Method of making a composite blade with divergent root
AssigneeAirfoil Textron Inc.
InventorsCarlos Bailey, Raymond G. Spain
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A composite gas turbine engine blade is made by braiding a plurality of fibers to form a preform having an airfoil precursor portion and an integral root precursor portion. A plurality of fiber shaping inserts are positioned in the root precursor portion, either by braiding the root precursor portion around the inserts or inserting the fiber shaping inserts into the root precursor portion after braiding, to impart an enlarged, divergent shape (e.g., dovetail precursor shape) to the braided root precursor portion. The braided preform with the enlarged, shaped root precursor portion is infiltrated with matrix material and shaped to near net shape to provide the composite blade with a dovetail shaped root.
Claims36
A method for making a composite gas turbine engine blade having an airfoil and an integral root, comprising the steps of:
- (a) braiding a plurality of fibers to form a preform having an airfoil precursor portion and an integral root precursor portion,
- (b) inserting a plurality of fiber shaping inserts into the root precursor portion to extend in a chordwise direction of the blade and in a pattern to impart an enlarged, divergent shape to the root precursor portion in a direction transverse to said chordwise direction, and
- (c) disposing the preform having the root precursor portion enlarged and divergently shaped by said inserts in a matrix material to form a composite gas turbine engine blade.
A method for making a composite gas turbine engine blade having an airfoil and an integral root, comprising the steps of:
- (a) braiding a plurality of fibers to form a preform having an airfoil precursor portion and an integral root precursor portion, including inserting a plurality of fiber shaping inserts through the fibers in a chordwise direction of the blade and braiding the fibers at least partially around said inserts to impart an enlarged, divergent shape to the root precursor portion in a direction transverse to said chordwise direction, and
- (b) disposing the preform having the root precursor portion enlarged and divergently shaped by said inserts in a matrix material to form a composite gas turbine engine blade.
A method for making a composite gas turbine engine blade having an airfoil and an integral root, comprising the steps of:
- (a) braiding a plurality of fibers to form a preform having an airfoil precursor portion and an integral root precursor portion, including inserting a plurality of removable shaping inserts through the fibers in a chordwise direction of the blade and braiding the fibers at least partially around said removable inserts to impart an enlarged, divergent shape to the root precursor portion in a direction transverse to said chordwise direction,
- (b) replacing the removable inserts with larger fiber shaping inserts, and
- (c) disposing the preform having the root precursor portion enlarged and divergently shaped by said larger fiber shaping inserts in a matrix material to form a composite gas turbine engine blade.
A method for making a composite gas turbine engine blade having an airfoil and an integral root, comprising the steps of:
- (a) braiding a plurality of fibers to form a preform having an airfoil precursor portion and an integral root precursor portion,
- (b) inserting a plurality of fiber shaping inserts into the root precursor portion of the preform after it is braided to extend in a chordwise direction of the blade and in a spaced apart pattern, inserting of said fiber shaping inserts beginning in an interior portion of said root precursor portion and proceeding toward opposite exterior chordwise sides of said root precursor portion to impart an enlarged, divergent shape to the root precursor portion in a direction transverse to said chordwise direction, and
- (c) disposing the preform having the root precursor portion enlarged and divergently shaped by said inserts in a matrix material to form a composite gas turbine engine blade.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.