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EP-4737086-A1 - PREFORM FOR A COMPOSITE AIRFOIL OF A TURBINE ENGINE

EP4737086A1EP 4737086 A1EP4737086 A1EP 4737086A1EP-4737086-A1

Abstract

A preform for a composite airfoil (300, 302) of a gas turbine engine (100) includes a first woven fabric (410) and a second woven fabric (420) located opposite the first woven fabric (410), with a second inner surface (426) of the second woven fabric (420) opposing a first inner surface (416) of the first woven fabric (410) to form a preform gap (401) therebetween. A first transverse woven fabric portion (432, 434, 510) extends from the first inner surface (416) towards the second inner surface (426), and a second transverse woven fabric portion (442, 444, 520) extends from the second inner surface (426) towards the first inner surface (416). The second transverse woven fabric portion is engaged with the first transverse woven fabric portion to form a joint (470, 530). All the fabrics are three-dimensional woven fabric including a plurality of reinforcing fiber tows (202).

Inventors

  • WU, WEI
  • GILBERT, AARON
  • XIE, MING
  • KOORS, Bruce

Assignees

  • General Electric Company

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251031

Claims (15)

  1. A preform for a composite airfoil (300, 302) of a gas turbine engine (100), the preform comprising: a first woven fabric (410) positioned in a chordwise direction to form at least a portion of a first wall (320) of the composite airfoil (300, 302), the first woven fabric (410) having a first inner surface (416); a second woven fabric (420) positioned in the chordwise direction to form at least a portion of a second wall (330) of the composite airfoil (300, 302), the second woven fabric (420) having a second inner surface (426), the second woven fabric (420) being located opposite the first woven fabric (410) with the second inner surface (426) opposing the first inner surface (416) to form a preform gap (401) therebetween; a first transverse woven fabric portion (432, 434, 510) abutting or adjoining the first woven fabric (410), and extending from the first inner surface (416) towards the second inner surface (426) in a direction transverse to the chordwise direction; and a second transverse woven fabric portion (442, 444, 520) abutting or adjoining the second woven fabric (420), and extending from the second inner surface (426) towards the first inner surface (416) in a direction transverse to the chordwise direction, the second transverse woven fabric portion (442, 444, 520) being engaged with the first transverse woven fabric portion (432, 434, 510) to form a joint (470, 530), wherein each of the first woven fabric (410), the second woven fabric (420), the first transverse woven fabric portion (432, 434, 510), and the second transverse woven fabric portion (442, 444, 520) is a three-dimensional woven fabric including a plurality of reinforcing fiber tows (202).
  2. The preform of claim 1, wherein the first transverse woven fabric portion (432, 434) is one of a plurality of first transverse woven fabric portions (432, 434) and the second transverse woven fabric portion (442, 444) is one of a plurality of second transverse woven fabric portions (442, 444), and wherein each first transverse woven fabric portion (432, 434) of the plurality of first transverse woven fabric portions (432, 434) is engaged with a corresponding second transverse woven fabric portion (442, 444) of the plurality of second transverse woven fabric portions (442, 444) to form a plurality of joints (470, 530).
  3. The preform of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first woven fabric (410) includes a first base portion (412) having the first inner surface (416), and the first transverse woven fabric portion (432, 434) is adjoined to the first base portion (412), and wherein the second woven fabric (420) includes a second base portion (422) having the second inner surface (426), and the second transverse woven fabric portion (442, 444) is adjoined to the second base portion (422).
  4. The preform of claim 3, wherein the first woven fabric (410) includes a first pi-joint receiver (430) having a first leading leg (432) and a first trailing leg (434), one of the first leading leg (432) and the first trailing leg (434) being the first transverse woven fabric portion (432, 434), and wherein the second woven fabric (420) includes a second pi-joint receiver (440) having a second leading leg (442) and a second trailing leg (444), one of the second leading leg (442) and the second trailing leg (444) being the second transverse woven fabric portion (442, 444).
  5. The preform of claim 4, wherein the first pi-joint receiver (430) is joined to the first base portion (412) at a first tie-in region (436) where the plurality of reinforcing fiber tows (202) of the first pi-joint receiver (430) is interwoven with the plurality of reinforcing fiber tows (202) of the first base portion (412), and wherein the second pi-joint receiver (440) is joined to the second base portion (422) at a second tie-in region (446) where the plurality of reinforcing fiber tows (202) of the second pi-joint receiver (440) is interwoven with the plurality of reinforcing fiber tows (202) of the second base portion (422).
  6. The preform of claim 4, wherein the second pi-joint receiver (440) includes a second pi-joint gap (448) formed between the second leading leg (442) and the second trailing leg (444), the first leading leg (432) and the first trailing leg (434) being located in the second pi-joint gap (448), or wherein the first pi-joint receiver (430) includes a first pi-joint gap (438) formed between the first leading leg (432) and the first trailing leg (434), one of the second leading leg (442) or the second trailing leg (444) being located in the first pi-joint gap (438), and the second pi-joint receiver (440) includes a second pi-joint gap (448) formed between the second leading leg (442) and the second trailing leg (444), one of the first leading leg (432) or the first trailing leg (434) being located in the second pi-joint gap (448).
  7. The preform of claim 4, wherein the first trailing leg (434) and the second leading leg (442) are spaced apart from the first trailing leg (434) and the second trailing leg (444) to form a rib cavity (378) therebetween.
  8. The preform of claim 4, wherein the first woven fabric (410) includes a third pi-joint receiver (450) having a third leading leg (452) and a third trailing leg (454), wherein the second woven fabric (420) includes a fourth pi-joint receiver (460) having a fourth leading leg (462) and a fourth trailing leg (464), and wherein the first pi-joint receiver (430) is engaged with the second pi-joint receiver (440) to form a leading pi-joint (472), and the third pi-joint receiver (450) is engaged with the fourth pi-joint receiver (460) to form a trailing pi-joint (474), the trailing pi-joint (474) being spaced apart from the leading pi-joint (472) to form a rib cavity (378) therebetween.
  9. The preform of claim 7 or 8, wherein a foam insert (380) is located in the rib cavity (378).
  10. The preform of claim 9, wherein the foam insert (380) includes a passage (372) therethrough, extending in a direction transverse to the chordwise direction and parallel to the first woven fabric (410) or the second woven fabric (420).
  11. The preform of claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a first transverse woven fabric (510) including the first transverse woven fabric portion (510), the first transverse woven fabric (510) being adjacent to the first woven fabric (410); and a second transverse woven fabric (520) including the second transverse woven fabric portion (520), the second transverse woven fabric (520) being adjacent to the second woven fabric (420).
  12. The preform of claim 11, wherein the first transverse woven fabric (510) includes a first-side first flange portion (514) abutting the first inner surface (416), and wherein the second transverse woven fabric (520) includes a second-side second flange portion (526) abutting the second inner surface (426).
  13. The preform of claim 12, wherein the first transverse woven fabric (510) includes a second-side first flange portion (516) abutting the second inner surface (426), the second-side first flange portion (516), and the second-side second flange portion (526) forming a second-side flange (539), wherein the second transverse woven fabric (520) includes a first-side second flange portion (524) abutting the first inner surface (416), the first-side first flange portion (514), and the first-side second flange portion (524) forming a first-side flange (537), and wherein the first transverse woven fabric portion (510) and the second transverse woven fabric portion (520) form a web (535) between the first-side flange (537) and the second-side flange (539).
  14. The preform of claim 13, wherein the first transverse woven fabric (510) and the second transverse woven fabric (520) are interwoven with each other in at least one region of the web (535).
  15. The preform of claim 13, wherein the first transverse woven fabric (510) and the second transverse woven fabric (520) are interwoven with each other in a first-side interwoven region (531) proximate the first-side flange (537) and in a second-side interwoven region (533) proximate the second-side flange (539), and wherein the first transverse woven fabric portion (510) and the second transverse woven fabric portion (520) are arranged to form a rib cavity (378) therebetween, the rib cavity (378) being located between the first-side interwoven region (531) and the second-side interwoven region (533).

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/715,153, filed on November 1, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to composite airfoils, preforms therefor, and methods of manufacturing the composite airfoils, particularly, composite airfoils for aircraft engines. BACKGROUND Turbine engines used in aircraft generally include a fan, a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section. A combustor of the combustion section generates combustion gases for driving one or more turbines of the turbine section, and the turbine can be used to drive the fan. A portion of air flowing into the fan flows through the compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section as core air, and another portion of the air flowing into the fan bypasses these sections and flows through the turbine engine as bypass air. The compressor section can include one or more compressors, also be driven by the turbine, to compress the core air before the core air flows into the combustor. Composite materials may be used to manufacture various components of the turbine engine, particularly, when the turbine engine is a turbine engine for an aircraft. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Features and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following description of various exemplary embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals generally indicate identical elements or elements that are structurally similar or functionally similar. FIG. 1 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of a turbine engine for an aircraft.FIG. 2A is a schematic view of a three-dimensional fiber weave pattern.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.FIG. 2C is a schematic, cross-sectional view of a fiber weave pattern shown similar to the fiber weave pattern shown in FIG. 2A, but with a different interlocking fiber pattern.FIG. 2D is a schematic, cross-sectional view of a fiber weave pattern similar to the fiber weave pattern shown in FIG. 2A, but with another interlocking fiber pattern.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.FIG. 4 is a schematic, cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1 of a composite airfoil that may be used in the turbine engine shown in FIG. 1.FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the composite airfoil taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4.FIG. 6A is a schematic view of a portion of a preform that can be used to form the composite airfoil shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.FIG. 6B is a schematic view of a portion of a preform that can be used to form the composite airfoil shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.FIG. 7 is a schematic, cross-sectional view, taken from a perspective similar to that of FIG. 4, of a composite airfoil that may be used in the turbine engine shown in FIG. 1.FIG. 8A is a schematic view of a portion of a preform that can be used to form the composite airfoil shown in FIG. 7.FIG. 8B is a schematic view of a portion of a preform that can be used to form the composite airfoil shown in FIG. 7.FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a portion of a preform that can be used to form the composite airfoil shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a portion of a preform that can be used to form a composite airfoil similar to the composite airfoil shown in FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Features, advantages, and embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth or apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Moreover, the following detailed description is exemplary and intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the disclosure as claimed. Various embodiments are discussed in detail below. While specific embodiments are discussed, this is done for illustration purposes only. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations may be used without departing from the present disclosure. As used herein, the terms "first," "second," and "third" may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. The terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the relative direction with respect to fluid flow in a fluid pathway. For example, "upstream" refers to the direction from which the fluid flows, and "downstream" refers to the direction to which the fluid flows. As used herein, the terms "axial" and "axially" refer to directions and orientations that extend substantially parallel to a centerline of the turbine engine. Moreover, the terms "radial" and "radially" refer to directions and orientations that extend substantially perpendicular to the centerline