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US-20260124811-A1 - METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A COMPOSITE COMPONENT FOR A GAS TURBINE ENGINE

US20260124811A1US 20260124811 A1US20260124811 A1US 20260124811A1US-20260124811-A1

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. A plurality of outer shell preform portions having bifurcated strut portions are connected together to form an outer shell hoop preform, and a plurality of inner hub preform portions having bifurcated strut portions are connected together to form an inner hub hoop preform. The bifurcated strut portions are arranged to extend between the outer shell hoop preform and the inner hub hoop preform, and are arranged adjacent to one another to form a strut preform. A matrix material is injected into the mold tooling structure and a curing process is applied to the mold tooling structure to obtain the composite component.

Inventors

  • Aaron M. Gilbert
  • Ming Xie
  • Wei Wu
  • Mingchao Wang

Assignees

  • GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251031

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A method of manufacturing a composite component for a gas turbine engine, the composite component including an outer shell, an inner hub, and a plurality of struts connecting the outer shell and the inner hub, the method comprising: weaving a plurality of outer shell preform portions, each of the plurality of outer shell preform portions including (i) an outer shell frame portion, and (ii) a plurality of bifurcated outer shell strut portions bifurcated from the outer shell frame portion; weaving a plurality of inner hub preform portions, each of the plurality of inner hub preform portions including (i) an inner hub frame portion, and (ii) a plurality of bifurcated inner hub strut portions bifurcated from the inner hub frame portion; connecting each of the plurality of outer shell preform portions together via a plurality of outer shell frame preform connections to form an outer shell hoop preform; connecting each of the plurality of inner hub preform portions together via a plurality of inner hub frame preform connections to form an inner hub hoop preform; installing the outer shell hoop preform and the inner hub hoop preform onto a mold tooling structure; arranging each of the plurality of bifurcated outer shell strut portions to extend toward the inner hub hoop preform, and each of the plurality of bifurcated inner hub strut portions to extend toward the outer shell hoop preform and to be arranged adjacent to a respective one of the plurality of bifurcated outer shell strut portions, a strut preform portion being defined by at least one of the plurality of bifurcated outer shell strut portions and at least one of the plurality of bifurcated inner hub strut portions being arranged adjacent to one another to be joined together; injecting a matrix material into the mold tooling structure; and applying a curing process to the mold tooling structure to obtain a molded composite component.
  2. 2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein (a) each outer shell frame portion has a first outer shell frame connection end and a second outer shell frame connection end opposite the first outer shell frame connection end, (b) each inner hub frame portion has a first inner hub frame connection end and a second inner hub frame connection end opposite the first inner hub frame connection end, (c) for respective ones of the plurality of outer shell preform portions, the first outer shell frame connection end is connected with the second outer shell frame connection end of an adjacently connected outer shell preform portion, and the second outer shell frame connection end is connected with the first outer shell frame connection end of another adjacently connected outer shell preform portion, and (d) for respective ones of the plurality of inner hub preform portions, the first inner hub frame connection end is connected with the second inner hub frame connection end of an adjacently connected inner hub preform portion, and the second inner hub frame connection end is connected with the first inner hub frame connection end of another adjacently connected inner hub preform portion.
  3. 3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising adding at least one additional preform layer to the strut preform portion to form an airfoil shape structure.
  4. 4 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first outer shell frame connection end comprises a plurality of first end bifurcated layers, and the second outer shell frame connection end comprises a plurality of second end bifurcated layers.
  5. 5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein, in the connecting each of the plurality of outer shell preform portions together to form the outer shell hoop preform, for respective ones of the plurality of outer shell preform portions, the plurality of first end bifurcated layers are connected in an overlapping manner with the plurality of second end bifurcated layers of the adjacently connected outer shell preform portion, and the plurality of second end bifurcated layers are connected in an overlapping manner with the plurality of first end bifurcated layers of the another adjacently connected outer shell preform portion.
  6. 6 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first inner hub frame connection end comprises a plurality of first end bifurcated layers, and the second inner hub frame connection end comprises a plurality of second end bifurcated layers.
  7. 7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein, in the connecting each of the plurality of inner hub preform portions together to form the inner hub hoop preform, for respective ones of the plurality of inner hub preform portions, the plurality of first end bifurcated layers are connected in an overlapping manner with the plurality of second end bifurcated layers of the adjacently connected inner hub preform portion, and the plurality of second end bifurcated layers are connected in an overlapping manner with the plurality of first end bifurcated layers of the another adjacently connected inner hub preform portion.
  8. 8 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising adding at least one additional preform layer to at least one of the outer shell hoop preform to increase a thickness of the outer shell hoop preform, or to the inner hub hoop preform to increase a thickness of the inner hub hoop preform.
  9. 9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one additional preform layer is added to at least one of an exterior side of the outer shell hoop preform, or to an interior side of the inner hub hoop preform.
  10. 10 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first outer shell frame connection end comprises a first end outer shell scarf joint connecting portion, and the second outer shell frame connection end comprises a second end outer shell scarf joint connecting portion.
  11. 11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein, in the connecting each of the plurality of outer shell preform portions together to form the outer shell hoop preform, for respective ones of the plurality of outer shell preform portions, the first end outer shell scarf joint connecting portion is connected with the second end outer shell scarf joint connecting portion of the adjacently connected outer shell preform portion, and the second end outer shell scarf joint connecting portion is connected with the first end outer shell scarf joint connecting portion of the another adjacently connected outer shell preform portion.
  12. 12 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising adding at least one additional preform layer to at least one of the plurality of outer shell frame preform connections, or to at least one of the plurality of inner hub frame preform connections.
  13. 13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one additional preform layer is an axial wrap around the at least one of the plurality of outer shell frame preform connections, or an axial wrap around the least one of the inner hub frame preform connections.
  14. 14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of outer shell preform portions includes a first bifurcated outer shell strut portion, a second bifurcated outer shell strut portion, a third bifurcated outer shell strut portion, and a fourth bifurcated outer shell strut portion, and each of the plurality of inner hub preform portions includes a first bifurcated inner hub strut portion, a second bifurcated inner hub strut portion, a third bifurcated inner hub strut portion, and a fourth bifurcated inner hub strut portion.
  15. 15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein, in the arranging, the first bifurcated outer shell strut portion, the first bifurcated inner hub strut portion, the second bifurcated outer shell strut portion, and the second bifurcated inner hub strut portion are arranged adjacent to one another to define a first strut preform portion, and the third bifurcated outer shell strut portion, the third bifurcated inner hub strut portion, the fourth bifurcated outer shell strut portion, and the fourth bifurcated inner hub strut portion are arranged adjacent to one another to define a second strut preform portion.
  16. 16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the first strut preform portion defines a first side wall of the strut preform portion and the second strut preform portion defines a second side wall of the strut preform portion.
  17. 17 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of outer shell preform portions includes a first bifurcated outer shell strut portion and a second bifurcated outer shell strut portion, and each of the plurality of inner hub preform portions includes a first bifurcated inner hub strut portion and a second bifurcated inner hub strut portion.
  18. 18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein, in the arranging, the first bifurcated outer shell strut portion and the first bifurcated inner hub strut portion are arranged adjacent to one another to define a first strut preform portion, and the second bifurcated outer shell strut portion and the second bifurcated inner hub strut portion are arranged adjacent to one another to define a second strut preform portion.
  19. 19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the first strut preform portion forms a first side wall of the strut preform portion and the second strut preform portion forms a second side wall of the strut preform portion.
  20. 20 . The method according to claim 19 , further comprising inserting a filler material between the first strut preform portion and the second strut preform portion to define a spar of the strut preform portion.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/715,144, filed on Nov. 1, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to composite components and methods of forming the composite components, particularly, aircraft composite components for aircraft engines. BACKGROUND Turbine engines used in aircraft generally include a fan and a turbo-engine section arranged in flow communication with one another. A combustor is arranged in the turbo-engine to generate combustion gases for driving a turbine in the turbo-engine of the turbine engine, and the turbine may be used to drive the fan. A portion of air flowing into the fan flows through the turbo-engine as core air, and another portion of the air flowing into the fan bypasses the core section and flows through the turbine engine as bypass air. The turbo-engine section may include one or more compressors 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 numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. FIG. 1 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of a turbine engine of for an aircraft, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 2A is a schematic view of a three-dimensional fiber weave pattern, according to an aspect 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, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 2C is a schematic, cross-sectional view of a fiber weave pattern similar to the fiber weave pattern shown in FIG. 2A, but with a different interlocking fiber pattern, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. 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, according to an aspect 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 an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a schematic, forward aft-looking view of a vane structure, taken at plane 4-4 of FIG. 1, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a schematic, top aft-looking perspective view of the vane structure of FIG. 4, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken at plane 6-6 of FIG. 4, through the vane structure of FIG. 4, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a schematic, aft-looking layout of a preform assembly used in manufacturing a composite component, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a schematic, aft looking view of an outer shell preform portion that may be implemented in the preform assembly of FIG. 7, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a first outer shell frame connection end, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a second outer shell frame connection end, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is an enlarged detail view of an outer shell frame preform connection, taken at detail view 330 of FIG. 7, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is an enlarged detail view of an outer shell frame preform connection, taken at detail view 332 of FIG. 7, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 depicts an alternate outer shell frame preform connection to that shown in FIG. 11, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 14 depicts an alternate outer shell frame preform connection to that shown in FIG. 13, according to another aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 15 is a schematic, aft looking view of an inner hub preform portion that may be implemented in the preform assembly of FIG. 7, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of a first inner hub frame connection end, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of a second inner hub frame connection end, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 18 is an enlarged detail view of an inner hub frame preform connection, taken at detail view 380 of FIG. 7, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 19 is an enlarged detail view of an inner hub frame preform connection, taken at detail view 382 of FIG. 7, according to an as