# US 11,898,463 B2 · Airfoil assembly with fiber-reinforced composite rings

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- Number: US 11,898,463 B2
- Document ID: US11898463B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/215,513
- Filed: 2021-03-29
- Published: 2022-09-29
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2021-03-29
- Assignees: Rtx Corporation
- Applicants: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
- Inventors: Jon E. Sobanski
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11898463B2

## CPC

- F01D 5/282: {Selecting composite materials, e.g. blades with reinforcing filaments}
- F01D 9/065: {Fluid supply or removal conduits traversing the working fluid flow, e.g. for lubrication-, cooling-, or sealing fluids (see also F01D25/16, F01D25/24 and F01D25/26)}
- F01D 5/147: {Construction, i.e. structural features, e.g. of weight-saving hollow blades (F01D5/148, F01D5/16 and F01D5/20 take precedence; blade shape F01D5/141; blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities F01D5/18; heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades F01D5/18)}
- 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
- F01D 5/186: {Film cooling (F01D5/187 takes precedence)}
- F01D 5/284: {Selection of ceramic materials}
- F01D 9/041: {using blades (F01D5/148 takes precedence)}
- F01D 9/047: {Nozzle boxes}
- F02C 3/04: having a turbine driving a compressor (power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16)
- F02C 7/18: the medium being gaseous, e.g. air {(F02C7/125 takes precedence)}
- F05D 2220/32: in gas turbines
- F05D 2230/314: by chemical vapour deposition
- F05D 2230/50: Building or constructing in particular ways
- F05D 2240/12: Fluid guiding means, e.g. vanes
- F05D 2240/128: Nozzles
- F05D 2240/24: for turbines
- F05D 2240/35: Combustors or associated equipment
- F05D 2240/80: Platforms for stationary or moving blades
- F05D 2260/232: characterized by the cooling medium
- F05D 2300/224: Carbon, e.g. graphite
- F05D 2300/43: Synthetic polymers, e.g. plastics; Rubber
- F05D 2300/603: Composites; e.g. fibre-reinforced
- F05D 2300/6032: Metal matrix composites [MMC]
- F05D 2300/6033: Ceramic matrix composites [CMC]
- F05D 2300/6034: Orientation of fibres, weaving, ply angle
- Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
- 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)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

An airfoil assembly includes first and second fiber-reinforced composite airfoil rings. Each ring is comprised of inner and outer platform sections, a suction side wall that extends between the inner and outer platforms, and a pressure side wall that extends between the inner and outer platforms. the first ring mates at an interface with the second ring such that the suction side wall of the first ring and the pressure side wall of the second ring together form an airfoil that circumscribes an internal cavity. The interface along the airfoil includes a gap that is configured to emit cooling air from the internal cavity.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An airfoil assembly comprising:
first and second fiber-reinforced composite airfoil rings each comprised of inner and outer platform sections, a suction side wall extending between the inner and outer platforms, and a pressure side wall extending between the inner and outer platforms, each of the first and second fiber-reinforced composite airfoil rings including an endless braid, the first fiber-reinforced composite airfoil ring mating at an interface with the second fiber-reinforced composite airfoil ring such that the suction side wall of the first fiber-reinforced composite airfoil ring and the pressure side wall of the second fiber-reinforced composite airfoil ring together form an airfoil that circumscribes an internal cavity, wherein the interface along the airfoil includes a gap configured to emit cooling air from the internal cavity, and the gap diverges starting from an inner surface of the internal cavity and continuing to an outer surface of the exterior of the airfoil, the suction side wall including a first gusset projecting into the internal cavity and the pressure side wall including a second gusset projecting into the internal cavity, the first gusset and the second gusset defining a passage there between, and a seal including an aft seal wall including inlet orifices, a forward seal wall including outlet orifices, and radially inner and outer end walls joining the forward seal wall and the aft seal wall to form a seal ring that circumscribes a seal manifold region that connects the inlet orifices and the outlet orifices to provide a flow-through passage through the seal, the forward seal wall and the aft seal wall defining a first pair of legs straddling the first gusset and a second pair of legs straddling the second gusset.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The airfoil assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the airfoil defines a leading edge and a trailing edge, and the interface extends through at least one of the leading edge or the trailing edge.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The airfoil assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising a baffle that has inner and outer end sections, an intermediate section there between, and transition sections from the intermediate section to the inner and outer end sections, the transition sections diverging from the intermediate section to the respective inner and outer end sections.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The airfoil assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the fiber-reinforced composite of the first and second fiber-reinforced composite airfoil rings is ceramic matrix composite.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The airfoil assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the endless braid is a seamless woven sleeve.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The airfoil assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein the seamless woven sleeve extends through the inner and outer platform sections, through the suction side wall, through the pressure side wall, and from a leading edge to a trailing edge of the suction side wall and the pressure side wall.

### Claim 7

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 a plurality of airfoil assemblies disposed about a central axis of the gas turbine engine, each of the airfoil assemblies includes:
first and second fiber-reinforced composite airfoil rings each comprised of inner and outer platform sections, a suction side wall extending between the inner and outer platforms, and a pressure side wall extending between the inner and outer platforms, the first fiber-reinforced composite airfoil ring mating at an interface with the second fiber-reinforced composite airfoil ring such that the suction side wall of the first fiber-reinforced composite airfoil ring and the pressure side wall of the second fiber-reinforced composite airfoil ring together form an airfoil that circumscribes an internal cavity, wherein the interface along the airfoil includes a gap configured to emit cooling air from the internal cavity, and a seal in the internal cavity, the seal being disposed proximate the gap, the suction side wall including a first gusset projecting into the internal cavity and the pressure side wall including a second gusset projecting into the internal cavity, the first gusset and the second gusset defining a passage there between, and the seal including an aft seal wall including inlet orifices, a forward seal wall including outlet orifices, and radially inner and outer end walls joining the forward seal wall and the aft seal wall to form a seal ring that circumscribes a seal manifold region that connects the inlet orifices and the outlet orifices to provide a flow-through passage through the seal, the forward seal wall and the aft seal wall defining a first pair of legs straddling the first gusset and a second pair of legs straddling the second gusset.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the airfoil defines a leading edge and a trailing edge, and the interface extends through at least one of the leading edge or the trailing edge.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 7, wherein each of the first and second fiber-reinforced composite airfoil rings includes an endless braid.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the gap diverges from the internal cavity to an exterior of the airfoil.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the first and second fiber-reinforced composite airfoil rings include respective mate faces along the interface, and at least one of the mate faces includes flow guides that protrude into the gap.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 7, further comprising a baffle that has inner and outer end sections, an intermediate section there between, and transition sections from the intermediate section to the inner and outer end sections, the transition sections diverging from the intermediate section to the respective inner and outer end sections.