Through thickness reinforcement of SiC/SiC CMC's through in-situ matrix plugs manufactured using fugitive fibers
A method of manufacturing a turbine engine component comprising the steps of providing and laying up a plurality of ceramic plies comprising woven ceramic fiber tows to form a turbine engine component shape, inserting a plurality of tows of oxidizable fugitive fibers into the component shape, such that each fugitive fiber tow passes through a preselected number of ceramic plies, burning off the fugitive fiber tows, the burning producing through-thickness void regions, rigidizing the component shape with a layer of BN and a layer of SiC to form a coated component preform using chemical vapor infiltration, and partially densifying the coated component preform using carbon-containing slurry and filling the through thickness void regions, and further densifying the coated component preform with at least silicon to form a ceramic matrix composite turbine engine component with in-situ ceramic matrix plugs formed where the through-thickness void regions were located.
1. A method of manufacturing a turbine engine component comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of ceramic plies, each ply comprising woven ceramic fiber tows;
providing a plurality of fugitive fibers tows;
laying up the plurality of plies in a preselected arrangement to form a turbine engine component shape;
inserting a plurality of tows of oxidizable fugitive fibers into the component shape, such that the fugitive fiber tows pass through at least two ceramic plies;
burning off the fugitive fiber tows, the burning producing through-thickness void regions;
rigidizing the component shape with a layer of BN and a layer of SiC to form a coated component preform using chemical vapor infiltration;
partially densifying the coated component preform using carbon-containing slurry, filling the through-thickness void regions with carbon-containing slurry; and
further densifying the coated component preform with at least silicon to form a ceramic matrix composite turbine engine component with in-situ ceramic matrix plugs formed where the through-thickness void regions were located.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic fiber tows comprise silicon-carbide containing fibers.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tows are inserted using a method selected from the group consisting of T-forming, Z-pinning, stitching, and combinations thereof.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of fugitive tows are inserted using Z-pinning.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of fugitive tows are inserted using T-forming.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of fugitive fiber tows are inserted using stitching.
7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the insertion is performed by hand.
8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the insertion is performed by machine.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of burning is performed in an oxygen-containing atmosphere at a temperature in the range of about 50° C. to about 1000° C., for a period of time in the range of about 1 hour to about 100 hours.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fugitive fibers are selected from the group consisting of cotton, rayon, nylon, and combinations thereof.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plies are silicon carbide containing plies selected from the group consisting of balanced plies, biased plies, and combinations thereof.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the turbine engine component is a turbine blade.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the turbine engine component is an uncooled turbine blade.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the turbine engine component is a cooled turbine blade.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the turbine engine component is a cooled turbine nozzle.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the turbine engine component is an uncooled turbine nozzle.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of burning is performed in an oxygen-containing atmosphere at a temperature in the range of about 400° C. to about 800° C., for a period of time in the range of about 2 hours to about 10 hours.
18. A ceramic matrix composite turbine engine component manufactured using the process of claim 1 .
19. The ceramic matrix composite turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the component is a cooled turbine shroud.
20. The ceramic matrix composite of claim 1 , wherein the component is an uncooled turbine shroud.