Reinforcing fiber structure for composite material parts with great variation of thickness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11261547-B2
Application number	US-201615551441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2016
Priority date	Feb 16, 2015
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

A fiber structure includes a plurality of weft layers and a plurality of warp layers interlinked with three-dimensional or multilayer weaving, the fiber structure including at least first and second portions that are adjacent in the warp direction, the first portion presenting thickness in a direction perpendicular to the warp and weft directions that is greater than the thickness of the second portion. The weft layers situated in the core of the first portion of the fiber structure include braids. The weft layers extending on either side of the weft layers including the braids and going as far as the skin of the first portion include yarns or strands, the braids presenting a section greater than the section of the yarns or strands.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fiber structure comprising a plurality of weft layers and a plurality of warp layers interlinked with three-dimensional or multilayer weaving, the warp layers being made of a multiple warp yarns and the weft layers being made of multiple weft yarns, the fiber structure being woven as a single part and further comprising at least first and second portions that are adjacent in, and positioned next to each other along, the warp direction, the first portion presenting thickness in a direction perpendicular to the warp and weft directions that is greater than a thickness of the second portion, wherein the weft layers situated in a core of the first portion of the fiber structure comprise a plurality of braids, wherein the weft layers extending on either side of the weft layers comprising the plurality of braids and going as far as a skin of said first portion comprise yarns, each braid of the plurality of braids presenting a diameter greater than the diameter of each of the yarns thereby making it possible to increase the thickness of the first portion relative to the second portion, wherein the first and second portions comprise the same number of warp yarns woven continuously between said first and second portions, and wherein the layers of warp yarns present in the core of the first portion are split so as to have a greater number of layers of warp yarns in the first portion than in the second portion.

2. A fiber structure according to claim 1 , wherein one or more weft layers situated in the vicinity of the weft layers comprising the braids comprise yarns of weight greater than a weight of the yarns of the weft layers situated in the skin of the first portion.

3. A fiber structure according to claim 1 , wherein the diameter of at least one the plurality of braids of the weft layers situated in the core of the first portion decreases going towards the second portion.

4. A fiber structure according to claim 1 , wherein the braids present a braiding angle of about 45°.

5. A part made of composite material comprising fiber reinforcement densified by a matrix, said fiber reinforcement being constituted by a fiber structure according to claims 1 .

6. A part according to claim 5 , said part corresponding to a turbine blade, the first portion of the fiber structure constituting the blade root portion of the fiber reinforcement.

7. A method of fabricating a fiber structure by three- dimensional or multilayer weaving between a plurality of weft layers and a plurality of warp layers, the warp layers being made of a multiple warp yarns and the weft layers being made of multiple weft yarns, the fiber structure being woven as a single part and further comprising at least first and second portions that are adjacent in, and positioned next to each other along, the warp direction, the first portion presenting thickness in a direction perpendicular to the warp and weft directions that is greater than a thickness of the second portion, the method comprising inserting a plurality of braids in the weft layers situated in the core of the first portion of the fiber structure, and using yarns in the weft layers extending on either side of the weft layers comprising the plurality of braids and going as far as the skin of said first portion, each braid of the plurality of braids presenting a diameter greater than the diameter of the yarns thereby making it possible to increase the thickness of the first portion relative to the second portion, wherein the first and second portions comprise the same number of warp yarns woven continuously between said first and second portions, and wherein the layers of warp yarns present in the core of the first portion are split so as to have a greater number of layers of warp yarns in the first portion than in the second portion.

8. A method according to claim 7 , wherein one or more weft layers situated in the vicinity of the weft layers comprising the braids comprise yarns of weight greater than a weight of the yarns of the weft layers situated in the skin of the first portion.

9. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the diameter of at least one the plurality of braids of the weft layers situated in the core of the first portion decreases going towards the second portion.

10. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the braids present a braiding angle of about 45°.

11. A fiber structure according to claim 1 , wherein the braids have a tubular structure.

12. A fiber structure according to claim 1 , wherein a braiding angle of yarns constituting at least one of the plurality of braids is selected such that said at least one braid has a diameter that is greater than a sum of the diameters of the yarns constituting said at least one braid.

13. A fiber structure according to claim 1 , wherein a number of layers of warp yarns present in the core of the first portion is greater than a number of layers of warp yarns present in a core of the second portion.

Assignees

• Safran Ceram
• Safran

Inventors

• Lefebvre Marie
• Coupe Dominique
• Charleux François

Classifications

• D10B2101/08

  Ceramic · CPC title

• D10B2101/12

  Carbon; Pitch · CPC title

• D10B2101/20

  Metallic fibres · CPC title

• D03D15/43

  with differing diameters · CPC title

• D03D11/00 Primary

  Double or multi-ply fabrics not otherwise provided for · CPC title