Attachment of composite article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9797257-B2
Application number	US-201213709651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2012
Priority date	Dec 10, 2012
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A composite article including composite component mounted on a spar including a shank extending heightwise from below component base up into composite component. Tab at an upper end of shank substantially or fully embedded in the composite component and at least one ply surface pattern of the composite component contacting and generally conforming to at least one spar surface pattern on the tab.
Spar surface pattern may include spaced apart spar surface protrusions with spar surface spaces therebetween and spar surface protrusions extending outwardly from spar and disposed between tows in ply surface pattern. Tows may be layed up in spar surface spaces. Spar surface pattern may include continuous or segmented spaced spar surface protrusions and spar surface spaces therebetween with tows in ply surface pattern disposed in spar surface spaces. The composite article may be a composite blade or vane including a composite airfoil.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composite article comprising:
a composite component extending heightwise from a component base to a component tip and lengthwise between spaced apart component first and second edges,
the composite component including plies having widthwise spaced apart ply first and second sides and ply edges therebetween,
the composite component mounted on a spar including a shank extending heightwise from below the component base up through the component base into the composite component,
a tab at an upper end of shank and substantially or fully embedded in the composite component,
the tab including heightwise spaced apart tab base and tab tip, and
at least one ply surface pattern of the composite component contacting and generally conforming to at least one spar surface pattern on the tab.

2. The composite article as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the spar surface pattern including spaced apart spar surface protrusions with spar surface spaces therebetween and the spar surface protrusions extending outwardly from the spar and being disposed between tows in the ply surface pattern.

3. The composite article as claimed in claim 2 further comprising the tows being layed up tows in the spar surface spaces.

4. The composite article as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:
the spar surface pattern including spaced apart spar surface protrusions with spar surface spaces therebetween,
tows in the ply surface pattern,
ply surface recesses in between the tows in the ply surface pattern, and
the tows disposed in the spar surface spaces and between the spar surface protrusions.

5. The composite article as claimed in claim 4 further comprising:
the spar surface pattern being corrugated or wavy,
the spar surface spaces and the spar surface protrusions being continuous,
the spaced apart spar surface protrusions defining spar peaks,
the spar surface spaces defining spar troughs, and
the tows disposed in the spar troughs and between the spar peaks.

6. The composite article as claimed in claim 4 further comprising:
the spar surface spaces and the spar surface protrusions being segmented,
first and second rows of the segmented spar surface protrusions and the segmented spar surface spaces,
the first rows of the segmented spar surface protrusions angled with respect to the second rows of the segmented spar surface protrusions at a first angle,
the first rows of the segmented spar surface spaces angled with respect to the second rows of the segmented spar surface spaces at the first angle, and
first and second groups of the tows disposed in the first and second rows of the segmented spar surface spaces respectively.

7. The composite article as claimed in claim 6 further comprising the first angle being 90 degrees.

8. The composite article as claimed in claim 6 further comprising the first rows of the segmented spar surface protrusions angled with respect to a tab or shank centerline of the spar.

9. A composite blade or vane comprising:
a composite airfoil including widthwise spaced apart airfoil pressure and suction sides extending heightwise or spanwise and outwardly from an airfoil base to an airfoil tip and lengthwise or chordwise between spaced apart airfoil leading and trailing edges,
the composite airfoil including plies having widthwise spaced apart ply pressure and suction sides and ply edges therebetween,
the composite airfoil mounted on a spar including a shank extending heightwise from below the airfoil base up through the airfoil base into the composite airfoil,
a tab at an upper end of shank and substantially or fully embedded in the composite airfoil,
the tab including spanwise spaced apart tab base and tab tip, and
at least one ply surface pattern of the composite component contacting and generally conforming to at least one spar surface pattern on the tab.

10. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 9 further comprising:
the tab including widthwise spaced apart tab pressure and suction sides extending outwardly from the tab base to the tab tip,
the at least one spar surface pattern being on the tab pressure and suction sides, and
the at least one ply surface pattern of the composite component contacting and generally conforming to the at least one spar surface pattern on the tab pressure and suction sides.

11. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 10 further comprising the spar surface pattern including spaced apart spar surface protrusions with spar surface spaces therebetween and the spar surface protrusions extending outwardly from the spar and being disposed between tows in the ply surface pattern.

12. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 11 further comprising the tows being layed up tows in the spar surface spaces.

13. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 10 further comprising:
the spar surface pattern including spaced apart spar surface protrusions with spar surface spaces therebetween,
tows in the ply surface pattern,
ply surface recesses in between the tows in the ply surface pattern, and
the tows disposed in the spar surface spaces and between the spar surface protrusions.

14. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 13 further comprising:
the spar surface pattern being corrugated or wavy,
the spar surface spaces and the spar surface protrusions being continuous,
the spaced apart spar surface protrusions defining spar peaks,
the spar surface spaces defining spar troughs, and
the tows disposed in the spar troughs and between the spar peaks.

15. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 13 further comprising:
the spar surface spaces and the spar surface protrusions being segmented,
first and second rows of the segmented spar surface protrusions and the segmented spar surface spaces,
the first rows of the segmented spar surface protrusions angled with respect to the second rows of the segmented spar surface protrusions at a first angle,
the first rows of the segmented spar surface spaces angled with respect to the second rows of the segmented spar surface spaces at the first angle, and
first and second groups of the tows disposed in the first and second rows of the segmented spar surface spaces respectively.

16. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 15 further comprising the first angle being 90 degrees.

17. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 15 further comprising the first rows of the segmented spar surface protrusions angled with respect to a tab or shank centerline of the spar.

18. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 13 further comprising a widthwise taper between the tab base and the tab tip.

19. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 18 further comprising the widthwise taper tapering down in thickness from the tab tip towards the tab base.

20. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 19 further comprising the ply edges of at least a portion of the plies directly or indirectly contacting or pressing against the tab tip.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Kray Nicholas Joseph
• Finn Scott Roger
• Baehmann Peggy Lynn
• White Joel Primmer

Classifications

• B29D99/0025

  Producing blades or the like, e.g. blades for turbines, propellers, or wings · CPC title

• B29C70/202

  arranged in parallel planes or structures of fibres crossing at substantial angles, e.g. cross-moulding compound [XMC] (B29C70/207 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29L2031/082

  Blades, e.g. for helicopters · CPC title

• B29C70/38

  Automated lay-up, e.g. using robots, laying filaments according to predetermined patterns {(application heads for tyres B29D30/28)} · CPC title

• F01D5/147 Primary

  Construction, i.e. structural features, e.g. of weight-saving hollow blades (F01D5/148, F01D5/16 and F01D5/20 take precedence; blade shape F01D5/141; blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities F01D5/18; heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades F01D5/18) · CPC title