IP Library Granted Patent US 11,261,741
Granted Patent B2
US 11,261,741 · App. 16/678,927 · Granted Mar 1, 2022

Ceramic airfoil trailing end configuration

Inventors: Matthew B. Kennedy (Vernon, CT); Paul F. Croteau (Columbia, CT); John E. Holowczak (South Windsor, CT); Thomas J. Martin (East Hampton, CT)
Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
F01D5/282F01D5/147F01D5/188F05D2220/32F05D2300/6033
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,261,741
App. No.
16/678,927
Granted
Mar 1, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An airfoil includes an airfoil body that has a trailing edge region. The trailing edge region includes first and second monolithic ceramic exterior walls, a flow discharge passage between the first and second monolithic ceramic exterior walls, a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) liner at least a portion of which is disposed in the flow discharge passage between the first and second monolithic ceramic exterior walls, and an array of pedestals disposed in the flow discharge passage. Each of the flow guides bridges the CMC liner and at least one of the first and second monolithic ceramic exterior walls.

Claims (35)

1. An airfoil comprising:

a monolithic ceramic shell defining a leading end, a shell pressure side wall, and a shell suction side wall, the monolithic ceramic shell circumscribing a core passage;

a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) liner defining a liner pressure side wall lining the shell pressure side wall and a liner suction side wall lining the shell suction side wall, the liner pressure side wall and the liner suction side wall converging and meeting to form a liner tail, the shell pressure side wall and the shell suction side wall converging around the liner tail in a trailing edge region, and the CMC liner being in continuous contact with the monolithic ceramic shell across the shell pressure side wall from the trailing edge region, across the leading end, and across the shell suction side wall to the trailing end region;

a flow discharge passage in the trailing edge region between the shell pressure side wall and the shell suction side wall, the flow discharge passage being connected with the core passage; and

pedestals disposed in the flow discharge passage.

2. The airfoil as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pedestals are bonded to at least one of the shell pressure side wall or the shell suction side wall.

3. The airfoil as recited in claim 2 , wherein the pedestals are monolithic ceramic.

4. The airfoil as recited in claim 1 , wherein the liner pressure side wall and the liner suction side wall include metering orifices therein or between the pedestals connecting the core passage and the flow discharge passage.

5. The airfoil as recited in claim 1 , wherein the shell pressure side wall includes a cutback.

6. An airfoil comprising:

a monolithic ceramic shell defining a leading end, a shell pressure side wall, and a shell suction side wall, the monolithic ceramic shell circumscribing a core passage;

a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) liner defining a liner pressure side wall lining the shell pressure side wall and a liner suction side wall lining the shell suction side wall, the liner pressure side wall and the liner suction side wall converging and meeting to form a liner tail, the shell pressure side wall and the shell suction side wall converging around the liner tail in a trailing edge region, and the CMC liner being in continuous contact with the monolithic ceramic shell across the shell pressure side wall from the trailing edge region, across the leading end, and across the shell suction side wall to the trailing end region;

a flow discharge passage in the trailing edge region between the shell pressure side wall and the shell suction side wall, the flow discharge passage being connected with the core passage; and

pedestals disposed in the flow discharge passage, wherein the pedestals are monolithic ceramic, are bonded to at least one of the shell pressure side wall or the shell suction side wall, and are bonded to the CMC liner.

7. An airfoil comprising:

a monolithic ceramic shell defining a leading end, a shell pressure side wall, and a shell suction side wall, the monolithic ceramic shell circumscribing a core passage;

a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) liner defining a liner pressure side wall lining the shell pressure side wall and a liner suction side wall lining the shell suction side wall, the liner pressure side wall and the liner suction side wall converging and meeting to form a liner tail, the shell pressure side wall and the shell suction side wall converging around the liner tail in a trailing edge region, and the CMC liner being in continuous contact with the monolithic ceramic shell across the shell pressure side wall from the trailing edge region, across the leading end, and across the shell suction side wall to the trailing end region;

a flow discharge passage in the trailing edge region between the shell pressure side wall and the shell suction side wall, the flow discharge passage being connected with the core passage; and

pedestals disposed in the flow discharge passage, wherein the liner tail divides the flow discharge passage into sub-passages.

8. An airfoil comprising:

a monolithic ceramic shell defining a leading end, a shell pressure side wall, and a shell suction side wall, the shell pressure side wall and the shell suction side wall converging in a trailing edge region;

a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) liner lining the monolithic ceramic shell, and the CMC liner being in continuous contact with the monolithic ceramic shell across the shell pressure side wall from the trailing edge region, across the leading end, and across the shell suction side wall to the trailing end region;

a flow discharge passage in the trailing edge region between the shell pressure side wall and the shell suction side wall; and

pedestals disposed in the flow discharge passage, each said pedestal being bonded to the shell pressure side wall bonded to the shell suction side wall, and bonded to the CMC liner.

9. The airfoil as recited in claim 8 , wherein the CMC liner includes a liner pressure side wall lining the shell pressure side wall and a liner suction side wall lining the shell suction side wall, the liner pressure side wall and the liner suction side wall meeting to form a liner tail that extends in the flow discharge passage.

10. An airfoil comprising:

a monolithic ceramic shell defining a leading end, a shell pressure side wall, and a shell suction side wall, the monolithic ceramic shell circumscribing a core passage;

a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) liner defining a liner pressure side wall lining the shell pressure side wall and a liner suction side wall lining the shell suction side wall, the liner pressure side wall and the liner suction side wall converging to form a liner tail, the shell pressure side wall and the shell suction side wall converging around the liner tail in a trailing edge region, and the CMC liner being in continuous contact with the monolithic ceramic shell across the shell pressure side wall from the trailing edge region, across the leading end, and across the shell suction side wall to the trailing end region, wherein in the trailing edge region the CMC liner departs from the continuous contact with the monolithic ceramic shell such that the liner pressure side wall and the liner suction side wall converge to form the liner tail;

a flow discharge passage in the trailing edge region between the shell pressure side wall and the shell suction side wall, the flow discharge passage being connected with the core passage, and the liner tail extending in the flow discharge passage; and

pedestals disposed in the flow discharge passage.

11. The airfoil as recited in claim 10 , wherein the liner tail divides the flow discharge passage into first and second sub-passages between, respectively, the liner tail and the shell pressure side wall and the liner tail and the shell suction side wall.

12. The airfoil as recited in claim 11 , wherein the liner suction side wall includes a wall region between a location where the liner suction side wall departs from the continuous interfacial contact with the monolithic ceramic shell and a location at which the liner suction side wall and the liner pressure side wall converge to form the liner tail, and the wall region includes orifices that connect the core passage and the first sub-passage.

13. The airfoil as recited in claim 11 , wherein the liner pressure side wall includes a wall region between a location where the liner pressure side wall departs from the continuous interfacial contact with the monolithic ceramic shell and a location at which the liner pressure side wall and the liner suction side wall converge to form the liner tail, and the wall region includes orifices that connect the core passage and the second sub-passage.

14. The airfoil as recited in claim 11 , wherein the liner tail is spaced apart from each of the shell pressure side wall and the shell suction side wall.

15. The airfoil as recited in claim 11 , wherein each of the pedestals extends through the liner tail from the shell pressure side wall to the shell suction side wall.

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 27, 2023
From: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RTX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064714/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 27, 2021
From: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057603/0076 →
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Jul 14, 2020
From: PRATT & WHITNEY
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 053200/0017 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 11, 2019
From: KENNEDY, MATTHEW B.; CROTEAU, PAUL F.; HOLOWCZAK, JOHN E.; MARTIN, THOMAS J.
To: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 050968/0098 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210140325A1 · May 13, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,529,320