Multi-piece mandrel for building up airfoil structure
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorsJonathan L. Chin, Alyson T. Burdette, Jon Erik Sobanski, Rutva A Patel, Thiago B. Vieira, Andrew S. Miller
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Abstract
A mandrel includes a mandrel body upon which to build ceramic matrix composite (“CMC”) yarns to provide a shear tube for building up an airfoil from CMC fabric layers. The mandrel body formed of at least two mandrel parts interfitting to define a desired shape for the shear tube, and such that after formation of the airfoil the at least two parts of the mandrel body can be separately removed from the shear tube in order to facilitate removal. A method is also disclosed.
Claims8
A method of forming a gas turbine engine component having a airfoil including the steps of:
- providing a mandrel formed of at least two mandrel parts, with interfitting structure to hold the at least two mandrel parts together;
- forming a shear tube on an outer surface of the at least two parts of the mandrel by placing a ceramic matrix composite (“CMC”) yarn on the outer surface of the at least two mandrel parts;
- forming additional CMC fabric layers on the shear tube to form the airfoil;
- beginning densifying the CMC fabric layers and yarn;
- removing one of the at least two mandrel parts;
- and
- then removing an other of the at least two mandrel parts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.