Containment case having ceramic coated fibers
Containment assemblies and methods for forming containment assemblies of gas turbine engines are provided. For example, a containment assembly comprises a containment case including a plurality of coated fibers. Each coated fiber comprises a fiber surrounded by a ceramic material such that the ceramic material coats the fiber. As another example, a containment assembly comprises an inner case and a containment case comprising a plurality of coated fibers. Each coated fiber comprises a fiber surrounded by a ceramic material such that the ceramic material coats the fiber. The containment case includes a greater proportion of the coated fibers at an inner surface of a layer of the containment case than at a location within the containment case that is radially outward from the inner surface. Methods for forming a containment assembly of a gas turbine engine are provided.
1. A containment assembly of a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a containment case including a plurality of coated fibers and a plurality of uncoated fibers,
wherein each coated fiber comprises a fiber surrounded by a ceramic material such that the ceramic material coats the fiber,
wherein the plurality of coated fibers is a first volume fraction of the containment case and the plurality of uncoated fibers is a second volume fraction of the containment case, and
wherein the first volume fraction is greater than 50%.
2. The containment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the containment case is disposed about a longitudinal centerline of the gas turbine engine.
3. The containment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first volume fraction is greater than 80%.
4. The containment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first volume fraction varies circumferentially within the containment assembly.
5. The containment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first volume fraction varies axially within the containment assembly.
6. The containment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first volume fraction varies radially within the containment assembly.
7. The containment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of coated fibers are woven into a textile, braided, stitched, or manipulated into a three-dimensional weave to form at least a portion of the containment case.
8. The containment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic material is chosen from a group consisting of tungsten carbide, aluminum oxide, and titanium dioxide.
9. The containment assembly of claim 1 , wherein each fiber is a graphite fiber.
10. The containment assembly of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of coated fibers are infused with a resin matrix material.
11. The containment assembly of claim 1 , wherein each fiber is an aromatic polyamide fiber.
12. The containment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the containment case comprises:
an annular inner shell;
a filler layer disposed radially outward from the annular inner shell;
an annular outer shell disposed radially outward from the filler layer; and
a containment belt disposed radially outward from the annular outer shell,
wherein the containment belt comprises the plurality of coated fibers.
13. A containment assembly of a gas turbine engine, comprising:
an inner case; and
a containment case comprising a plurality of coated fibers, each coated fiber comprising a fiber surrounded by a ceramic material such that the ceramic material coats the fiber,
wherein the containment case includes a greater proportion of the coated fibers at an inner surface of a layer of the containment case than at a location within the containment case that is radially outward from the inner surface.
14. The containment assembly of claim 13 , wherein the proportion of the coated fibers within the containment case decreases from the inner surface to an outer surface of the layer.
15. The containment assembly of claim 13 , wherein the inner case is a fan case of the gas turbine engine.
16. The containment assembly of claim 15 , further comprising:
an inlet of a fan of the gas turbine engine, the inlet upstream of the fan case,
wherein the inlet comprises a second plurality of the coated fibers.
17. The containment assembly of claim 13 , wherein the layer is a radially outer layer of the containment case, and wherein the containment case surrounds the inner case to contain objects travelling outward from the inner case.
18. A method for forming a containment assembly of a gas turbine engine, comprising:
coating each fiber of a plurality of fibers with a ceramic material such that the ceramic material surrounds each fiber of the plurality of fibers to form a plurality of coated fibers;
forming a containment case using the plurality of coated fibers and a plurality of uncoated fibers; and
disposing the containment case about a plurality of fan blades of the gas turbine engine,
wherein the plurality of coated fibers is a first volume fraction of the containment case and the plurality of uncoated fibers is a second volume fraction of the containment case, and
wherein the first volume fraction varies circumferentially within the containment assembly.