# US 10,371,011 B2 · Integral ceramic matrix composite fastener with polymer rigidization

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,371,011 B2
- Document ID: US10371011B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/686,842
- Filed: 2015-04-15
- Published: 2016-09-15
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-05-08
- Assignees: United Technologies Corporation
- Applicants: United Technologies Corporation
- Inventors: David C. Jarmon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371011B2

## CPC

- C04B 35/80: Fibres, filaments, whiskers, platelets, or the like
- B28B 1/001: {Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material (selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00)}
- B28B 1/002: {assembled from preformed elements}
- B28B 11/12: for removing parts of the articles by cutting
- C04B 35/01: based on oxide ceramics
- C04B 35/565: based on silicon carbide
- C04B 35/571: obtained from {Si-containing} polymer precursors {or organosilicon monomers}
- C04B 35/573: obtained by reaction sintering {or recrystallisation}
- C04B 35/62227: {obtaining fibres}
- C04B 35/634: Polymers (C04B35/636 takes precedence)
- C04B 35/638: Removal thereof
- C04B 35/64: Burning or sintering processes (C04B33/32 takes precedence {; powder metallurgy B22F})
- C04B 35/76: Fibres, filaments, whiskers, platelets, or the like
- C04B 35/83: Carbon fibres in a carbon matrix
- C04B 37/001: {directly with other burned ceramic articles}
- D03D 25/005: {Three-dimensional woven fabrics}
- F01D 5/00: Blades; Blade-carrying members (nozzle boxes F01D9/02); Heating, heat-insulating, cooling or antivibration means on the blades or the members {(special arrangements in rotors dealing with breaking off of part thereof F01D21/045)}
- F01D 9/00: Stators
- F01D 11/00: Preventing or minimising internal leakage of working-fluid, e.g. between stages (sealings in general F16J {; sealing arrangements for transition ducts of combustor cans F01D9/023})
- F01D 25/00: Component parts, details, or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart from, other groups
- F01D 25/005: {Selecting particular materials}
- F01D 25/243: {Flange connections; Bolting arrangements (F01D25/265 takes precedence)}
- F01D 25/246: {Fastening of diaphragms or stator-rings}
- F01D 25/28: Supporting or mounting arrangements, e.g. for turbine casing
- F01D 25/30: Exhaust heads, chambers, or the like
- F02C 7/28: Arrangement of seals
- F02K 1/822: {Heat insulating structures or liners, cooling arrangements, e.g. post combustion liners; Infrared radiation suppressors}
- F23R 3/002: {Wall structures (F23R3/02 and F23R3/007 take precedence)}
- F23R 3/007: {constructed mainly of ceramic components}
- F23R 3/283: {Attaching or cooling of fuel injecting means including supports for fuel injectors, stems, or lances}
- F23R 3/60: Support structures; Attaching or mounting means
- C04B 2235/48: Organic compounds becoming part of a ceramic after heat treatment, e.g. carbonising phenol resins
- C04B 2235/5208: Fibers
- C04B 2235/5244: Silicon carbide
- C04B 2235/5248: Carbon, e.g. graphite
- C04B 2235/5252: having a specific pre-form
- C04B 2235/5256: Two-dimensional, e.g. woven structures
- C04B 2235/612: Machining
- C04B 2235/614: Gas infiltration of green bodies or pre-forms
- C04B 2235/616: Liquid infiltration of green bodies or pre-forms
- C04B 2237/38: Fiber or whisker reinforced
- C04B 2237/385: Carbon or carbon composite
- C04B 2237/60: Forming at the joining interface or in the joining layer specific reaction phases or zones, e.g. diffusion of reactive species from the interlayer to the substrate or from a substrate to the joining interface, carbide forming at the joining interface
- C04B 2237/61: Joining two substrates of which at least one is porous by infiltrating the porous substrate with a liquid, such as a molten metal, causing bonding of the two substrates, e.g. joining two porous carbon substrates by infiltrating with molten silicon
- C04B 2237/80: Joining the largest surface of one substrate with a smaller surface of the other substrate, e.g. butt joining or forming a T-joint
- C04B 2237/84: Joining of a first substrate with a second substrate at least partially inside the first substrate, where the bonding area is at the inside of the first substrate, e.g. one tube inside another tube
- F05D 2220/323: for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines
- F05D 2230/10: by removing material
- F05D 2230/314: by chemical vapour deposition
- F05D 2240/91: on a stationary structure
- F05D 2260/30: Retaining components in desired mutual position
- F05D 2260/31: Retaining bolts or nuts
- F05D 2300/6033: Ceramic matrix composites [CMC]
- F23M 2900/05004: Special materials for walls or lining
- Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
- C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
- B28B: SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER (foundry moulding B22C; working stone or stone-like material B28D; shaping of substances in a plastic state, in general B29C; making layered products not composed wholly of these substances B32B)
- D03D: WOVEN FABRICS; METHODS OF WEAVING; LOOMS
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00)
- F02K: JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (features of jet-propulsion plants common to gas-turbine plants, air intakes or fuel supply control of air-breathing jet-propulsion plants F02C7/00, F02C9/00)
- F23R: GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS (fluidised bed combustion apparatus specially adapted for operation at superatmospheric pressures F23C10/16)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F23M: CASINGS, LININGS, WALLS OR DOORS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR COMBUSTION CHAMBERS, e.g. FIREBRIDGES; DEVICES FOR DEFLECTING AIR, FLAMES OR COMBUSTION PRODUCTS IN COMBUSTION CHAMBERS; SAFETY ARRANGEMENTS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR COMBUSTION APPARATUS; DETAILS OF COMBUSTION CHAMBERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A method of forming an integral fastener for a ceramic matrix composite component comprises the steps of forming a fiber preform, applying a polymer material to the fiber preform to form a rigid preform structure, machining an opening in the rigid preform structure, forming a fiber fastener, inserting the fiber fastener into the opening, removing the polymer material, and infiltrating a matrix material into the rigid preform structure and fiber fastener to form a ceramic matrix composite component with an integral fastener. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming an integral fastener for a ceramic matrix composite component comprising the steps of:
(a) forming a fiber preform;
(b) applying a polymer material to the fiber perform to form a rigid perform structure;
(c) machining an opening in the rigid preform structure;
(d) forming a fiber fastener;
(e) inserting the fiber fastener into the opening;
(f) removing the polymer material;
(g) infiltrating a matrix material into the rigid preform structure and fiber fastener to form a ceramic matrix composite component with an integral fastener; and
wherein step (f) includes oxidizing the polymer material from the rigid preform structure prior to step (g).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein step (g) includes using a chemical vapour infiltration process.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein step (a) includes forming the preform to be a gas turbine engine component, and wherein step (g) includes integrally forming the fastener and ceramic matrix composite component to provide a single-piece gas turbine engine component and fastener without any gaps between a head of the fastener and the ceramic matrix composite component.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 Wherein step (a) is accomplished using at least one of the following methods: two dimensional fabric lay-up, three dimensional weaving, knotting, or braiding.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein step (c) includes machining the opening to be wider at one surface of the ceramic matrix composite component than at an opposite surface to accommodate a head of the fastener formed in step (d).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein step (d) includes weaving the fastener from fibers.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein
step (a) includes forming the preform to be a gas turbine engine component,
step (d) includes forming the fastener to include a head portion and a foot portion,
step (c) includes forming the opening to be wider at one surface such that the head portion does not fall through the opening during step (e), and
(h) machining the foot portion of the fastener to receive a connecting structure subsequent to step (g) such that the fastener can be used to attach the gas turbine engine component to an engine support structure when the connecting structure is installed on the foot portion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein step (d) includes forming the fastener from a ceramic matrix composite fiber material comprising a two-dimensional fabric lay-up.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 including forming the ceramic matrix composite component and integral fastener as a monolithic structure.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein step (f) includes having fibers from the rigid preform structure spreading into a weave of the fiber fastener prior to step (g).

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10 including infiltrating the matrix material into the fibers of the rigid preform structure and the weave of the fiber fastener to form the ceramic matrix composite component with the integral fastener.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11 including forming the ceramic matrix composite component as a nozzle liner to be connected to an underlying engine support structure with the integral fastener.

### Claim 13

A method of forming an integral fastener for a ceramic matrix composite component comprising the steps of:
(a) forming a fiber preform;
(b) rigidizing the preform with a polymer based material to provide a rigid preform structure;
(c) machining an opening in the rigid preform structure;
(d) weaving a fiber fastener;
(e) inserting the fiber fastener into the opening;
(f) oxidizing the rigid perform structure to remove the polymer based material; and
(g) infiltrating a matrix material into the rigid preform structure and fiber fastener to form a ceramic matrix composite component with an integral fastener.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13 wherein step (g) includes using a chemical vapour infiltration process, polymer impregnation pyrolysis process, a slurry impregnation process, and / or a glass transfer molding process.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13 wherein
step (d) includes forming the fiber fastener to have a head portion and a foot portion that has a smaller width than the head portion,
step (c) includes machining the opening to be wider at one surface of the ceramic matrix composite component than at an opposite surface to accommodate the head portion formed in step (d), and
(h) machining the foot portion of the fiber fastener to receive a connecting structure subsequent to step (g).

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13 including forming the fiber preform as a gas turbine engine component.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13 including forming the ceramic matrix composite component and integral fastener as a monolithic structure.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13 wherein step (f) includes having fibers from the rigid preform structure spreading into a weave of the fiber fastener prior to step (g).

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method according to claim 18 including infiltrating the matrix material into the fibers of the rigid preform structure and the weave of the fiber fastener to form the ceramic matrix composite component with the integral fastener.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method according to claim 19 including forming the ceramic matrix composite component as a nozzle liner to be connected to an underlying engine support structure with the integral fastener.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method according to claim 19 wherein
step (d) includes forming the fiber fastener to have a head portion and a foot portion that has a smaller width than the head portion,
step (c) includes machining the opening to provide an enlarged recess starting at one surface of rigid preform structure that transitions into a narrowing portion at an opposite surface of rigid preform structure,
step (e) includes positioning the head portion within the enlarged recess and the foot portion within the narrowing portion, and
including infiltrating the matrix material into the rigid preform structure and into the fiber fastener such that the ceramic matrix composite component and fastener comprise a monolithic structure without any gaps between the fiber fastener and the ceramic matrix composite component.