General Electric Company

Angelo V Koschier

James N Fleck

Hagen R Mauch

A turbine nozzle includes ceramic outer and inner bands and an integral ceramic vane aft segment. A metal vane forward segment adjoins the aft segment in a hybrid assembly.

Hybrid turbine nozzle

A composite shaft whose construction and fabrication enable precise placement and orientation of reinforcement fiber bundles, enable close control of runout, and eliminate a separate joining operation for attaching mechanical drive couplings. The composite shaft generally includes an inner shell, a spacing member circumscribing and contacting the inner shell, and a bundle of fibers disposed in each of a number of longitudinally-extending cavities in the spacing member. The shaft also has an outer portion that encases the fiber bundles in the spacing member. The shaft preferably includes end pieces attached to the end of the shaft and adapted as mechanical coupling features. At least the end pieces, spacing member and fiber bundles are joined in a manner that defines a metal matrix surrounding and encasing the fiber bundles.

High-stiffness composite shaft

A turbine nozzle includes ceramic outer and inner bands, with a ceramic vane forward segment integrally joined thereto. A ceramic vane aft segment has opposite ends trapped in complementary sockets in the bands.

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Lynnfield, MA, United States of America

Angelo V Koschier