Rtx Corporation

Raytheon Technologies Corporation

Christian X Campbell

Howard J Liles

David Wasserman

Ahmed Abdillahi Abdi

Robert A White, Iii

Kathryn S Read

Russell Kim

Cheng Gao

Peter J Rosenfeld

Aaron Tomich

A component includes fabric layers of ceramic matrix composite ('CMC') fabric. The fabric has layers separated by an insert formed of the CMC fabric. The insert has at least one tapered end. The tapered end has a thickness which is less than a central thickness of the insert. A method is also disclosed.

Gas turbine engine component formed by CMCS and having a compressed insert with tapered ends

A ceramic matrix composite (CMC) vane includes a first platform, a second platform, at least one airfoil extending between and connected to the first platform and the second platform, and at least one integral transition region between the at least one airfoil and the first platform. The airfoil includes a shear tube layer positioned to abut the second platform. A first continuous single-folded fiber sheet forms the first platform, the at least one airfoil, and the at least one integral transition region and an additional fiber sheet overwraps the shear tube layer and the second platform to form a shear tube transition region.

Contour weaves for interwoven vanes

A ceramic matrix composite (CMC) blade outer air seal (BOAS) assembly includes a CMC BOAS including a base and a pair of rails having a substantially π-shaped cross-section. The pair of rails include a first pair of aligned holes at a first end and second pair of aligned holes at a second end. A first pair of parallel metallic pins have a first end connected to a first central support pin and a second end connected to a second central support pin, respectively, wherein the first pair of parallel metallic pins are configured to engage the first pair of aligned holes. A second pair of parallel metallic pins also have a first end connected to a first central support pin and a second end connected to a second central support pin, respectively, wherein the second pair of parallel metallic pins are configured to engage the second pair of aligned holes.

Dual pin support for blade outer air seal and method

A gas turbine engine includes a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) vane arc segments that are arranged in a circumferential row. Each of the CMC vane arc segments includes an airfoil section that defines first and second side walls, leading and trailing ends, and first and second radial ends. At the first radial end, the airfoil section has a single-sided platform that and the second side wall has a bearing surface. The single-sided platform of each of the CMC vane arc segments in the circumferential row is situated to bear against the bearing surface of the next of the CMC vane arc segments in the circumferential row.

Vane arc segment with single-sided platform

A gas turbine engine static vane includes a radially outer platform, a radially inner platform, and an airfoil extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge, and having a suction side and a pressure side. The radially inner and outer platforms and the airfoil all are formed of ceramic matrix composite plies. There are an outer platform fillet and an inlet platform fillet merging the airfoil into the radially outer platform and the radially inner platform and along each of the pressure side and the suction side. The fillets are formed with radially outer ply layers extending from the radially outer platform, through the airfoil, and to the radially inner platform, and radially inner ply layers extending from the radially outer platform, through the airfoil, and to the radially inner platform. The radially outer ply layers and the radially inner ply layers do not cover the entirety of the outer platform, the inner platform or the airfoil. They have edges which overlap each other such that the radially outer ply layers and radially inner ply layers include layers of different shapes. A gas turbine engine and a method are also disclosed.

Gas turbine engine component fillets formed of CMC plies

A testing arrangement includes a test specimen that is formed of a fiber composite that has first, second, and third groups of fiber ply layers. Each fiber ply layer is curved so as to have an elbow. The elbows are joined back-to-back at a central region to form first, second, and third arms that extend outwardly from the central region. The elbows define a space in the central region, and there is a space-filler within the space. The test specimen is mounted in a testing fixture such that the first and second arms are in four-point bend loading and the third arm is oriented vertically. The testing fixture is actuatable to apply an actuated load. There is an applied load on the third arm. The applied load and the actuated load cause stress in the space-filler for evaluating mechanical behavior of the space-filler.

Testing arrangement and method for composite with noodle

A method of fabricating an airfoil includes providing an airfoil core tube that is made of a rigidized ceramic fabric, using the airfoil core tube as a mandrel by braiding a plurality of ceramic fiber tows around the airfoil core tube to form one or more braided layers, where the airfoil core tube and the one or more braided layers forming an airfoil preform, and densifying the airfoil preform with a ceramic matrix material to thereby form a ceramic matrix composite airfoil.

Method for CMC airfoil using core tube of rigidized ceramic fabric

An airfoil wall that includes a wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure that has first and second arms that merge into a single leg. The leg includes fiber tows from each of the arms and the tows are interwoven in the leg. Each of the arms includes a first section that is distal from the leg and a second section that is proximal to the leg. The first section defines a first thickness and a first fiber tow count. The second section defines a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness and a second fiber tow count that is greater than the first fiber tow count. The single leg defines a third thickness that is greater than the second thickness and a third fiber tow count that is greater than the second fiber tow count.

Wishbone fiber layup structure for airfoil

A method of forming a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) vane comprises drawing a continuous fiber sheet over at least one contoured surface to form a single-folded sheet. The single-folded sheet comprises an airfoil portion, a first platform at a first end of the airfoil portion, and an integral transition region between the airfoil portion and the first platform. The method further comprises mounting the airfoil portion on a mandrel, attaching a second platform to a second, opposing end of the airfoil portion to form a vane preform, and densifying the vane preform.

A method for processing a CMC airfoil includes nesting an airfoil fiber preform in a cavity of a fixture that has first and second tool segments, closing the fixture by rotating a first tool segment about a hinge, the closing causing the tool segments to clamp on a tail portion of the fiber preform and thereby conform the tail portion to the fixture. While in the fixture, the fiber preform is then partially densified with an interface coating material to form a partially densified fiber preform. While still in the fixture, one or more cooling holes are drilled into the trailing edge of the partially densified fiber preform. After the drilling, the partially densified fiber preform is removed from the fixture and further densified with a ceramic matrix material to form a fully densified CMC airfoil.

Method of processing a CMC airfoil

An airfoil includes an airfoil wall that has a wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure. The structure includes two arms that merge into a single leg. The single leg includes fiber tows from each of the arms that are interwoven. The single leg forms at least a portion of the trailing edge of the airfoil wall. Each of the arms includes a first section that is distal from the single leg and a second section that is proximal to the single leg. The first section defines a first thickness, the second section defines a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness, and the single leg defines a third thickness that is greater than the second thickness.

Airfoil with thick wishbone fiber structure

An airfoil vane multiplet includes airfoil tubes that each have airfoil tube fiber plies. A plurality of the airfoil tube fiber plies extend along the airfoil tube and turn to project outwardly from the airfoil tube. Connector fiber plies include airfoil holes through which the airfoil tubes extend. The connector fiber plies are interleaved with the plurality of airfoil tube fiber plies such that the airfoil tubes are secured together.

Airfoil vane multiplet with interleaved fiber plies

A vane multiplet includes a plurality of airfoils that each have a flared end, a common platform piece, a plurality of seal, and a plurality of retainers. The common platform has airfoil sockets that each define an airfoil opening that is circumscribed by a groove. The flared ends of the airfoils are seated in the airfoil sockets such that the grooves and the airfoils together form seal channels that have an open side. The seals are disposed in the seal channels. The retainers have airfoil-shaped profiles and are disposed in the airfoil sockets to bound the open sides of the seal channels and retain the seal in the seal channel.

Vane multiplet with common platform joining airfoils

A gas turbine engine includes a turbine section that has a plurality of turbine vanes. Each of the turbine vanes includes inner and outer platforms and an airfoil section that extends there between. The airfoil section is hollow and rib-less and has a first end at the outer platform and a second end at the inner platform. The airfoil section is tangentially bowed from the first end to the second end with a radius of curvature that is from 17 centimeters to 130 centimeters.

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West Hartford, CT, United States of America

Christian X Campbell