Ceramic matrix composite surface roughness
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorsAshley A. Smith, Andrew J. Lazur, Howard J. Liles
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of improving surface roughness of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) is provided. The method includes completing a formation of the CMCs and a chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) process to initially coat the CMCs, inspecting a CMC surface, identifying, from a result of the inspecting, a defect in the CMC surface that negatively impacts a surface roughness characteristic thereof, locally targeting and ablating the defect and re-inspecting the CMC surface to ensure that the defect is correct.
Claims13
A method of improving surface roughness of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), the method comprising:
- completing a formation of the CMCs and a chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) process to initially coat the CMCs;
- inspecting a CMC surface;
- identifying, from a result of the inspecting, a defect in the CMC surface in a form of a deviation of a fiber of the CMC surface from a nominal shape of the fiber that negatively impacts a surface roughness characteristic thereof;
- locally targeting and ablating the defect by smoothing the fiber of the CMC surface;
- and
- re-inspecting the CMC surface to ensure that the defect is corrected,
- wherein the ablating comprises one of laser machining and an abrasive process to smooth the fiber of the CMC surface at and around a location of the defect without smoothing neighboring fibers.
A method of improving surface roughness of an aerodynamic component formed of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), the method comprising:
- completing a formation of the aerodynamic component formed of the CMCs and a chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) process to initially coat the CMCs;
- inspecting a CMC surface of the aerodynamic component;
- identifying, from a result of the inspecting, a defect in the CMC surface in a form of a deviation of a fiber of the CMC surface from a nominal shape of the fiber that negatively impacts a surface roughness characteristic thereof;
- locally targeting and ablating the defect by smoothing the fiber of the CMC surface;
- and
- re-inspecting the surface to ensure that the defect is corrected,
- wherein the ablating comprises one of laser machining and an abrasive process to smooth the fiber of the CMC surface at and around a location of the defect without smoothing neighboring fibers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.