Vane assembly for a gas turbine engine
AssigneesRolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., ROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorsDavid J. Thomas, Ted J. Freeman, Jeffrey A. Walston, Andrew J. Lazur
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine is disclosed herein. The vane assembly includes an inner platform, an outer platform, and a ceramic-containing airfoil that extends from the inner platform to the outer platform. The ceramic-containing airfoil is manufactured to have radially discontinuous ribs spaced radially apart from one another between the inner platform and the outer platform.
Claims20
A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine, the assembly comprising
- an inner platform and an outer platform spaced apart from the inner platform to define a gas path therebetween, and
- a ceramic-matrix composite airfoil that extends from the inner platform to the outer platform across the gas path, the ceramic-matrix composite airfoil formed to include a pressure side, a suction side, and a plurality of axially-aligned ribs spaced radially apart from one another between the inner platform and the outer platform that interconnect the pressure side with the suction side,
- wherein the ceramic-matrix composite airfoil includes (i) a core comprising ceramic-containing reinforcements and having a first tube formed to include windows and a second tube formed to include windows, and (ii) an overwrap that wraps around the core to form the pressure side and the suction side of the airfoil, and
- wherein the windows of the second tube are aligned with the windows of the first tube so that the plurality of axially-aligned ribs are formed by material of the first tube and the second tube arranged between the windows of the first tube and the windows of the second tube.
A ceramic-matrix composite airfoil adapted for use in a gas turbine engine, the airfoil comprising
- a core comprising ceramic-containing reinforcements and including a first tube formed to include windows, and
- an overwrap that wraps around the core to form the pressure side and the suction side of the airfoil,
- wherein a plurality of ribs that extend between the pressure side and the suction side are formed by material of the first tube arranged between the windows of the first tube.
A method of making a ceramic-matrix composite airfoil for use in a gas turbine engine, the method comprising
- aligning radially-spaced windows formed in a first tube comprising ceramic-containing reinforcements with radially-spaced windows formed in a second tube comprising ceramic-containing reinforcements to form a core having a plurality of ribs spaced radially apart from one another,
- wrapping an overwrap around the core to define a pressure side and a suction side of the airfoil that are interconnected by the plurality of ribs, and
- co-processing the core and the overwrap to bond the core and the overwrap with ceramic matrix material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.