Co-molded metallic fan case containment ring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11236765-B2
Application number	US-201916663479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2019
Priority date	Jun 17, 2015
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A method of fabricating a fan case for a gas turbine engine defines a metallic ring including an outer surface and an inner surface. A first composite material is assembled about the outer surface of the metallic ring. A second composite material is assembled about the first composite material. The first composite material and the second material are cured about the metallic ring within a tool to form a first subassembly. The first subassembly is removed from the tool. A fan case assembly for a gas turbine engine and a gas turbine engine are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fan case assembly for a gas turbine engine, the fan case assembly comprising:
a metallic ring including an axial length corresponding to an axial width of fan blades within a fan section of the gas turbine engine;
a first composite material attached to a radially outer surface of the metallic ring; and
a second composite material attached to a radially outer surface of the first composite material, wherein the second composite material defines attachment features for securing the fan case assembly, wherein the first composite material and the second composite material form a composite structure with the metallic ring having a greater coefficient of thermal expansion than the composite structure and the composite structure is bonded to the metallic ring such that the metallic ring and composite structure contract at a lesser rate than the metallic ring alone.

2. The fan case assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first composite material comprises aramid fibers attached to the metallic ring.

3. The fan case assembly as recited in claim 2 , wherein the second composite material comprises a carbon composite material, wherein the second composite material defines an axial length of the fan case assembly.

4. The fan case assembly as recited in claim 1 , including a first noise attenuation layer attached to an inner surface of the metallic ring.

5. The fan case assembly as recited in claim 4 , including an abradable rub material attached on a radially inner side of the first noise attenuation layer.

6. The fan case assembly as recited in claim 5 , including a second noise attenuation layer attached to an inner surface of the second composite material aft of the metallic ring.

7. A gas turbine engine comprising;
a fan section including a plurality of fan blades rotatable about an engine axis; and
a fan case assembly circumscribing the fan blades, the fan case including:
a metallic ring including an axial length corresponding to an axial width of fan blades within a fan section of the gas turbine engine;
an aramid fiber layer attached to a radially outer surface of the metallic ring; and
a carbon composite layer attached to a radially outer surface of the aramid fiber layer, wherein the carbon composite layer defines attachment features for securing the fan case assembly, wherein the aramid fiber layer and the carbon composite layer form a composite structure bonded to the metallic ring with the metallic ring has a greater coefficient of thermal expansion than the composite structure and the metallic ring and composite structure contract at a lesser rate than the metallic ring alone.

8. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 7 , including a first noise attenuation layer attached to an inner surface of the metallic ring.

9. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 8 , including an abradable rub material attached on a radially inner side of the first noise attenuation layer.

10. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 9 , including a second noise attenuation layer attached to an inner surface of the carbon composite material aft of the metallic ring.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp
• Raytheon Tech Corp

Inventors

• Kling Colin J
• Lussier Darin S
• O'Brien James F

Classifications

• F01D21/045 Primary

  special arrangements in stators or in rotors dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor · CPC title

• F05D2300/224

  Carbon, e.g. graphite · CPC title

• F05D2300/433

  Polyamides, e.g. NYLON · CPC title

• B29C70/885

  with incorporated metallic wires, nets, films or plates (as lost heating elements B29C35/0272, B29C61/0625) · CPC title

• B29C70/86

  Incorporated in coherent impregnated reinforcing layers, {e.g. by winding} · CPC title