METHOD FOR MAKING GAS TURBINE ENGINE COMPOSITE STRUCTURE

• US 20140261986A1
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Lazur, Andrew Joseph, Chamberlain, Adam Lee
• Granted Patent: US 9,328,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/189
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2005/103 Cavity made by removal of insert
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2201/00 Treatment under specific atmosphere
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 5/04 of turbine blades
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/42 using mixtures containing fibres, e.g. for making sheets by slitting the wound layer
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 21/48 by wrapping, e.g. winding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/52 soluble or fusible in particular used in injection moulding B29C45/4457
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5244 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5248 Carbon, e.g. graphite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/6028 Shaping around a core which is removed later
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/614 Gas infiltration of green bodies or pre-forms
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/616 Liquid infiltration of green bodies or pre-forms
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/30 Composition of layers of ceramic laminates or of ceramic or metallic articles to be joined by heating, e.g. Si substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/363 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/38 Fiber or whisker reinforced
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/40 Metallic
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/402 Aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/404 Manganese or rhenium
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/405 Iron metal group, e.g. Co or Ni
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/565 based on silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/571 : obtained from Si-containing polymer precursors or organosilicon monomers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/573 : obtained by reaction sintering or recrystallisation
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/80 : Fibres, filaments, whiskers, platelets, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 37/023 : characterised by the interlayer used C04B37/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/04 : by powder metallurgy C22C1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/0416 : Aluminium-based alloys
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 19/03 : based on nickel
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 21/02 : with silicon as the next major constituent
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 28/00 : Alloys based on a metal not provided for in groups C22C5/00 - C22C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/282 : Selecting composite materials, e.g. blades with reinforcing filaments
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/284 : Selection of ceramic materials
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/6033 : Ceramic matrix composites [CMC]
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2200/0052 : Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 69/023 : Composite materials containing carbon and carbon fibres or fibres made of carbonizable material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1028 : by bending, drawing or stretch forming sheet to assume shape of configured lamina while in contact therewith

Abstract

A method for making a gas turbine engine matrix composite structure. The method includes providing at least one metal core element, fabricating a matrix composite component about the metal core element, and removing at least part of the metal core element from the matrix composite component by introduction of a halogen gas.

Claims

1. A method for making a gas turbine engine matrix composite structure comprising

providing at least one metal core element,

fabricating a matrix composite component about the metal core element, and

removing at least part of the metal core element from the matrix composite component by introduction of a halogen gas.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the matrix composite is composed of at least one selected from the group consisting of a SiC/SiC composite manufactured by a CVI, slurry, and melt infiltration process, a SiC/SiC composite manufactured by a tow coating, tape casting, and lamination process, a SiC/SiC composite manufactured by a CVI, pre-ceramic polymer infiltration and pyrolysis process, an oxide/oxide composite manufactured by a tape casting, lamination, and sintering process, a C/C/SiC composite manufactured by a polymer carbonization, and melt infiltration process, and a C/SiC composite manufactured by a CVI process or a CVI, slurry, and melt infiltration process.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the metal core element is composed of at least one selected from the group consisting of:

yttrium, lanthanum, terbium, and ytterbium alloys containing less than 10% silicon;

zirconium and hafnium alloys including one or more of carbon, boron, nitrogen, oxygen, silicon, hafnium, tantalum, aluminum, and less than 10 atomic % of scandium, yttrium, titanium, vanadium, niobium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, cobalt, rhodium, iridium, nickel, germanium, tin, terbium, ytterbium;

boron alloys including one or more of Sn, Zn, Cu, titanium and titanium alloys including one or more of Si, B, Ge, Sn, germaninum alloys including one or more of Si, B, Ti, Mo, Ni, Nb, Zr, Y, V, Co, and aluminum alloys including one or more of B, Si, Ti, Mo, Ni, Nb, Zr, Y, V, Co;

pure nickel, 51 Ge-49 Si alloy, and Ni—

Si—

Ge alloy.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the metal core element is fabricated by at least one of casting, forging, bending of sheet, bending of wire, machining, grinding, EDM, laser cutting, water jet cutting, electroforming, welding of multiple pieces, brazing of multiple pieces, laser sintering, and powdered metal processing.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising casting into the metal core element a material selected from the group of monolithic ceramic, CMC, and carbon.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the metal core element includes a plurality of pieces and at least two pieces have a different melting point.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising bonding to the metal core element an element made of a material that is selected from the group consisting of monolithic ceramic, CMC, and carbon.

8. A method for making a gas turbine engine matrix composite turbine blade, comprising

forming a metallic alloy core;

wrapping a plurality of ceramic fabric plies about the metallic alloy core to have substantially a turbine blade shape and to define an opening in the plurality of ceramic fabric plies that exposes at least a portion of the metallic alloy core to the outside of the plurality of ceramic fabric plies; and

heating the metallic alloy core and introducing a halogen gas to the metallic alloy core to remove at least a portion of the metallic alloy core through the opening in the plurality of ceramic fabric plies.

9. The method of claim 8 in which wrapping comprises extending one or more of the plurality of ceramic fabric plies beyond the metallic alloy core in a span direction of the turbine blade on both sides of the turbine blade.

10. The method of claim 8 in which the wrapping comprises shaping an upper portion of the plurality of ceramic fabric plies as a solid portion of the turbine blade.

11. The method of claim 8 in which the wrapping comprises integrating a lower portion of the plurality of the ceramic fabric plies with additional ceramic fabric plies to form a turbine blade platform.

12. The method of claim 11 in which forming the metallic alloy core comprises forming an extension in the lower portion of the plurality of the ceramic fabric plies that extends through the turbine blade platform of the turbine blade.

13. The method of claim 8 in which the halogen gas comprises chlorine gas.

14. The method of claim 8 in which the metallic alloy core comprises a metallic alloy foam.

15. The method of claim 8 in which the metallic alloy core comprises an alloy that is also used in the fabrication of the plurality of ceramic fabric plies.

16. The method of claim 8 further comprising coating the metallic alloy core with at least one of Si, Si, SiC, C, SiNC, Si₃N₄, B, Ir, Mo, Rh, Pd, Pt, Nb or ceramic oxides, nitrides, or borides.

17. The method of claim 16 in which the coating is applied by CVD, PVD, plasma spray, brush or spray on slurry.

19. A method for making a gas turbine engine composite component, comprising

forming a metal casting during which a carbon release film thereon is converted to SiC;

applying a layer of carbon to the metal casting;

wrapping the metal casting in a plurality of fabric layers to have substantially a gas turbine engine component shape;

infiltrating the wrapped metal casting with SiC chemical vapor infiltration;

heating the wrapped metal casting and introducing a halogen gas to the metal casting to remove at least a portion of the metal casting.

20. The method of claim 19 in which forming the metallic alloy core comprises using chopped fiber with binder in branched areas of the metallic alloy core.