Method of assembly of bi-cast turbine vane
AssigneesRolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., ROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorsTed J. Freeman, Robert F. Proctor, Sean E. Landwehr, Adam L. Chamberlain
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One aspect of the present disclosure includes a turbine vane assembly comprising a vane made from ceramic matrix composite material having an outer wall extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge and between a first end and an opposing second end; an endwall made at least partially from a ceramic matrix composite material configured to engage the first end of the vane; and a retaining region including corresponding bi-cast grooves formed adjacent the first end of the vane and a receiving aperture formed in the endwall; wherein a bond is formed in the retaining region to join the vane and endwall together.
Claims18
A method of assembling a gas turbine engine vane including an airfoil having an outer surface extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge and between a first end and a second end;
- a through slot extending between the first and second ends of the airfoil;
- and a spar slidingly engaged within the slot of the airfoil, the spar including a pair of extensions each with at least one bi-cast groove formed on opposing ends of the spar, wherein the extensions of the spar are configured to engage with corresponding apertures formed in a pair of opposing endwalls, the method comprising:
- inserting at least one of the pair of extensions into one of the corresponding apertures of the pair of opposing end walls,
- injecting a pre-cursor into the at least one bi-cast groove of the at least one of the pair of extensions, and
- heating the pre-cursor to form a fixed connection between the inserted extension of the spar and a circumferential surface defining the corresponding aperture of the corresponding end wall, wherein the fixed connection is formed between a lateral face of the at least one of the pair of extensions and the circumferential surface of the corresponding aperture, the lateral face of the at least one of the pair of extensions formed to face perpendicularly from a length of the at least one of the pair of extensions inserted into the one of the corresponding apertures, wherein the lateral face includes the at least one bi-cast groove and the circumferential surface includes at least one complimentary bi-cast groove.
A method of assembling a gas turbine engine including at least one vane, the at least one vane including an airfoil having an outer surface extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge and between a first end and a second end;
- a through slot extending between the first and second ends of the airfoil;
- and a spar slidingly engaged within the slot of the airfoil, the spar including a pair of extensions each with at least one bi-cast groove formed on opposing ends thereof, wherein the extensions of the spar are configured to engage with corresponding apertures formed in a pair of opposing endwalls, the method comprising:
- inserting at least one of the pair of extensions into one of the apertures of the pair of opposing end walls,
- injecting a pre-cursor into the at least one bi-cast groove of the at least one of the pair of extensions, and
- heating the pre-cursor to form a fixed connection between the inserted extension of the spar and a circumferential surface defining the corresponding aperture of the corresponding end wall, wherein the fixed connection is formed between a lateral face of the at least one of the pair of extensions and the circumferential surface of the corresponding aperture, the lateral face of the at least one of the pair of extensions formed to face perpendicularly from a length of the at least one of the pair of extensions inserted into the one of the corresponding apertures, wherein the lateral face includes the at least one bi-cast groove and the circumferential surface includes at least one complimentary bi-cast groove.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.