Perforated ceramic matrix composite ply, ceramic matrix composite article, and method for forming ceramic matrix composite article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017320232-A1
Application number	US-201615146288-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 4, 2016
Priority date	May 4, 2016
Publication date	Nov 9, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A ceramic matrix composite article, method for forming the article, and perforated ply which may be incorporated therein are disclosed. The article includes at least one shell ply forming an exterior wall having first and second portions and defining a plenum. An annular brace formed of at least one structural support ply is disposed within the plenum, including a first integral portion integral with and part of the first portion of the exterior wall, a first curved portion extending from the first integral portion and curving across the article plenum to the second portion of the exterior wall, a second integral portion integral with and part of the second portion of the exterior wall, a second curved portion extending from the second integral portion and curving across the article plenum to the first curved portion, and an overlap in which the first and second curved portions are integral.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A ceramic matrix composite article, comprising:
at least one shell ply, the at least one shell ply forming an exterior wall of the ceramic matrix composite article and defining an article plenum within the exterior wall, the exterior wall including a first portion and a second portion; and a first annular brace disposed within the article plenum, including:
a first integral portion, the first integral portion being integral with and part of the first portion of the exterior wall;
a first curved portion extending from the first integral portion, curving across the article plenum to the second portion of the exterior wall;
a second integral portion, the second integral portion being integral with and part of the second portion of the exterior wall;
a second curved portion extending from the second integral portion, curving across the article plenum to the first curved portion; and
an overlap, the first curved portion being integral with and part of the second curved portion in the overlap,
wherein the first annular brace is formed of at least one structural support ply.

2 . The ceramic matrix composite article of claim 1 , wherein the first annular brace defines a first brace plenum within the first annular brace.

3 . The ceramic matrix composite article of claim 2 , wherein the at least one structural support ply of the first annular brace includes a perforated ceramic matrix composite ply including a plurality of apertures between, and in fluid communication with, the article plenum and the first brace plenum.

4 . The ceramic matrix composite article of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of apertures include aperture conformations selected from the group consisting of circles, ovals, ellipses, semicircles, crescents, triangles, squares, rectangles, annuli, chevrons, polygons, irregular shapes, rounded polygons, and combinations thereof.

5 . The ceramic matrix composite article of claim 1 , further including a second annular brace disposed within the article plenum, the second annular brace including:
a first integral portion, the first integral portion being integral with and part of a third portion of the exterior wall; a first curved portion extending from the first integral portion, curving across the article plenum to a fourth portion of the exterior wall; a second integral portion, the second integral portion being integral with and part of the fourth portion of the exterior wall; a second curved portion extending from the second integral portion, curving across the article plenum to the first curved portion; and an overlap, the first curved portion being integral with and part of the second curved portion in the overlap, wherein the second annular brace is formed of at least one structural support ply.

6 . The ceramic matrix composite article of claim 5 , further including a contact region in which the second curved portion of the first annular brace is integral with and part of the first curved portion of the second annular brace.

7 . The ceramic matrix composite article of claim 5 , wherein the first portion of the exterior wall is adjacent to the fourth portion of the exterior wall and the second portion of the exterior wall is adjacent to the third portion of the exterior wall.

8 . The ceramic matrix composite article of claim 5 , wherein the first portion of the exterior wall is adjacent to the third portion of the exterior wall and the second portion of the exterior wall is adjacent to the fourth portion of the exterior wall.

9 . The ceramic matrix composite article of claim 1 , wherein the at least one shell ply and the at least one structural support ply independently include a ceramic matrix composite composition selected from the group consisting of an aluminum oxide-fiber-reinforced aluminum oxide (Ox/Ox), a carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon (C/C), a carbon-fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC), a silicon-carbide-fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (SiC/SiC), and combinations thereof.

10 . The ceramic matrix composite article of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic matrix composite article is a turbine component.

11 . The ceramic matrix composite article of claim 10 , wherein the turbine component is selected from the group consisting of an airfoil, a bucket (blade), a nozzle (vane), a shroud, a combustor liner, and a heat shield.

12 . The ceramic matrix composite article of claim 11 , wherein the first annular brace is integral with a leading edge of an airfoil.

13 . The ceramic matrix composite article of claim 11 , wherein the first annular brace is integral with a trailing edge of an airfoil.

14 . The ceramic matrix composite article of claim 11 , wherein the first annular brace extends from a top of an airfoil to at least one of a bottom of the airfoil and the bottom of a shank attached to the airfoil, defining a first brace plenum within the first annular brace, the first annular brace including a plurality of apertures between, and in fluid communication with, the article plenum and the first brace plenum, the first brace plenum being in fluid communication with a cooling fluid source.

15 . The ceramic matrix composite article of claim 1 , wherein the at least one shell ply and the at least one structural support ply are consolidated and densified, and are free of adhesive and mechanical fasteners.

16 . The ceramic matrix composite article of claim 1 , wherein the first annular brace includes a cross-sectional conformation selected from the group consisting of a circle, an irregular circle, an ellipse, an irregular ellipse, an oval, an irregular oval, and combinations thereof.

17 . A perforated ceramic matrix composite ply, comprising:
a ceramic matrix composite composition selected from the group consisting of an aluminum oxide-fiber-reinforced aluminum oxide (Ox/Ox), a carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon (C/C), a carbon-fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC), a silicon-carbide-fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (SiC/SiC), and combinations thereof; and a plurality of apertures distributed across at least a portion of the perforated ceramic matrix composite ply, the plurality of apertures including aperture conformations selected from the group consisting of circles, ovals, ellipses, semicircles, crescents, triangles, squares, rectangles, annuli, chevrons, polygons, irregular shapes, rounded polygons, and combinations thereof, wherein the perforated ceramic matrix composite ply includes a property of increased flexibility compared to a comparable ply lacking the plurality of apertures, and a property of increased consolidation, pyrolization, and densification efficiency compared to the comparable ply lacking the plurality of apertures.

18 . A method for forming a ceramic matrix composite article, comprising:
disposing at least one structural support ply within an article plenum defined by at least one shell ply, the at least one structural support ply defining a first annular brace, and the at least one shell ply forming an exterior wall of the ceramic matrix composite article having the article plenum within the exterior wall, the exterior wall including a first portion and a second portion, such that:
a first integral portion of the at least one structural support ply is adjacent to and in contact with the first portion of the exterior wall;
a first curved portion of the at least one structural support ply extends from the first integral portion, curving across the article plenum to the second portion of the exterior wall;
a second integral portion of the at least one structur

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• De Diego Peter

Classifications

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B28B1/001 Primary

  Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material (selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00) · CPC title

• F01D5/282

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

• F05D2300/2112

  Aluminium oxides · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title