Interlocked CMC airfoil
AssigneeSiemens Energy, Inc.
InventorsJay A. Morrison, Anthony L. Schiavo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A ceramic matrix composite (CMC) airfoil assembled from a pressure side wall (42) and a suction side wall (52) joined by interlocking joints (18, 19) at the leading and trailing edges (22, 24) of the airfoil to produce a tapered thin trailing edge. The trailing edge (24) is thinner than a combined thicknesses of the airfoil walls (42, 52). One or both of the interlocking joints (18, 19) may be formed to allow only a single direction of assembly, as exemplified by a dovetail joint. Each joint (18, 19) includes keys (44F, 54F, 56F, 46F) on one side and respective keyways (44K, 54K, 56K, 46K) on the other side. Each keyway may have a ramp (45) that eliminates indents in the airfoil outer surface that would otherwise result from the joint.
Claims20
A ceramic matrix composite airfoil comprising:
- a first side wall comprising a thickness and a first trailing edge with first trailing edge keys;
- a second side wall comprising a thickness and a second trailing edge with second trailing edge keyways;
- wherein the first and second side walls, when joined, form a hollow airfoil with an airfoil leading edge and an airfoil trailing edge;
- wherein the first trailing edge keys interlock into respective second trailing edge keyways to form the airfoil trailing edge;
- and
- wherein the airfoil trailing edge tapers to a thickness that is less than a sum of thicknesses of the first and second side walls.
A ceramic matrix composite airfoil comprising:
- a pressure side wall comprising a thickness, a trailing edge, and trailing edge keys;
- a suction side wall comprising a thickness, a trailing edge, and trailing edge keys;
- wherein the pressure and suction side walls form a hollow airfoil with a leading edge and a trailing edge;
- and
- wherein respective trailing edge keys of the two walls interlock to form the trailing edge of the airfoil, which tapers to a thickness less than a combined thicknesses of the two walls, and the airfoil has an aerodynamically smooth outer surface.
A ceramic matrix composite airfoil comprising:
- a pressure side wall part with leading and trailing edges;
- a suction side wall part with leading and trailing edges;
- the leading edges of the side wall parts joined by a leading edge interlocking joint;
- the trailing edges of the side wall parts joined by a trailing edge interlocking joint;
- each interlocking joint comprising a plurality of keys on one of the side wall parts received in mating plurality of respective keyways in the other of the side wall parts;
- wherein the a trailing edge of the airfoil is formed by the trailing edge interlocking joint to produce an airfoil trailing edge thickness that is less than a combined wall thickness of the pressure side wall part and the suction side wall part.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.