# US 2017/0254207 A1 · Turbine blade with heat shield > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0254207 A1 - Document ID: US20170254207A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/062,670 - Filed: 2016-03-07 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-07 - Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE plc; Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc. - Applicants: Rolls-Royce Corporation; Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Tara G. Schetzel; Ted J. Freeman; David J. Thomas - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170254207A1 ## CPC - F01D 5/147: {Construction, i.e. structural features, e.g. of weight-saving hollow blades (F01D5/148, F01D5/16 and F01D5/20 take precedence; blade shape F01D5/141; blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities F01D5/18; heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades F01D5/18)} - B23P 15/04: turbine or like blades from several pieces - F01D 5/187: {Convection cooling} - F01D 5/20: Specially-shaped blade tips to seal space between tips and stator {(F01D5/225 takes precedence)} - F01D 5/225: {by shrouding} - F01D 5/282: {Selecting composite materials, e.g. blades with reinforcing filaments} - F01D 5/284: {Selection of ceramic materials} - F05D 2220/32: in gas turbines - F05D 2230/237: Brazing - F05D 2250/241: spherical - F05D 2260/2214: by increasing the heat transfer surface - F05D 2260/231: Preventing heat transfer - F05D 2300/6033: Ceramic matrix composites [CMC] - 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) - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - 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 An airfoil assembly for use in a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The airfoil assembly includes a root, a tip shroud, and an airfoil located between the root and tip shroud. The airfoil includes a spar, a heat shield arranged around the spar, and a plurality of describe rigid load supports extending between the spar and the heat shield to transfer loads between the heat shield and the spar. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An airfoil adapted for use in a gas turbine engine, the airfoil comprising a spar comprising metallic materials and formed to include a core body and a tail, the tail shaped to form a trailing edge of the airfoil, a heat shield comprising ceramic materials and shaped to extend around the core body to form a leading edge, a forward portion of a pressure side of the airfoil, and a forward portion of a suction side of the airfoil, the heat shield located in spaced-apart relation to the core body to define cooling passages between the spar and the heat shield, and a plurality of rigid load supports that extend between the spar and the heat shield to transfer loads from the heat shield to the spar during use in the gas turbine engine while maintaining the cooling passages between the spar and the heat shield. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the heat shield forms a majority of the pressure side and a majority of the suction side of the airfoil. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the tail of the spar is shaped to form an aft portion of the suction side and an aft portion of the pressure side. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The airfoil of claim 3, wherein the core body of the spar includes a cavity, an inner surface facing the cavity, an outer surface facing away from the cavity, and a plurality of vent holes that extend through the inner surface and the outer surface of the core body and open into the cooling passages. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The airfoil of claim 4, wherein an aft portion of the suction side of the heat shield is spaced apart from the tail of the spar to define a first outlet that opens into the cooling passages. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The airfoil of claim 5, wherein the aft portion of the pressure side of the heat shield is spaced apart from the tail of the spar to define a second outlet that opens into the cooling passages. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The airfoil of claim 3, wherein the core body includes a forward spar portion and an aft spar portion spaced-apart from the forward spar portion to define a heat shield channel therebetween and a portion of the heat shield extends into the heat shield channel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The airfoil of claim 3, wherein a portion of the heat shield interlocks with the core body to form a dovetail joint. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the heat shield interlocks with the tail. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The airfoil of claim 9, wherein a suction side portion of the heat shield is located between the tail and the core body. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The airfoil of claim 10, wherein the heat shield includes a first end located on the pressure side of the airfoil and a second end located on the suction side of the airfoil, and at least one of the first end and the second end is received by the tail to form a dovetail joint. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the rigid load supports include at least one of a radially extending rib and a discrete generally hemi-spherical support. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The airfoil of claim 12, wherein the core body is formed to include the plurality of rigid load supports. ### Claim 14 An airfoil adapted for use in a gas turbine engine, the airfoil comprising a spar comprising metallic materials and formed to include a core body and a tail, the tail shaped to form an aft portion of a pressure side of the airfoil, an aft portion of a suction side of the airfoil, and a trailing edge of the airfoil, and a heat shield comprising ceramic materials and shaped to extend around the core body to form a leading edge of the airfoil, a forward portion of the pressure side of the airfoil, and a forward portion of the suction side of the airfoil, wherein the forward portion of the pressure side is greater than half of the pressure side and the forward portion of the suction side is greater than half of the suction side. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The airfoil of claim 14, wherein a plurality of rigid load supports extend between the spar and the heat shield and the rigid load supports include at least one of a radially extending rib and a discrete generally hemi-spherical support. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The airfoil of claim 15, wherein the core body includes a cavity and the tail is formed to include a trailing edge vent passage that extends from the cavity to the trailing edge. ### Claim 17 A turbine-blade assembly adapted for use in a gas turbine engine, the turbine-blade assembly comprising a root including a root platform and a stem adapted to attach the turbine-blade assembly to the gas turbine engine for rotation about a central axis of the gas turbine engine, an airfoil including a spar comprising metallic materials and a heat shield comprising ceramic materials, the spar extending outward from the root platform and formed to include a core body, a tail forming a trailing edge of the airfoil, and an airfoil retainer extending outwardly away from the core body, the heat shield shaped to extend around the core body to form a leading edge, a forward portion of a pressure side of the airfoil, and a forward portion of a suction side of the airfoil, the heat shield located in spaced-apart relation to the core body to define cooling passages between the spar and the heat shield, and a tip shroud spaced-apart from the root, the tip shroud formed to include an airfoil retainer aperture extending through the tip shroud, and configured to receive the airfoil retainer of the spar therethrough to couple the spar to the tip shroud. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The turbine-blade assembly of claim 17, wherein the airfoil further includes a plurality of discrete rigid load supports that extend between the spar and the heat shield. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The turbine-blade assembly of claim 18, wherein the airfoil retainer includes a first knife edge configured to couple the airfoil retainer to the spar, an insert pin, and an aperture arranged to receive the insert pin so the tip shroud is located between the insert pin and the core body. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The turbine-blade assembly of claim 19, wherein the airfoil retainer is brazed to the tip shroud to couple the spar to the tip shroud.