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US 12,655,774 B1Granted
CMC component WTH spring element
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorsRussell Kim, Monty Harned, David J. Wasserman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Interference fits between CMC components and ancillary metal hardware within an engine casing can lead to damage to the CMC component and features thereof during assembly and/or over duration of many operating cycles. A method and arrangement are provided to prevent or ameliorate harmful effects resulting from interactions between CMC components and ancillary metal hardware by using spring elements. The spring elements are held in compression between an end wall of a bore hole in ancillary metal hardware and a structural feature, such as a flange, of the CMC component to urge the CMC component into a sealing and supporting engagement with a surface of ancillary metal hardware.
Claims18
An arrangement for attaching a ceramic matrix component (CMC) to ancillary hardware of a gas turbine engine, the arrangement comprising:
- the CMC component comprising a substrate containing ceramic fibers or fiber tows within a matrix, the substrate having an outer radial surface and a first forward flange and a second aft flange, each flange extending from the outer radial surface in the radial direction;
- one or more ancillary hardware elements for bearing the load of the CMC component, wherein at least one of the one or more ancillary hardware elements has a slot for receiving one of the first forward flange and the second aft flange of the CMC component, and at least one of the one or more ancillary hardware elements has a bore hole;
- a spring element positioned within the bore hole, wherein the bore hole has a cross section that accommodates the cross section of the spring element and the spring element is held in compression between an end wall of the bore hole and a surface of the one of the first forward flange and the second aft flange, whereby compressive force from the spring element held in compression urges at least one of the first forward flange and the second aft flange into sealing contact with a surface of one of the one or more ancillary hardware elements;
- and
- a retainment pin which passes through a hole in each of the first forward flange and the second aft flange, the retainment pin having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and second end of the retainment pin are positioned within recesses in the one or more ancillary hardware elements to thereby support the CMC component.
2 more elements
A method of attaching a ceramic matrix component (CMC) to ancillary hardware of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
- providing the CMC component comprising a substrate containing ceramic fibers or fiber tows within a matrix, the substrate having an outer radial surface and a first forward flange and a second aft flange extending from the outer radial surface, and wherein a retainment pin passes through a hole in each of the first forward flange and the second aft flange, the retainment pin having a first end and a second end;
- providing one or more ancillary hardware elements for bearing the load of the CMC component, the one or more ancillary hardware elements having a slot for receiving one of the first forward flange and the second aft flange of the CMC component, and a bore hole that connects to the slot, wherein the first end and/or the second end of the retainment pin are positioned within recesses in the one or more ancillary hardware elements to thereby support the CMC component;
- and
- positioning a spring element within the bore hole,
- wherein the bore hole has a cross section that accommodates the cross section of the spring element and the spring element is held in compression between a wall of the bore hole and a surface of the one of the first forward flange and second aft flange, and the retainment pin extends through the spring element.
2 more elements
A turbine engine comprising:
- a fan section, a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section, the turbine section including at least one rotor and one or more turbine blade(s) extending radially outwardly from the at least one rotor;
- a CMC component comprising a substrate containing ceramic fibers or fiber tows within a matrix, the substrate having an outer radial surface and a first forward flange and a second aft flange, each flange extending from the outer radial surface in the radial direction;
- one or more ancillary hardware elements for bearing the load of the CMC component, wherein at least one of the one or more ancillary hardware elements has a slot for receiving one of the first forward flange and the second aft flange of the CMC component, and at least one of the one or more ancillary hardware elements has a bore hole,
- a spring element positioned within the bore hole, wherein the bore hole has a cross section that accommodates the cross section of the spring element and the spring element is held in compression between an end wall of the bore hole and a surface of the one of the first forward flange and the second aft, whereby compressive force from the spring element held in compression urges at least one of the first forward flange and the second aft flange into sealing contact with a surface of one of the one or more ancillary hardware elements, and
- a retainment pin which passes through a hole in each of the first forward flange and the second aft flange, the retainment pin having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and second end of the retainment pin are positioned within recesses in the one or more ancillary hardware elements to thereby support the CMC component.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.