Vane assembly for a gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11725535-B2
Application number	US-201816107012-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine is disclosed in this paper. The vane assembly includes an inner platform, an outer platform, and a ceramic-containing airfoil. The ceramic-containing airfoil extends between the inner platform and the outer platform. A reinforcement spar extends between the inner platform and the outer platform through a hollow core of the ceramic-containing airfoil.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine, the vane assembly comprising
an inner platform made from a metallic material, the inner platform including an inner panel that defines an inner boundary of a gas path of the gas turbine engine and an inner projection that extends radially outward away from the inner panel,
an outer platform made from a metallic material, the outer platform including an outer panel that defines an outer boundary of the gas path of the gas turbine engine and an outer projection that extends radially inward away from the outer panel and toward the inner platform, the outer platform spaced apart radially from the inner platform to define the gas path therebetween,
a ceramic-containing airfoil that extends radially between the inner platform and the outer platform across the gas path and adapted to receive aerodynamic loads during use of the gas turbine engine, the ceramic-containing airfoil formed to define a hollow core, and the ceramic-containing airfoil is arranged around the inner projection and the outer projection to locate the inner projection and the outer projection in the hollow core such that a first portion of the aerodynamic loads applied to the ceramic-containing airfoil are transferred to the inner platform through the inner projection and to the outer platform through the outer projection during use of the gas turbine engine, and
a reinforcement spar made from a metallic material that extends radially between the inner platform and the outer platform through the hollow core of the ceramic-containing airfoil and the reinforcement spar includes a central post that extends radially and an engagement flange that extends from the central post toward the ceramic-containing airfoil and supports an interior surface of the ceramic-containing airfoil such that a second portion of the aerodynamic loads applied to the ceramic-containing airfoil are transferred to at least one of the inner platform and the outer platform through the reinforcement spar during use of the gas turbine engine,
wherein the ceramic-containing airfoil is shaped to define an inner radial end, an outer radial end spaced apart radially from the inner radial end, and a midsection located between the inner radial end and the outer radial end, the inner radial end is arranged around the inner projection of the inner platform, and the outer radial end is arranged around the outer projection of the outer platform,
wherein the inner radial end and the outer radial end of the ceramic-containing airfoil are separate from the inner platform and the outer platform so that the inner projection and the outer projection support the inner radial end and the outer radial end of the ceramic-containing airfoil to transfer the first portion of the aerodynamic loads applied to the ceramic-containing airfoil,
wherein the reinforcement spar is spaced apart from the ceramic-containing airfoil at the outer radial end and the inner radial end of the ceramic-containing airfoil and the engagement flange of the reinforcement spar engages the midsection of the ceramic-containing airfoil to support the midsection of the ceramic-containing airfoil to transfer the second portion of the aerodynamic loads applied to the ceramic-containing airfoil, and
wherein the reinforcement spar further includes an attachment flange that extends from an outer end of the central post of the reinforcement spar beyond the outer platform and couples to a turbine case included in the gas turbine engine to transfer the second portion of the aerodynamic loads applied to the ceramic-containing airfoil to the turbine case bypassing the outer platform.

2. The vane assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic-containing airfoil has an outer surface adapted to interact with gases flowing through the gas path during use of the gas turbine engine and an inner surface that defines the hollow core and the entire outer surface of the ceramic-containing airfoil is located in the gas path.

3. The vane assembly of claim 2 , wherein the entire outer surface of the ceramic-containing airfoil is exposed to the gas path.

4. The vane assembly of claim 2 , wherein the outer surface extends continuously between the outer radial end and the inner radial end.

5. The vane assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement spar is spaced apart from the ceramic-containing airfoil at the outer radial end and the inner radial end of the ceramic-containing airfoil.

6. The vane assembly of claim 5 , further comprising a seal located between the engagement flange of the reinforcement spar and the ceramic-containing airfoil.

7. The vane assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement spar is coupled with the outer platform by a bicast joint and coupled with the inner platform by a bicast joint.

8. The vane assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inner platform further includes at least one inner attachment flange that extends radially inward from the inner panel away from the inner panel and engages a combustor case included in the gas turbine engine to transfer the second portion of the aerodynamic loads applied to the ceramic-containing airfoil from the inner platform to the combustor case.

9. The vane assembly of claim 8 , wherein the outer platform further includes outer attachment flanges that each extend from the outer panel away from the inner platform to engage the turbine case to transfer the first portion of the aerodynamic loads applied to the ceramic-containing airfoil from the outer platform to the turbine case.

10. A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine, the vane assembly comprising
an inner platform that includes an inner panel that defines an inner boundary of a gas path of the gas turbine engine and an inner projection that extends radially outward away from the inner panel,
an outer platform spaced apart radially from the inner platform to define the gas path therebetween, the outer platform includes an outer panel that defines an outer boundary of the gas path of the gas turbine engine and an outer projection that extends radially inward away from the outer panel and toward the inner platform, and
an airfoil located radially between the inner panel and the outer panel and the airfoil formed to define an outer surface that faces the gas path and an inner surface that defines a hollow core, the outer and inner surfaces of the airfoil extend continuously between an inner radial end of the airfoil and an outer radial end of the airfoil spaced apart radially from the inner radial end,
wherein the inner projection and the outer projection are located in the hollow core so that the inner radial end is arranged around the inner projection of the inner platform and the outer radial end is arranged around the outer projection of the outer platform to couple the airfoil with the inner platform and the outer platform,
wherein the vane assembly further comprises a reinforcement spar that extends radially between the inner platform and the outer platform through the hollow core of the airfoil and the reinforcement spar supports the inner surface of the airfoil,
wherein the reinforcement spar includes a central post that extends radially and an engagement flange that extends from the central post toward the airfoil, the airfoil extends between the outer radial end and the inner radial end that is spaced apart radially from the outer radial end to locate a midsection of the airfoil therebetween, and the engagement flange engages the midsection of the ceramic-containing airfoil, and
wherein the reinforcement spar further includes an attachment flange that extends from an outer end of the central post of the reinforcement spar beyond the outer platform and couples to a turbine case included in

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc
• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Freeman Ted J
• Varney Bruce E
• Thomas David J
• Walston Jeffrey A

Classifications

• F01D25/005 Primary

  Selecting particular materials · CPC title

• F01D5/282

  Selecting composite materials, e.g. blades with reinforcing filaments · CPC title

• F01D5/284

  Selection of ceramic materials · CPC title

• F01D9/042

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

• F01D9/065

  Fluid supply or removal conduits traversing the working fluid flow, e.g. for lubrication-, cooling-, or sealing fluids (see also F01D25/16, F01D25/24 and F01D25/26) · CPC title