# US 2013/0156594 A1 · Composite rotor and vane assemblies with integral airfoils

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- Number: US 2013/0156594 A1
- Document ID: US20130156594A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/331,418
- Filed: 2011-12-20
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-20
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Nicholas Joseph Kray; Christopher Lee McAfee; Dong-Jin Shim
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130156594A1

## CPC

- F01D 5/282: {Selecting composite materials, e.g. blades with reinforcing filaments}
- B29B 11/16: comprising fillers or reinforcement {(non-woven fabrics per se D04H1/00, D04H3/00)}
- F01D 5/34: Rotor-blade aggregates of unitary construction {, e.g. formed of sheet laminae; (discs formed of sheet laminae F01D5/028; ceramic materials F01D5/284, composite materials F01D5/282)}
- F01D 9/042: {fixing blades to stators (fixing stator-rings in the casing or to each other F01D25/246)}
- B29C 70/48: and impregnating the reinforcements in the closed mould, e.g. resin transfer moulding [RTM] {, e.g. by vacuum}
- B29L 2031/08: Blades for rotors, stators, fans, turbines or the like, e.g. screw propellers
- F01D 5/30: Fixing blades to rotors; Blade roots {; Blade spacers}
- 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)
- B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- 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

A composite gas turbine engine structure includes a retention ring with airfoils mounted on, integral with, and extending radially away from retention ring. Retention ring includes annular composite plies, a circumferentially segmented airfoil ring including airfoil ring segments disposed around one of outer and inner circumferences of retention ring. Airfoil ring segments include annular bases and radially extending clockwise and counter-clockwise airfoil segments at clockwise and counter-clockwise ends of annular base. Composite airfoils include circumferentially adjacent ones of the clockwise and counter-clockwise airfoil segments. A flowpath shell circumferentially disposed around segmented airfoil ring traps annular bases between flowpath shell and retention ring. Composite airfoils airfoils extend through slots in flowpath shell. Plies may be wrapped in a single spiral made from a continuous composite tape. Slots may be circumferentially angled. Circumferentially adjacent ones of clockwise and counter-clockwise airfoil segments may be stitched together.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A composite gas turbine engine structure comprising:
an annular composite retention ring circumscribed about a centerline axis,
composite airfoils mounted on and integral with and extending radially away from the retention ring,
the retention ring including annular composite plies,
a circumferentially segmented airfoil ring including airfoil ring segments disposed around one of an outer and inner circumferences of the retention ring,
each of airfoil ring segments including an annular base and radially extending clockwise and counter-clockwise airfoil segments at clockwise and counter-clockwise ends of the annular base,
each of the composite airfoils including circumferentially adjacent ones of the clockwise and counter-clockwise airfoil segments,
a flowpath shell circumferentially disposed around the segmented airfoil ring and trapping the annular bases between the flowpath shell and the retention ring, and
the composite airfoils airfoils extending through slots in the flowpath shell.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the annular composite plies wrapped in a single spiral.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the annular composite plies and the single spiral are made from a continuous composite tape.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the retention ring, the composite airfoils, and the inner or outer flowpath shell made at least in part from a carbon fiber woven material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The structure as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the annular composite plies wrapped in a single spiral.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the annular composite plies and the single spiral formed from a continuous composite tape.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the circumferentially adjacent ones of the clockwise and counter-clockwise airfoil segments being stitched together.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the slots being circumferentially angled or canted in a clockwise direction or a counter-clockwise direction.

### Claim 9

A composite gas turbine engine structure comprising:
an annular retention ring radially spaced apart and inwardly of an annular composite shroud,
the retention ring and the shroud circumscribed about a centerline axis,
composite airfoils integral with and extending radially between the retention ring and the shroud,
the retention ring and the shroud including annular composite plies,
a circumferentially segmented composite airfoil ring including airfoil ring segments disposed around an outer circumference of the retention ring,
each of airfoil ring segments including an annular base and radially extending clockwise and counter-clockwise airfoil segments at clockwise and counter-clockwise ends of the annular base,
each of the composite airfoils including circumferentially adjacent ones of the clockwise and counter-clockwise airfoil segments,
an inner flowpath shell circumferentially disposed around the segmented airfoil ring and trapping the annular bases between the inner flowpath shell and the retention ring, and
the composite airfoils and the clockwise and counter-clockwise airfoil segments extending through inner slots in the inner flowpath shell.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The structure as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:
the annular composite shroud including an outer flowpath shell circumferentially disposed around and radially outwardly spaced apart from the outer flowpath shell,
the clockwise and counter-clockwise airfoil segments extending radially outwardly through axially extending outer airfoil slots in the outer flowpath shell, and
clockwise and counter-clockwise shroud segments extending circumferentially counter-clockwise and clockwise from the clockwise and counter-clockwise airfoil segments respectively along and around the outer flowpath shell.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The structure as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the annular composite plies wrapped in a single spiral in each of the retention ring and the annular composite shroud.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein the annular composite plies and the single spirals are made from continuous composite tape.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The structure as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the retention ring, the annular composite shroud, and the composite airfoils made at least in part from a carbon fiber woven material.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The structure as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the circumferentially adjacent ones of the clockwise and counter-clockwise airfoil segments being stitched together.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The structure as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the slots being circumferentially angled or canted in a clockwise direction or a counter-clockwise direction.

### Claim 16

A method for making a gas turbine engine component composite structure, the method comprising:
forming an integral preform having airfoil panels extend radially outwardly from and integral with a ring section,
forming the ring section by wrapping a composite tape made of carbon fiber woven material,
providing airfoil coupons made from the carbon fiber woven material and including a middle section and clockwise and counter-clockwise sections extending away from the middle section,
positioning the airfoil coupons around the ring section with the middle sections on the ring section,
positioning a sock made from the carbon fiber woven material radially outwardly of and covering the middle sections of the airfoil coupons with the clockwise and counter-clockwise sections extending through sock slots in the sock,
positioning the clockwise and counter-clockwise sections to extend radially away from the middle sections to form the airfoil panels, and
introducing resin into the preform and molding the preform and the resin to form the composite structure.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising using resin transfer molding or vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding for the molding.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising sewing or stitching together circumferentially adjoining ones of the clockwise and counter-clockwise sections before the molding.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising providing the sock with the sock slots circumferentially angled or canted around the ring section.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising sewing or stitching together circumferentially adjoining ones of the clockwise and counter-clockwise sections before the molding.

### Claim 21

A method for making a gas turbine engine component composite structure, the method comprising:
forming a preform integrally with airfoil panels extending radially between inner and outer ring sections,
forming the integral stator preform with carbon fiber woven material,
forming the inner and outer ring sections by wrapping composite tape made of the carbon fiber woven material,
providing airfoil coupons made from the carbon fiber woven material and including a middle section and clockwise and counter-clockwise sections extending away from the middle section,
each of the clockwise and counter-clockwise sections including a panel section attached to the middle section and a shroud section attached to the panel section,
positioning the airfoil coupons around the inner ring sections,
providing inner and outer socks made from the carbon fiber woven material,
positioning the inner sock radially outwardly of and covering the middle sections of the airfoil coupons with the clockwise and counter-clockwise sections extending through inner sock slots in the inner sock,
positioning the clockwise and counter-clockwise sections to extend radially away from the middle sections to form the airfoil panels,
drawing or passing the shroud sections through outer sock slots in the outer sock,
positioning the shroud sections of the clockwise and counter-clockwise sections extending circumferentially away from the panel sections in the clockwise and counter-clockwise directions respectively around an inner circumferences or inner diameter of the outer ring section, and
introducing resin into the preform and molding the preform and the resin to form the composite structure.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method as claimed in claim 21 further comprising trapping the middle sections of the airfoil coupons between the inner sock and the inner ring section and trapping the shroud sections of the clockwise and counter-clockwise sections of the airfoil coupons between the outer sock and the outer ring section of the stator preform.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method as claimed in claim 22 further comprising using resin transfer molding or vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding for the molding.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The method as claimed in claim 22 further comprising sewing or stitching together circumferentially adjoining ones of the panel sections of the clockwise and counter-clockwise sections before the molding.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method as claimed in claim 24 further comprising providing the inner and outer socks with the inner and outer sock slots circumferentially angled or canted around the inner and outer ring sections.