Composite airfoil assembly
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorAndres Jose GARCIA-CRESPO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A composite blade assembly for mounting on a turbine wheel includes a ceramic airfoil and an airfoil platform. The ceramic airfoil is formed with an airfoil portion, a blade shank portion and a blade dovetail tang. The metal platform includes a platform shank and a radially inner platform dovetail. The ceramic airfoil is captured within the metal platform, such that in use, the ceramic airfoil is held within the turbine wheel independent of the metal platform.
Claims20
A composite blade assembly for mounting in a slot provided on a turbine wheel, the composite blade assembly comprising:
- a ceramic airfoil formed with an airfoil portion, an airfoil shank portion and an airfoil dovetail tang;
- and a metal platform having a platform shank, a platform shank cavity and a radially inner platform dovetail;
- said ceramic airfoil dovetail tang captured within said metal platform shank cavity, such that in use, said ceramic airfoil is held within the slot in the turbine wheel independent of said metal platform.
A turbine rotor wheel comprised of:
- a plurality of composite blade assemblies, each blade assembly comprising a ceramic airfoil and a metal platform having a platform shank and a radially inner platform dovetail;
- said ceramic airfoil having an airfoil dovetail tang captured within said metal platform, such that in use, said ceramic airfoil is held within the turbine wheel independent of said metal platform.
A method of assembling a ceramic airfoil to a metal platform comprising:
- a. providing a ceramic airfoil with an airfoil portion, a shank portion and a radially inner dovetail tang;
- and
- b. casting a metal platform about the shank portion and the radially inner dovetail tang of the ceramic airfoil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.