Ceramic matrix composite turbine vane and method for making

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11519279-B2
Application number	US-202117501793-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2021
Priority date	May 31, 2019
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

A turbine vane comprising ceramic matrix composite materials includes a vane support core, an airfoil, and an end wall that at least partially defines a gas path. The turbine vane is formed from a plurality of ceramic plies or preforms that are infiltrated with ceramic matrix material to form a one-piece ceramic matrix composite turbine vane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A turbine vane made from ceramic matrix composite materials and adapted for use in an aerospace gas turbine engine, the turbine vane comprising
a vane support core arranged along an axis between a first end and a second end,
an airfoil arranged radially outward from the vane support core relative to the axis and spaced apart axially from the first end and the second end of the vane support core, and
a first end wall including (i) a core overwrap engaged with an outer surface of the vane support core and formed with a locking flange that flares radially outward away from the vane support core relative to the axis and (ii) a backing ply formed to include a cutout that receives the vane support core and the core overwrap and has an angled surface that engages with the locking flange of the core overwrap.

2. The turbine vane of claim 1 , wherein a space is formed radially between the vane support core and the locking flange, wherein the core overwrap and the backing ply define a first locking layup, and wherein the turbine vane further includes an end wall filler positioned in the space.

3. The turbine vane of claim 2 , wherein the airfoil includes an airfoil overwrap ply that extends circumferentially around the vane support core and a trailing edge filler insert that is offset radially from the vane support core relative to the axis.

4. The turbine vane of claim 3 , wherein the first end wall includes a flow path ply with a flow path surface facing toward the airfoil, wherein the first locking layup is integrated with the vane support core and the flow path ply, wherein the backing ply is engaged with the flow path ply of the first end wall opposite the flow path surface, and wherein the airfoil overwrap ply has a flared end that abuts the flow path surface of the flow path ply.

5. The turbine vane of claim 3 , wherein the trailing edge filler insert is positioned radially between the outer surface of the vane support core and an inner surface of the airfoil overwrap ply.

6. The turbine vane of claim 4 , wherein the core overwrap extends from the first end of the vane support core to the flow path ply and the locking flange abuts the flow path ply of the first end wall.

7. The turbine vane of claim 1 , further comprising a second end wall spaced axially from the first end wall and including a second flow path ply with a flow path surface facing toward the airfoil, wherein the second end wall further includes a second locking layup integrated with the vane support core and the second flow path ply to block axial movement of the airfoil and the second end wall relative to the vane support core.

8. The turbine vane of claim 7 , wherein the second locking layup includes (i) a second core overwrap engaged with the outer surface of the vane support core and formed with a second locking flange that flares radially outward away from the vane support core relative to the axis and (ii) a second backing ply formed to include a second cutout that receives the vane support core and the second core overwrap and has a second angled surface that engages with the second locking flange of the second core overwrap, and wherein the second backing ply is engaged with the second flow path ply.

9. The turbine vane of claim 1 , wherein the core overwrap includes a first core overwrap with the locking flange that flares radially outward away from the vane support core and engages the angled surface of the backing ply and a second core overwrap with a second locking flange that extends outwardly from the vane support core and engages the backing ply and is spaced apart from the locking flange of the first core overwrap to locate the angled surface of the backing ply axially between the locking flange of the first core overwrap and the second locking flange of the second core overwrap.

10. The turbine vane of claim 1 , wherein the vane support core is formed to include a hollow cavity that extends axially through the vane support core along the axis.

11. The turbine vane of claim 4 , wherein the flow path ply includes a plurality of flow path plies and the backing ply includes a plurality of backing plies and a number of the plurality of backing plies is greater than a number of the plurality of flow path plies.

12. The turbine vane of claim 1 , wherein the locking flange extends outwardly away from the vane support core at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the axis.

13. A bladed component made from ceramic matrix composite materials comprising
a support core arranged along an axis from a first end to a second end of the support core and formed to include a hollow cavity that extends through the support core along the axis,
an airfoil coupled with the support core radially outward from the support core with respect to the axis, and
an end wall including a core overwrap that overwraps the support core and a backing ply arranged generally perpendicular to the axis,
wherein the core overwrap includes an axially-inner flared end interlocked with the backing ply and engaged with an angled inner surface of a cutout formed in the backing ply such that the end wall is blocked from axial movement relative to the support core by the core overwrap.

14. The bladed component of claim 13 , wherein the cutout further receives the support core.

15. The bladed component of claim 13 , wherein a space is formed radially between the support core and the axially-inner flared end of the core overwrap and the end wall further includes an end wall filler positioned in the space.

16. The bladed component of claim 13 , wherein the airfoil includes an airfoil overwrap ply that extends circumferentially around the support core and a trailing edge filler insert offset radially from the support core relative to the axis.

17. A method of constructing a turbine vane adapted for used in an aerospace gas turbine engine with a central rotation axis, the method comprising
providing a vane support core that extends along an axis between a first end of the vane support core and a second end of the vane support core,
coupling an end wall to the vane support core between the first end of the vane support core and the second end of the vane support core, the end wall including a backing ply including a cutout having an angled inner surface and a core overwrap adjacent to the backing ply and overwrapping the vane support core,
flaring an axially-inner end of the core overwrap radially outward away from the vane support core, and
interlocking the axially-inner end of the core overwrap in the cutout of the backing ply such that the flared axially-inner end engages the angled inner surface so as to block movement of the end wall in an axial direction relative to the vane support core.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the cutout further receives the vane support core.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein a space is formed radially between the vane support core and the axially-inner flared end of the core overwrap and the end wall further includes an end wall filler positioned in the space.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the end wall is a first end wall and method further includes:
coupling a second end wall to the vane support core between the first end of the vane support core and the second end of the vane support core, the second end wall spaced axially from the first end wall to define a flow therebetween, the second end wall including a second flow path ply defining a second flow path surface and a second backing ply abutting the second flow path pl

Assignees

• Rolls Royce High Temperature Composites Inc
• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc

Inventors

• Shinavski Robert J
• Tran Thomas
• Lukhard Kevin
• Freeman Ted J
• Brown Steffan

Classifications

• F01D9/042

  fixing blades to stators (fixing stator-rings in the casing or to each other F01D25/246) · CPC title

• F05D2300/6033

  Ceramic matrix composites [CMC] · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F05D2240/12

  Fluid guiding means, e.g. vanes · CPC title

• F01D9/041 Primary

  using blades (F01D5/148 takes precedence) · CPC title