer end component including a radially outwardly-facing end surface having a non-compression load-bearing feature extending radially outwardly and formed integrally with the outer end component, the load-bearing feature configured to mate with a complementary feature formed in a radially inner surface of a first airfoil assembly support structure and selectively positioned orthogonally to a force imparted into the airfoil assembly. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An airfoil assembly for a gas turbine engine, said airfoil assembly comprising a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material, said airfoil assembly comprising a forward end and an aft end with respect to an axial direction of the gas turbine engine, said airfoil assembly comprising: a radially outer end component comprising a radially outwardly-facing end surface having a forward flange on the forward end, an aft flange on the aft end and a non-compression load-bearing feature extending radially outwardly from said outwardly-facing end surface and formed integrally with said outer end component, said non-compression load-bearing feature located in a portion between the forward flange and the aft flange and configured to mate with a complementary feature formed in a radially inner surface of a first airfoil assembly support structure, said non-compression load-bearing feature selectively positioned orthogonally to a force imparted into said airfoil assembly; a radially inner end component configured to engage a second airfoil assembly support structure positioned radially inward from said radially inner end component; and a hollow airfoil body extending there between, said airfoil body configured to receive a strut couplable at a first end to said first airfoil assembly support structure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein said first airfoil assembly support structure and said second airfoil assembly support structure are composed of a metallic material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein said radially inner end component comprises a radial retention feature comprising a radial retention pin extending through said radially inner end component and into said second airfoil assembly support structure and configured to maintain a loading between the radially inner end component and the second airfoil assembly support structure such that radially inner end component is clamped to second airfoil assembly support structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein said radially inner end component comprises a radially inwardly-facing end surface having a non-compression load-bearing feature extending radially inwardly from said inwardly-facing end surface and formed integrally with said inner end component, said non-compression load-bearing feature of the radially inwardly-facing surface configured to mate with a complementary feature formed in a radially outer surface of a second airfoil assembly support structure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The assembly of claim 4, wherein said strut is couplable at a second end to said second airfoil assembly support structure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein said non-compression load-bearing feature comprises a notch formed in a wedge-shaped portion of said outwardly-facing end surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein said non-compression load-bearing feature comprises a wedge-shaped portion of said outwardly-facing end surface positioned orthogonally to the axial direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein said non-compression load-bearing feature comprises a wedge-shaped portion of said outwardly-facing end surface positioned orthogonally to a circumferential direction approximately orthogonal to the axial direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The assembly of claim 8, wherein said wedge-shaped portion engages a pivot member configured to rotate about a radially oriented pin that permits the pivot member to maintain face-to-face contact with said wedge-shaped portion when said airfoil assembly experiences a twisting force. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein said outwardly-facing end surface comprises a plurality of non-compression load-bearing features, each positioned orthogonally to a predetermined direction of a component of a force imparted to said airfoil assembly when said airfoil assembly is in operation within the gas turbine engine. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein said non-compression load-bearing feature comprises an outwardly radially extending tab, said tab configured to engage a complementarily-shaped boss formed in said first airfoil assembly support structure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The assembly of claim 11, wherein said tab and said boss comprise mutually aligned apertures configured to receive a pin therethrough. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein said non-compression load-bearing feature comprises a hook member comprising a radially outwardly extending ramp portion and an opposing concave portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein said outwardly-facing end surface comprises an aperture extending therethrough to an interior of said hollow airfoil body and a pressure-side wedge extending from a pressure-side of said airfoil assembly on said outwardly-facing end surface and terminating at said aperture, said pressure side wedge comprising one or more load pads adjacent said aperture, said one or more load pads configured to receive a complementarily-shaped portion of the first airfoil assembly support structure. ### Claim 15 A method of transferring load from a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) vane assembly to a metallic vane assembly support member, said method comprising: providing the CMC vane assembly, the vane assembly including: a radially outer end component including a radially outwardly facing surface having a forward flange on a forward end, an aft flange on an aft end and one or more radially outwardly extending load transfer features located in a portion between the forward flange and the aft flange; a radially inner end component; and an airfoil body extending therebetween; engaging the radially outer end component to at least one of a plurality of metallic vane assembly support members spaced circumferentially about a gas flow path, the vane assembly support members including one or more load receiving features shaped complementary to the load transfer features, the load transfer feature including a wedge-shaped cross-section. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein providing the CMC vane assembly comprises providing the CMC vane assembly that includes a second load transfer feature extending radially outwardly from the radially outwardly facing surface of the radially outer end component. ### Claim 17 A gas turbine engine comprising: an inner support structure formed of a first metallic material, said inner support structure comprising a strut, said strut comprising a first mating end, a second opposing mating end and a strut body extending radially therebetween; an outer support structure formed of a second metallic material; an airfoil assembly comprising a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material and extending between said inner support structure and said outer support structure, said airfoil assembly comprising: a radially outer end component comprising a radially outwardly-facing end surface having a forward flange on a forward end, an aft flange on an aft end and a non-compression load-bearing feature extending radially outwardly from said outwardly-facing end surface and formed integrally with said outer end component, said non-compression load-bearing feature located in a portion between the forward flange and the aft flange and configured to mate with a complementary feature formed in a radially inner surface of said outer support structure, said non-compression load-bearing feature selectively positioned orthogonally to a force imparted into said radially outwardly-facing end surface; a radially inner end component; and a hollow airfoil body extending therebetween, said airfoil body configured to receive a strut couplable at a first end to said outer support structure. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The gas turbine engine of claim 17, wherein said radially inner end component comprises a radially inwardly-facing end surface having a non-compression load-bearing feature extending radially inwardly from said inwardly-facing end surface and formed integrally with said inner end component, said non-compression load-bearing feature of said radially inner end component configured to mate with a complementarily-shaped feature formed in a radially outer surface of said inner support structure, said non-compression load-bearing feature selectively positioned orthogonally to a force imparted into said radially inwardly-facing end surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The gas turbine engine of claim 17, wherein said non-compression load-bearing feature comprises a wedge-shaped cross-section. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The gas turbine engine of claim 17, wherein said non-compression load-bearing feature comprises a tab. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The gas turbine engine of claim 17, wherein said non-compression load-bearing feature comprises a notch. ### Claim 22 A nozzle segment assembly comprising: an inner support structure formed of a first metallic material, said inner support structure comprising a strut, said strut comprising a first mating end, a second opposing mating end and a strut body extending radially therebetween; an outer support structure formed of a second metallic material and comprising a radially outwardly extending hollow receptacle configured to receive said second opposing mating end; an airfoil assembly comprising a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material and extending between said inner support structure and said outer support structure, said airfoil assembly comprising: a radially outer end component comprising a radially outwardly-facing end surface having a forward flange on a forward end, an aft flange on an aft end and a non-compression load-bearing feature extending radially outwardly from said outwardly-facing end surface and formed integrally with said outer end component, said non-compression load-bearing feature located in a portion between the forward flange and the aft flange and configured to mate with a complementary feature formed in a radially inner surface of said outer support structure, said non-compression load-bearing feature selectively positioned orthogonally to a force imparted into said radially outwardly-facing end surface, said non-compression load-bearing feature forming a seal along an aft facing flange of the radially outwardly-facing end surface and a forward facing flange of the outer support structure. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The nozzle segment assembly of claim 22, wherein said airfoil assembly further comprises: a radially inner end component; and a hollow airfoil body extending therebetween, said airfoil body configured to receive a strut couplable at a first end to said outer support structure. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The nozzle segment assembly of claim 22, wherein said radially outwardly extending hollow receptacle and said second opposing mating end are coupled together using a pin extending through respective apertures in each of said radially outwardly extending hollow receptacle and said second opposing mating end.