CMC airfoil with cooling passage formed in fiber plies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12385402-B2
Application number	US-202318496256-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2023
Priority date	Oct 27, 2023
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

An airfoil includes a platform and an airfoil section that are formed of a ceramic matrix composite that includes core fiber plies, skin fiber plies, platform fiber plies, and a cooling passage that extends through selected ones of the plies to provide a cooling circuit through the airfoil section and into the platform.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An airfoil comprising:
a platform having a core gaspath side and an opposite, non-core-gaspath side; and
an airfoil section extending from the core gaspath side of the platform, the airfoil section and the platform being formed of a ceramic matrix composite including:
core fiber plies defining a radial tube that circumscribes an internal cavity in the airfoil section, the core fiber plies including, relative to the internal cavity, an innermost core fiber ply, an outermost core fiber ply, and at least one intermediate core fiber ply between the innermost core fiber ply and the outermost core fiber ply,
skin fiber plies defining an exterior of the airfoil section, the skin fiber plies wrapping around the core fiber plies and flaring outwardly through a fillet into the platform,
platform fiber plies extending in the platform adjacent the skin fiber plies; and

at least one cooling passage including:
at least one inlet orifice opening through the innermost core fiber ply to the internal cavity,
an airfoil passage section extending along the at least one intermediate core fiber ply from the at least one inlet orifice to the platform, the airfoil passage section bound, relative to the internal cavity, on an inner side and on lateral sides by the at least one intermediate core fiber ply, and is bound on an outer side by one of the skin fiber plies
at least one outlet orifice in the platform opening through the skin fiber plies to the core gaspath side, and
a platform passage section extending along the platform fiber plies and connecting the airfoil passage section to the at least one outlet orifice.

2. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one inlet orifice extends through at least one of the intermediate core fiber plies.

3. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein, with respect to radial proximity to the gaspath side, the platform fiber plies include first and second platform fiber plies, and at least one intermediate platform fiber ply between the first and second platform fiber plies, and the platform passage section is bound on a first platform passage side by one of the skin fiber plies, is bound on lateral sides by another of the skin fiber plies and by the first platform fiber ply, and is bound on a second platform passage side by one of the intermediate platform fiber plies.

4. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 3 , wherein in the platform passage section includes a first leg that extends away from the airfoil section, and a second leg that curves around a leading edge of the airfoil section.

5. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the airfoil passage section is bound on an inner side and on lateral sides by the at least one intermediate core fiber ply and is bound on an outer side by one of the skin fiber plies, the at least one inlet orifice extends through at least one of the intermediate core fiber plies, with respect to radial proximity to the gaspath side, the platform fiber plies include first and second platform fiber plies, and at least one intermediate platform fiber ply between the first and second platform fiber plies, and the platform passage section is bound on a first platform passage side by one of the at least one intermediate platform fiber plies, is bound on lateral sides by the first platform fiber ply and by the at least one intermediate platform fiber ply, and is bound on a second platform passage side by one of the skin fiber plies.

6. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a bypass inlet orifice in the platform, the bypass inlet orifice opening to the platform passage section and connecting the internal cavity with the platform passage section to bypass flow through the airfoil passage section.

7. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , where the at least one cooling passage includes first and second cooling passages extending through, respectively, a suction side wall and a pressure side wall of the airfoil section.

8. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 7 , where the first and second cooling passages are symmetric to each other.

9. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a compressor section;
a combustor in fluid communication with the compressor section; and

a turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor, the turbine section having an airfoil comprising:
a platform having a core gaspath side and an opposite, non-core-gaspath side;
an airfoil section extending from the core gaspath side of the platform, the airfoil section and the platform being formed of a ceramic matrix composite including:
core fiber plies defining a radial tube that circumscribes an internal cavity in the airfoil section, the core fiber plies including, relative to the internal cavity, an innermost core fiber ply, an outermost core fiber ply, and at least one intermediate core fiber ply between the innermost core fiber ply and the outermost core fiber ply,
skin fiber plies defining an exterior of the airfoil section, the skin fiber plies wrapping around the core fiber plies and flaring outwardly through a fillet into the platform,
platform fiber plies extending in the platform adjacent the skin fiber plies; and
at least one cooling passage including:
at least one inlet orifice opening through the innermost core fiber ply to the internal cavity,
an airfoil passage section extending along the at least one intermediate core fiber ply from the at least one inlet orifice to the platform,
at least one outlet orifice in the platform opening through the skin fiber plies to the core gaspath side, and
a platform passage section extending along the platform fiber plies and connecting the airfoil passage section to the at least one outlet orifice, wherein, with respect to radial proximity to the gaspath side, the platform fiber plies include first and second platform fiber plies, and at least one intermediate platform fiber ply between the first and second platform fiber plies, and the platform passage section is bound on a first platform passage side by one of the skin fiber plies, is bound on lateral sides by another of the skin fiber plies and by the first platform fiber ply, and is bound on a second platform passage side by one of the intermediate platform fiber plies.

10. An airfoil comprising:
a platform having a core gaspath side and an opposite, non-core-gaspath side; and
an airfoil section extending from the core gaspath side of the platform, the airfoil section and the platform being formed of a ceramic matrix composite including:
core fiber plies defining a radial tube that circumscribes an internal cavity in the airfoil section, the core fiber plies including, relative to the internal cavity, an innermost core fiber ply, an outermost core fiber ply, and at least one intermediate core fiber ply between the innermost core fiber ply and the outermost core fiber ply,
skin fiber plies defining an exterior of the airfoil section, the skin fiber plies wrapping around the core fiber plies and flaring outwardly through a fillet into the platform,
platform fiber plies extending in the platform adjacent the skin fiber plies; and

at least one cooling passage including:
at least one inlet orifice opening through the innermost core fiber ply to the internal cavity,
an airfoil passage section extending along the at least one intermediate core fiber ply from the at least one inlet orifice to the platform,
at least one outlet orifice in the platform opening through the skin fiber plies to the core gaspath side, and
a platform passage section extending along the platform fiber plies and connecting the airfoil passage section to the at least one outlet orif

Assignees

• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Wilkins Peter
• Banhos Jonas
• Kim Russell
• Roach James T

Classifications

• F02C7/18

  the medium being gaseous, e.g. air {(F02C7/125 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F05D2260/232

  characterized by the cooling medium · CPC title

• F05D2300/6033

  Ceramic matrix composites [CMC] · CPC title

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · 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