Attachment of structures having different physical characteristics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10968758-B2
Application number	US-201816126427-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2018
Priority date	Jan 23, 2014
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The assembly includes: a composite fan blade, the fan blade including a root; a metallic rotor including a slot for receiving the root; the root being at least partially coated with a metal to form a metal-coated portion; the metal-coated portion of the root being at least partially covered with an intermediate material; and the root, metal-coated portion and intermediate material being received in the slot and bonded to the rotor.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine, the assembly comprising:
a composite fan blade, the fan blade including a root;
a metallic rotor including a slot for receiving the root;
the root being at least partially coated with a metal to form a metal-coated portion;
the metal-coated portion of the root being at least partially covered with an intermediate material; and
the root, metal-coated portion and intermediate material being received in the slot and bonded to the rotor.

2. The rotor assembly of claim 1 wherein the root, metal-coated portion, intermediate material and rotor are bonded using a process selected from the group consisting of transient liquid phase (TLP), partial transient liquid phase (PTLP) and brazing.

3. The rotor assembly of claim 1 wherein the composite fan blade is fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of polyetherimide (PEI), polyimide, polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyether ketone ketone (PEKK), polysulfone, nylon, polyphenylsulfide, polyester, condensation polyimides, addition polyimides, epoxy cured with aliphatic and/or aromatic amines and/or anhydrides, cyanate esters, phenolics, polyesters, polybenzoxazine, polyurethanes, polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, silicones (thermoset), and any of the foregoing with fiber reinforcements.

4. The rotor assembly of claim 1 wherein the composite fan blade and the metallic rotor have different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) and the intermediate material has a CTE that falls between the CTEs of the composite fan blade and the metallic rotor.

5. The rotor assembly of claim 1 wherein the intermediate material is a metal foil.

6. The rotor assembly of claim 1 wherein the intermediate material reacts with the metal-coated portion of the composite fan blade and diffuses into the metallic rotor.

7. The rotor assembly of claim 3 wherein the composite material further includes fiber reinforcements.

8. A method of bonding a first structure to a second structure, the method comprising:
providing the first structure having a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE);
providing the second structure having a second CTE, the first and second CTEs being different;
selecting an intermediate material having a third CTE that falls between the first and second CTEs;
coating a portion of the first structure to provide a metal-coated portion; applying the intermediate material to the metal-coated portion of the first structure; and bonding the first structure to the intermediate material and the intermediate material to the second structure by liquid phase bonding.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp
• Raytheon Tech Corp

Inventors

• Cook Iii Grant O
• Roach James T

Classifications

• F05D2300/48

  other organic materials · CPC title

• F05D2220/36

  specially adapted for the fan of turbofan engines · CPC title

• F04D29/322

  Blade mountings · CPC title

• B23K2101/001

  Turbines · CPC title

• F01D5/3061 Primary

  by welding, brazing · CPC title