CMC vane arc segment with cantilevered spar
AssigneeRaytheon Technologies Corporation
InventorRobert A. White, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vane arc segment includes a hollow ceramic airfoil section that has walls that define an internal cavity, a trailing edge, a leading edge, a pressure side, and a suction side. A structural spar piece supports the hollow ceramic airfoil section. The spar piece includes a first spar platform, a hollow leg that has a proximal end at the spar platform and an opposed distal end. The hollow leg extends into the internal cavity of the hollow ceramic airfoil section and has an outer surface with raised bearing pads. Multiple ones of the bearing pads contact the walls of the hollow ceramic airfoil section to support the hollow ceramic airfoil section. A second spar platform is secured with the distal end of the leg.
Claims18
A vane arc segment comprising:
- a hollow ceramic airfoil section having walls defining an internal cavity, a trailing edge, a leading edge, a pressure side, and a suction side, the walls defining one or more ribs that divide the internal cavity into a plurality of cavities;
- and
- a structural spar piece supporting the hollow ceramic airfoil section, the structural spar piece having:
- a first spar platform,
- a hollow leg having a proximal end at the spar platform and an opposed distal end, the leg having a first side facing toward the pressure side, a second side facing toward the suction side, and a third side that faces toward the one or more ribs, the hollow leg extending into the internal cavity of the hollow ceramic airfoil section,
- the hollow leg defining an outer surface with raised bearing pads projecting therefrom on the first side, the second side, and the third side,
- multiple ones of the raised bearing pads contacting the walls of the hollow ceramic airfoil section to support the hollow ceramic airfoil section, and
- a second spar platform secured with the distal end of the leg.
A vane arc segment comprising:
- a hollow ceramic airfoil section having walls defining forward and aft internal cavities, a trailing edge, a leading edge, a pressure side, and a suction side;
- and
- a structural spar piece supporting the hollow ceramic airfoil section, the structural spar piece having:
- a first spar platform,
- first and second hollow legs each having a proximal end at the first spar platform and an opposed distal end, the first hollow leg extending into the forward internal cavity and the second hollow leg extending into the aft internal cavity,
- the first and second hollow legs each defining an outer surface with raised bearing pads projecting therefrom, each of the first and second hollow legs including an internal spar cavity that is fluidly isolated in the hollow ceramic airfoil section from, respectively, the forward and aft internal cavities,
- the raised bearing pads contacting the walls of the hollow ceramic airfoil section to support the hollow ceramic airfoil section, and
- a second spar platform secured with the distal end of at least one of the first or second hollow legs.
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a compressor section;
- a combustor in fluid communication with the compressor section;
- and
- a turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor, the turbine section having vane arc segments disposed about a central axis of the gas turbine engine, each of the vane arc segments includes:
- a hollow ceramic airfoil section having walls defining an internal cavity, a trailing edge, a leading edge, a pressure side, and a suction side, the walls defining a rib connecting the pressure side and the suction side and dividing the internal cavity into forward and aft internal cavities;
- and
- a structural spar piece supporting the hollow ceramic airfoil section, the structural spar piece having:
- a first spar platform,
- first and second hollow legs each having a proximal end at the first spar platform and an opposed distal end, the structural spar piece straddling the rib such that the first hollow leg extending into the forward internal cavity and the second hollow leg extending into the aft internal cavity,
- the first and second hollow legs each defining an outer surface with raised bearing pads projecting therefrom,
- the raised bearing pads contacting the walls of the hollow ceramic airfoil section to support the hollow ceramic airfoil section, and
- a second spar platform secured with the distal end of at least one of the first or second hollow legs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.