IP Library Granted Patent US 12,215,603
Granted Patent B2
US 12,215,603 · App. 18/340,205 · Granted Feb 4, 2025

CMC airfoil with wishbone shaped fiber layup structure forming portion of platform and root

Inventors: Marcus DeReimer (Stuart, FL); Michael G. McCaffrey (Windsor, CT)
Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
F01D5/282F02C7/00F05D2300/6033
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,215,603
App. No.
18/340,205
Filed
Jun 23, 2023
Granted
Feb 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3745
USPC
416/241B
Abstract

An airfoil includes a CMC airfoil wall that defines a platform, a root that extends radially from the platform, and an airfoil section that extends radially from the platform opposite the root. The CMC airfoil wall includes a wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure. The wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure includes first and second arms that merge into a single leg. The first and second arms are comprised of a network of fiber tows, and the single leg includes fiber tows from each of the first and second arms that are interwoven in the single leg. The single leg forms a portion of the root, and the first and second arms extend in opposite directions from the single leg and form a portion of the platform.

Claims (27)

1. An airfoil comprising:

a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) airfoil wall defining a platform, a root extending radially from the platform, and an airfoil section extending radially from the platform opposite the root, the CMC airfoil wall including first and second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structures,

each of the first and second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structures including:

first and second arms that merge into a single leg,

the first and second arms being comprised of a network of fiber tows,

the single leg including fiber tows from each of the first and second arms that are interwoven in the single leg, the single leg forming a portion of the root, and

the first and second arms extending in opposite directions from the single leg and forming a portion of the platform, wherein

the first arm of the first wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure extending axially forwardly from the single leg of the first wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure, and the first arm of the second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure extends axially aftly from the single leg of the second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure,

the second arm of the first wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure extends axially aftly from the single leg of the first wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure, and the second arm of the second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure extends axially forwardly from the single leg of the second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure, and

a tip of the second arm of the first wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure is adjacent a tip of the second arm of the second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure to define a gap therebetween.

2. The airfoil as recited in claim 1 , wherein the CMC airfoil wall includes radially inner and outer reinforcement fiber plies between which the second arm of the first wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure and the second arm of the of the second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure are disposed, and the radially inner and outer reinforcement fiber plies each bridge the gap.

3. The airfoil as recited in claim 2 , wherein the single leg of the first wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure defines an axially forward face of the root, and the single leg of the second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure defines an axially aft face of the root.

4. The airfoil as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second arm of each of the first and second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure splits into a pair of fingers, and the airfoil section extends between the pair of fingers.

5. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a compressor section;

a combustor in fluid communication with the compressor section; and

a turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor, the turbine section having and an airfoil including:

a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) airfoil wall defining a platform, a root extending radially from the platform, and an airfoil section extending radially from the platform opposite the root, the root having a fir-tree profile, the CMC airfoil wall including first and second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structures,

each of the first and second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structures including:

first and second arms that merge into a single leg,

the first and second arms being comprised of a network of fiber tows,

the single leg including fiber tows from each of the first and second arms that are interwoven in the single leg, the single leg forming a portion of the root, and

the first and second arms extending in opposite directions from the single leg and forming a portion of the platform, the first arm of the first wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure extending axially forwardly from the single leg of the first wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure, the first arm of the second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure extending axially aftly from the single leg of the second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure, the second arm of the first wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure extending axially aftly from the single leg of the first wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure, and the second arm of the second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure extending axially forwardly from the single leg of the second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure, and a tip of the second arm of the first wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure is adjacent a tip of the second arm of the second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure to define a gap therebetween.

6. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 5 , wherein the CMC airfoil wall includes radially inner and outer reinforcement fiber plies between which the second arm of the first wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure and the second arm of the of the second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure are disposed, and the radially inner and outer reinforcement fiber plies each bridge the gap.

7. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 6 , wherein the single leg of the first wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure defines an axially forward face of the root, and the single leg of the second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure defines an axially aft face of the root.

8. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 5 , wherein the second arm of each of the first and second wishbone-shaped fiber layup structure splits into a pair of fingers, and the airfoil section extends between the pair of fingers.

9. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 5 , wherein the turbine section includes a disk that defines a slot that has a geometry that corresponds to the fir-tree profile such that the root interlocks with the slot.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 27, 2023
From: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RTX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064402/0837 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 27, 2023
From: DEREIMER, MARCUS; MCCAFFREY, MICHAEL G.
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064071/0724 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240426219A1 · Dec 26, 2024
References Cited (14)
US 7510379B2 · Marusko et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 9212560B2 · McCaffrey · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9482108B2 · Garcia Crespo · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 10132170B2 · Garcia-Crespo et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10392946B2 · Freeman et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10443409B2 · Sippel et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10577939B2 · Vetters et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 11346228B1 · Burdette · 2022 [cited by examiner]
EP 2919955B1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
EP 3315727A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
EP 3339574A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
EP 2791473B1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
WO 2021034327A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
European Search Report for European Patent Application No. 24184099.0 mailed Nov. 21, 2024. [cited by applicant]
Cited By (1)
US 12,704,072