Localized thickening ply reinforcement within ceramic matrix composite airfoil cavity
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorHoward J. Liles
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A CMC component for a gas turbine engine includes an airfoil including a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction sidewall, and a pressure sidewall having a locally-thickened region, the locally-thickened region being a maximum thickness region of the pressure sidewall. The locally-thickened region has a first thickness, a maximum thickness region of the suction sidewall has a second thickness, and the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.
Claims20
A CMC component for a gas turbine engine comprising:
- an airfoil comprising:
- a leading edge;
- a trailing edge;
- a suction sidewall;
- and
- a pressure sidewall comprising a locally-thickened region,
- wherein the locally-thickened region has a first thickness, the first thickness being a maximum thickness of the pressure sidewall;
- wherein the suction sidewall has a second thickness, the second thickness being a maximum thickness of the suction sidewall;
- and
- wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.
A method of forming a CMC component, the method comprising:
- identifying stress regions in the component exceeding a threshold value;
- subsequently, forming a preform by:
- laying up a first subset of plies over a mandrel;
- laying up at least one reinforcing ply over the first subset of plies, the at least one reinforcing ply coextensive with the stress regions;
- and
- laying up a second subset of plies over the at least one reinforcing ply;
- and
- densifying the preform with a ceramic matrix.
A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine, the vane assembly comprising:
- an inner case;
- an outer case;
- and
- at least one CMC vane coupled between the inner case and the outer case, the at least one CMC vane comprising:
- an inner diameter platform;
- an outer diameter platform;
- and
- an airfoil connected to and extending between the inner diameter platform and the outer diameter platform, the airfoil comprising:
- a leading edge;
- a trailing edge;
- a suction sidewall;
- and
- a pressure sidewall comprising a locally-thickened region extending from the inner diameter platform or the outer diameter platform toward a midspan region pressure sidewall,
- wherein the locally-thickened region has a first thickness, the first thickness being a maximum thickness of the pressure sidewall;
- wherein the suction sidewall has a second thickness, the second thickness being a maximum thickness of the suction sidewall;
- and
- wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.