Composite structure for a turbine engine

A method of manufacturing a composite component for a gas turbine engine, the composite component including an outer shell extending circumferentially about a centerline axis, an inner hub extending circumferentially about the centerline axis, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart struts connecting the outer shell and the inner hub, the method comprising:

• weaving an initial outer shell hoop preform including a plurality of bifurcated strut portions on an exterior side of the initial outer shell hoop preform;
• turning the initial outer shell hoop preform inside-out to form a woven outer shell hoop preform such that an exterior side of the initial outer shell hoop preform is an interior side of the woven outer shell hoop preform and the plurality of bifurcated strut portions are arranged on the interior side of the woven outer shell hoop preform to extend radially inward;
• installing the woven outer shell hoop preform onto a mold tooling structure;
• installing an inner hub hoop preform onto the mold tooling structure, the inner hub hoop preform including a plurality of inner hub pi-joint members arranged on an outer side of the inner hub hoop preform;
• inserting respective ones of the plurality of bifurcated strut portions of the woven outer shell hoop preform into respective ones of the plurality of inner hub pi-joint members, and connecting the respective ones of the plurality of bifurcated strut portions to the respective ones of the plurality of inner hub pi-joint members;
• injecting a matrix material into the mold tooling structure;
• and
• applying a curing process to the mold tooling structure to obtain a molded composite component.