Turbine blade assembly including multiple ceramic matrix composite components

A turbine blade having an airfoil portion, the turbine blade comprising:

• a plurality of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components each having a bottom surface, a top surface spaced apart from the bottom surface, and an outer closed surface that extends between the bottom surface and the top surface, the outer closed surface being non-planar, one of the bottom surface and the top surface of each CMC plurality of CMC components positioned adjacent the other of the bottom surface and the top surface of an adjacent CMC component of the plurality of CMC components such that the outer closed surfaces cooperate to define the airfoil portion;
• a plurality of seams, each seam defined at an interface between two adjacent CMC components and extending around an edge of the outer closed surface of one of the two adjacent CMC components to define a closed loop;
• a plurality of ceramic beads each positioned at and extending completely around one of the plurality of seams, each bead fixedly attaching the two adjacent CMC components that define the respective seam to one another, each bead including a bead outer surface that extends outward beyond the outer closed surface of one of the two adjacent CMC components that define the respective seam;
• and
• an overlayer deposited onto the airfoil portion, the overlayer bonded to the outer closed surfaces of the plurality of CMC components and the bead outer surface.

A method of manufacturing a turbine blade having an airfoil portion, the method comprising:

• forming a plurality of CMC components, each CMC component including an outer surface that defines a portion of the airfoil portion, the outer surface being non-planar;
• positioning a first of the plurality of CMC components adjacent a second of the plurality of CMC components;
• applying a ceramic bead between the first of the plurality of CMC components and the second of the plurality of CMC components, the ceramic bead fixedly attaching the first of the plurality of CMC components and the second of the plurality of CMC components such that their outer surfaces cooperate to define a partial airfoil, and wherein the ceramic bead includes a bead outer surface that extends outward of the outer surfaces;
• positioning a free CMC component of the plurality of CMC components adjacent the partial airfoil;
• forming an additional ceramic bead between the free CMC component and the partial airfoil to fixedly attach the free CMC component to the partial airfoil, the additional ceramic bead including an additional bead outer surface that extends outward of the outer surface of the partial airfoil;
• repeating the positioning a free CMC component and the forming an additional ceramic bead steps until the partial airfoil fully defines the airfoil portion;
• and
• applying an overlay to the airfoil portion, the overlay bonding to the outer surfaces of each of the plurality of CMC components, and each of the bead outer surfaces.