CN-121989478-A - Method of manufacturing a composite component for a gas turbine engine

CN121989478ACN 121989478 ACN121989478 ACN 121989478ACN-121989478-A

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a composite component having an outer shell, an inner hub, and a plurality of struts connecting the outer shell and the inner hub. The skin frame preform is woven to include a plurality of skin post preform portions, each skin post preform portion including a skin post leading edge preform portion and a skin post trailing edge preform portion. The inner hub frame preform is woven to include a plurality of inner hub post preform portions, each inner hub post preform portion including an inner hub post leading edge preform portion and an inner hub post trailing edge preform portion. In forming the strut preform, the outer shell leading edge preform portion and the inner hub leading edge preform portion are joined together and the outer shell trailing edge preform portion and the inner hub trailing edge preform portion are joined together.

Inventors

Nicholas J. clay
XIE MING
Douglas Lorimer Armstrong
Wei .wu

Assignees

通用电气公司

Dates

Publication Date: 20260508
Application Date: 20251031
Priority Date: 20241101

Claims (10)

1. A method of manufacturing a composite component for a gas turbine engine, the composite component comprising an outer shell, an inner hub, and a plurality of struts connecting the outer shell and the inner hub, the method comprising: weaving a three-dimensional shell frame preform to include: a housing frame portion having an inner side and an outer side, and A plurality of shell post preform portions integrally woven in connection with the shell frame portion, Wherein each shell post preform portion comprises a shell post leading edge lug preform portion having a first bifurcated shell post leading edge lug preform portion and a second bifurcated shell post leading edge lug preform portion, a shell post pi-shaped leg preform portion having a first bifurcated shell post pi-shaped leg preform portion and a second bifurcated shell post pi-shaped leg preform portion, and a shell post trailing edge lug preform portion having a first bifurcated shell post trailing edge lug preform portion and a second bifurcated shell post trailing edge lug preform portion; weaving a three-dimensional inner hub frame preform to include: An inner hub frame portion having an inner side and an outer side, and A plurality of inner hub post preform portions integrally woven in connection with the inner hub frame portion, Wherein each inner hub post preform portion comprises an inner hub post leading edge lug preform portion having a first bifurcated inner hub post leading edge lug preform portion and a second bifurcated inner hub post leading edge lug preform portion, an inner hub post pi-shaped leg preform portion having a first bifurcated inner hub post pi-shaped leg preform portion and a second bifurcated inner hub post pi-shaped leg preform portion, and an inner hub post trailing edge lug preform portion having a first bifurcated inner hub post trailing edge lug preform portion and a second bifurcated inner hub post trailing edge lug preform portion; Forming a preform assembly comprising the outer shell frame preform, the inner hub frame preform, and a plurality of strut preforms connecting the outer shell frame preform and the inner hub frame preform, the plurality of strut preforms being formed from the plurality of outer shell preform portions and the plurality of inner hub strut preform portions by connecting each of the outer shell strut front edge lug preform portions with a respective one of the inner hub strut front edge lug preform portions and connecting each of the outer shell strut rear edge lug preform portions with a respective one of the inner hub strut rear edge lug preform portions; injecting a matrix material into a mold-tool structure, forming the preform assembly on the mold-tool structure, and A curing process is applied to the mold-tool structure to obtain a cured molded composite structure.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein each pillar preform of the plurality of pillar preforms further comprises at least one additional layer that extends to wrap around a periphery of the pillar preform.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite component is one of an outlet guide vane structure, an inlet guide vane structure, or a stator vane structure.
4. The method of claim 1 further including, in forming the preform assembly, joining together the first and second outer shell frame preform connection ends to form an outer shell ring frame preform and joining together the first and second inner hub frame preform connection ends to form an inner hub ring frame preform.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cured molded composite structure is further processed via machining to obtain the composite component.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The shell strut front edge lug preform portion further comprises a shell strut front edge connecting portion disposed between the first bifurcated shell strut front edge lug preform portion and the second bifurcated shell strut front edge lug preform portion and integrally woven with the shell frame preform, The shell strut pi leg preform portion further includes a shell strut pi leg connection portion disposed between and integrally woven with the first bifurcated shell strut pi leg preform portion and the second bifurcated shell strut pi leg preform portion, and The shell post trailing edge lug preform portion further includes a shell post trailing edge connection portion disposed between the first bifurcated shell post trailing edge lug preform portion and the second bifurcated shell post trailing edge lug preform portion and integrally woven with the shell frame preform.
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: the housing frame preform includes a plurality of housing frame warp fiber layers, each having a plurality of housing frame warp fiber bundles extending in a first direction, The housing strut preform section comprising a plurality of housing strut fiber layers each having a plurality of housing strut warp fiber bundles extending in the first direction, The shell strut warp fiber bundles in the respective layers of the shell strut front edge connection portion are interwoven with the shell frame warp fiber bundles in the respective layers of the shell frame preform, The shell strut warp fiber bundles in the respective layer of the shell strut trailing edge connection portion are interwoven with the shell frame warp fiber bundles in the respective layer of the shell frame preform, and The shell strut warp fiber bundles in the respective layers of the shell strut pi leg connection portion are interwoven with the shell frame warp fiber bundles in the respective layers of the shell frame preform.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the inner hub post leading edge lug preform portion further comprising an inner hub post leading edge connection portion disposed between the first bifurcated inner hub post leading edge lug preform portion and the second bifurcated inner hub post leading edge lug preform portion and integrally woven with the inner hub frame preform, The inner hub strut pi leg preform portion further includes an inner hub strut pi leg link portion disposed between and integrally woven with the first bifurcated inner hub strut pi leg preform portion and the second bifurcated inner hub strut pi leg preform portion, and The inner hub post trailing edge lug preform portion further includes an inner hub post trailing edge connection portion disposed between the first bifurcated inner hub post trailing edge lug preform portion and the second bifurcated inner hub post trailing edge lug preform portion and integrally woven with the inner hub frame preform.
9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: The inner hub frame preform includes a plurality of inner hub frame warp fiber layers, each having a plurality of inner hub frame warp fiber bundles extending in a first direction, The inner hub strut preform portion includes a plurality of inner hub strut fiber layers, each having a plurality of inner hub strut warp fiber bundles extending in the first direction, The inner hub strut warp fiber bundles in the respective layers of the inner hub strut leading edge connection portion are interwoven with the inner hub frame warp fiber bundles in the respective layers of the inner hub frame preform, The inner hub post warp fiber bundles in the respective layer of the inner hub post trailing edge connection portion are interwoven with the inner hub frame warp fiber bundles in the respective layer of the inner hub frame preform, and The inner hub strut warp fiber bundles in the respective layers of the inner hub strut pi leg connection portion are interwoven with the inner hub frame warp fiber bundles in the respective layers of the inner hub frame preform.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the shell post leading edge preform portion further comprises a first shell post leading edge preform portion connecting portion integrally woven with the first bifurcated shell post leading edge preform portion and a second shell leading edge preform portion connecting portion integrally woven with the second bifurcated shell post leading edge preform portion, and the shell post trailing edge preform portion comprises a first shell post trailing edge preform portion connecting portion integrally woven with the first bifurcated shell post trailing edge preform portion and a second shell trailing edge preform portion connecting portion integrally woven with the second bifurcated shell post trailing edge preform portion.

Description

Method of manufacturing a composite component for a gas turbine engine Cross Reference to Related Applications The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/715,148, filed on 1 month 11 of 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field The present disclosure relates to composite components and methods of forming composite components, particularly aircraft composite components for aircraft engines. Background Turbine engines used in aircraft typically include a fan and a turbo-engine (turbo-engine) section disposed in flow communication with each other. The combustor is arranged in the turbocharged engine to generate combustion gases for driving a turbine in the turbocharged engine of the turbine engine, and the turbine is operable to drive a fan. A portion of the air flowing into the fan flows through the turbocharged engine as core air, while another portion of the air flowing into the fan bypasses the core section and flows through the turbine engine as bypass air. The turbocharged engine section may include one or more compressors to compress the core air before it flows into the combustor. The composite materials may be used to manufacture various components of a turbine engine, particularly when the turbine engine is a turbine engine for an aircraft. Drawings Features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of various exemplary embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a turbine engine for an aircraft in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 2A is a schematic illustration of a three-dimensional fiber weave pattern according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the fiber weave pattern shown in fig. 2A, taken along line 2B-2B in fig. 2A, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 2C is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fiber weave pattern similar to that shown in fig. 2A but with a different interlocking fiber pattern, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 2D is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fiber weave pattern similar to that shown in fig. 2A but having another interlocking fiber pattern, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a general process of manufacturing a composite component that may be used in the turbine engine of FIG. 1, according to aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a schematic front-rear view of a bucket structure taken at plane 4-4 of FIG. 1, according to aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a schematic front (elevational) rear perspective view of the vane structure of FIG. 4, according to aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view through the vane structure of FIG. 4 taken at plane 6-6 of FIG. 4 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 7 is a schematic rear view layout of a preform assembly for manufacturing a composite component according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 8 is a schematic rear view of a shell frame preform that may be implemented in preform assembly 300 of fig. 7, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a schematic rear view of an inner hub frame preform that may be implemented in preform assembly 300 of FIG. 7, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of a first enclosure frame preform connection end according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 11 is an enlarged view of a second housing frame preform connection end according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 12 is an enlarged detail view of the housing connection taken at detail view 356 of fig. 7, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a first inner hub frame preform connection end in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a second inner hub frame preform connection end in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 15 is an enlarged detail view of the inner hub connection taken at detail view 364 of FIG. 7 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 16 depicts an alternative enclosure frame connection to that shown in fig. 12, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 17 is an enlarged detail view of the connection of the housing post preform portion to the housing frame portion taken at detail view 392 of fig. 8, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 18 is a bottom view of the connection of fig. 17 taken at view 18-18 of fig. 17, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the connection of fig. 17 taken at pl