Composite flange from braided preform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10260374-B2
Application number	US-201514875627-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2015
Priority date	Sep 14, 2012
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

A preform sheet for a composite component comprises a body section and a flange section. The preform body section includes a plurality of axial tows braided with at least a plurality of first bias tows and a plurality of second bias tows. The preform flange section includes a first braided flange layer and a second braided flange layer. The first braided flange layer is defined by the first and second braided bias tows of the preform body section extending into the flange section. Neither the first nor second braided flange layers have axial tows.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine component comprising:
a plurality of fiber wraps encompassed within a matrix composition;
a body section including a plurality of body section fiber wrap portions formed into a tubular shape and encompassed within the matrix composition, the plurality of body section fiber wrap portions each including a plurality of axial tows braided with at least a plurality of first bias tows and a plurality of second bias tows, the body section fiber wrap portions arranged such that at least some of the plurality of axial tows are generally aligned along a component circumferential direction;
a flange section including a plurality of flange section fiber wrap portions encompassed within the matrix composition, the plurality of flange section fiber wrap portions each including a first braided flange layer and a second braided flange layer, the first braided flange layer defined by at least first and second bias tows connected to the first and second bias tows of the body section, neither the first nor second braided flange layers having axial tows; and
a transition section including a plurality of braid interfaces disposed at a flange end of the body section, each braid interface circumferentially offset from radially adjacent braid interfaces.

2. The gas turbine engine component of claim 1 , wherein the flange section is upturned relative to the body section such that a flange section outer diameter is greater than a body section outer diameter.

3. The gas turbine engine component of claim 1 , wherein the component is a fan containment case.

4. The gas turbine engine component of claim 1 , wherein the second braided flange layer includes a plurality of third bias tows braided with a plurality of fourth bias tows.

5. The gas turbine engine component of claim 1 , wherein the transition section comprises:
a first braided transition layer connecting the first body section to at least the first braided flange layer;
wherein at least a portion of the first braided transition layer does not have axial tows.

6. The gas turbine engine component of claim 5 , wherein the transition section further comprises a second braided transition layer extending into the second braided flange layer.

7. The gas turbine engine component of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of third bias tows are oriented at an angle measuring about 30° relative to an axial direction, and the plurality of fourth bias tows are oriented at an angle measuring about −30° relative to the axial direction of the plurality of fiber wraps.

8. The turbine engine component of claim 1 , wherein the body section fiber wrap portions each comprise triaxially braided fabric with the first bias tows oriented at an angle measuring about 60° relative to the axial tows, and the second bias tows oriented at an angle measuring about −60° relative to the axial tows.

9. The turbine engine component of claim 8 , wherein the first braided flange layer comprises a portion of the triaxially braided fabric with the axial tows removed therefrom.

10. A method comprising:
providing a fabric preform comprising:
a plurality of fiber wraps each including at least a body section fiber wrap portion, a transition section fiber wrap portion, and a flange section fiber wrap portion, each body section fiber wrap portion including a plurality of axial tows braided with at least a plurality of first bias tows and a plurality of second bias tows, each transition section fiber wrap portion including at least a plurality of braid interfaces disposed at a flange end, and each flange section fiber wrap portion including at least a first braided flange layer and a second braided flange layer, neither the first nor second braided flange layers having axial tows, the first braided flange layer defined by at least first and second bias tows;

securing the fabric preform with the body section fiber wrap portions formed into a tubular shape, and with the plurality of axial tows aligned generally along a component circumferential direction to define a body section of the fabric preform;
upturning the flange section fiber wrap portions proximate to the transition section fiber wrap portions relative to the body section to define a flange section of the fabric preform, and to define a transition section at a flange end of the body section;
impregnating the fabric preform with an uncured matrix composition; and
curing the impregnated preform to form a composite case or a precursor thereof, such that the body section, the transition section, and the flange section are encompassed within the matrix composition.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first and second bias tows of the body section fiber wrap portion are oriented respectively at angles measuring about 60° and about −60° relative to the axial tow.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first and second bias tows of the flange section fiber wrap portion are contiguous with the first and second bias tows of the body section fiber wrap portion.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein a first article of fabric defines the first and second bias tows of the flange section fiber wrap portion contiguous with the first and second bias tows of the body section fiber wrap portion.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second braided flange layer includes a plurality of third bias tows braided with a plurality of fourth bias tows, the third and fourth bias tows biased relative to each other and biased relative to the first and second bias tows.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
providing the fabric preform comprises the steps of:
providing a plurality of first articles of fabric each comprising a first triaxial braid including a plurality of axial tows, a plurality of first bias tows, and a plurality of second bias tows;
removing at least one of the plurality of axial tows from each first article of fabric to define a plurality of modified first articles of fabric, leaving a first portion and a second portion of each modified first article of fabric, such that the first portion includes a first braided layer having first bias tows braided with second bias tows, absent axial tows, and the second portion includes first bias tows and second bias tows braided with axial tows;
reinforcing the first portion of each modified first article of fabric with one of a plurality of second articles of fabric each comprising a biaxial braid absent an axial tow, each second article of fabric defining a second braided flange layer; and
alternately stacking ones of the modified first articles of fabric and ones of the second articles of fabric.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second braided flange layer includes a plurality of third bias tows braided with a plurality of fourth bias tows, the third and fourth bias tows biased relative to each other and biased relative to the first and second bias tows.

17. A gas turbine engine component comprising:
a plurality of fiber wraps encompassed within a matrix composition;
a body section including a plurality of body section fiber wrap portions formed into a tubular shape and encompassed within the matrix composition, the plurality of body section fiber wrap portions each including a plurality of axial tows braided with at least a plurality of first bias tows and a plurality of second bias tows, the body section fiber wrap portions arranged such that at least some of the plurality of axial tows are generally aligned along a component circumferential direction; and
a flange section including a plurality of flange section fiber wrap portions

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Foster Larry
• Lussier Darin S

Classifications

• F02C7/04

  Air intakes for gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants · CPC title

• F01D25/243

  Flange connections; Bolting arrangements (F01D25/265 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2230/30

  with deposition of material · CPC title

• F04D29/522

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• B32B1/08

  Tubular products · CPC title