CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITE TURBINE NOZZLE SHELL AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLY

• US 20200131919A1
• Filed: 10/25/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: de Diego, Peter, Greene, John Ellington, Hafner, Matthew Troy, Hobart, David Randall, Murray, III, James Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 11,035,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 18/00 Layered products essentially comprising ceramics, e.g. refractory products
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2603/00 Vanes, blades, propellers, rotors with blades
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3826 Silicon carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5228 Silica and alumina, including aluminosilicates, e.g. mullite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5244 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5248 Carbon, e.g. graphite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5268 Orientation of the fibers
• 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 2237/365 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/38 Fiber or whisker reinforced
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/84 Joining of a first substrate with a second substrate at least partially inside the first substrate, where the bonding area is at the inside of the first substrate, e.g. one tube inside another tube
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/01 based on oxide ceramics
• 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 35/62863 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/62873 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/80 Fibres, filaments, whiskers, platelets, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5059 : Silicon carbide
• 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: F01D 9/041 : using blades F01D5/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/31 : Layer deposition
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/128 : Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/6033 : Ceramic matrix composites [CMC]

Abstract

A ceramic matrix composite turbine nozzle includes a primary outer nozzle platform; a primary inner nozzle platform; and an airfoil-shaped body extending between the primary inner and primary outer nozzle platforms. The body includes core plies defining a cavity; composite wrap plies circumscribing the core plies and defining an airfoil shape; a secondary outer nozzle platform in contact with the primary outer nozzle platform; and a secondary inner nozzle platform in contact with the primary inner nozzle platform. Each composite wrap ply has two layers of unidirectional fibers oriented transverse to each other and has first and second longitudinal edges. The first and second longitudinal edges are cut into fingers, which are folded in a transverse direction away from a turbine nozzle longitudinal axis and are interleaved between platform plies to define the secondary inner nozzle platform and the secondary outer nozzle platform.

Claims

1. A ceramic matrix composite turbine nozzle comprising:

a primary outer nozzle platform;

a primary inner nozzle platform axially spaced from the primary outer nozzle platform;

an airfoil-shaped body extending axially between the primary inner nozzle platform and the primary outer nozzle platform, the airfoil-shaped body comprising;

core plies defining a cavity;

a plurality of composite wrap plies circumscribing the core plies and defining an airfoil shape;

a secondary outer nozzle platform in contact with the primary outer nozzle platform; and

a secondary inner nozzle platform in contact with the primary inner nozzle platform;

wherein each composite wrap ply of the plurality of composite wrap plies includes a first layer with first unidirectional fibers oriented in parallel to a longitudinal axis of the turbine nozzle and a second layer with second unidirectional fibers oriented in a transverse direction relative to the first unidirectional fibers;

wherein each composite ply has a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge, the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge being cut into fingers, the fingers being folded in a transverse direction away from the longitudinal axis and being interleaved between platform plies to define the secondary inner nozzle platform and the secondary outer nozzle platform.

2. The CMC turbine nozzle of claim 1, wherein each composite ply is wrapped around the core plies, such that the first layer and the second layer are disposed in alternating arrangement around the core plies.

3. The CMC turbine nozzle of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of filler panels disposed radially outward of the folded fingers, such that a substantially uniform ply layer is interleaved between the platform plies.

4. The CMC turbine nozzle of claim 1, wherein the core plies are part of a core and trailing edge preform, the trailing edge preform comprising a plurality of stacked trailing edge plies defining a generally V-shaped profile.

5. The CMC turbine nozzle of claim 1, wherein the primary outer nozzle platform comprises a plurality of stacked platform plies, each of the platform plies comprising an opening corresponding to a size and shape of the cavity, the respective openings being aligned with the cavity.

6. The CMC turbine nozzle of claim 5, wherein the plurality of stacked platform plies in the primary outer nozzle platform comprises from ten to fifteen platform plies.

7. The CMC turbine nozzle of claim 5, wherein the plurality of stacked platform plies in the primary outer nozzle platform comprises first platform plies with unidirectional fibers oriented in a first fiber direction and second platform plies with unidirectional fibers oriented in a second fiber direction transverse to the first fiber direction;

and wherein the first platform plies and the second platform plies are stacked in an alternating manner.

8. The CMC turbine nozzle of claim 1, wherein the primary inner nozzle platform comprises a plurality of stacked platform plies, each of the platform plies comprising an opening corresponding to a size and shape of the cavity, the respective openings being aligned with the cavity.

9. The CMC turbine nozzle of claim 8, wherein the plurality of stacked platform plies in the primary inner nozzle platform comprises from ten to fifteen platform plies.

10. The CMC turbine nozzle of claim 8, wherein the plurality of stacked platform plies in the primary inner nozzle platform comprises first platform plies with unidirectional fibers oriented in a first fiber direction and second platform plies with unidirectional fibers oriented in a second fiber direction transverse to the first fiber direction;

and wherein the first platform plies and the second platform plies are stacked in an alternating manner.

11. A turbine section of a gas turbine, the turbine section comprising:

an outer side wall circumscribing a centerline of the turbine section, the outer side wall comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced nozzle openings;

an inner side wall inboard of and radially spaced from the outer side wall and circumscribing the centerline of the turbine section;

a plurality of metal spars installed through the nozzle openings and mounted to the outer side wall;

a plurality of ceramic matrix composite turbine nozzles disposed over the respective plurality of metal spars and extending radially between the outer side wall and the inner side wall;

wherein each CMC turbine nozzle of the plurality of CMC turbine nozzles comprises;

a primary outer nozzle platform;

a primary inner nozzle platform axially spaced from the primary outer nozzle platform;

an airfoil-shaped body extending axially between the primary inner nozzle platform and the primary outer nozzle platform, the airfoil-shaped body comprising core plies defining a cavity;

a plurality of composite wrap plies circumscribing the core plies and defining an airfoil shape;

a secondary outer nozzle platform in contact with the primary outer nozzle platform and a secondary inner nozzle platform in contact with the primary inner nozzle platform;

wherein each composite wrap ply of the plurality of composite wrap plies includes a first layer having first unidirectional fibers oriented in parallel to a longitudinal axis of the turbine nozzle and a second layer having unidirectional fibers oriented in a transverse direction relative to the first unidirectional fibers, wherein each composite ply has a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge, the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge being cut into fingers; and

wherein the fingers are folded in a transverse direction away from the longitudinal axis and are interleaved between platform plies to define the secondary inner nozzle platform and the secondary outer nozzle platform.

12. The turbine section of claim 11, wherein each composite ply of the plurality of composite plies is disposed around the core plies, such that each first layer and each second layer are disposed in alternating arrangement around the core plies.

13. The turbine section of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of filler panels disposed radially outward of the folded fingers, such that a substantially uniform ply layer is interleaved between the platform plies.

14. The turbine section of claim 11, further comprising a core and trailing edge preform, the core including the core plies and the trailing edge preform comprising a plurality of stacked trailing edge plies defining a generally V-shaped profile.

15. The turbine section of claim 13, wherein the primary outer nozzle platform comprises from ten to fifteen stacked platform plies, each of the platform plies comprising an opening corresponding to a size and shape of the cavity, the respective openings being aligned with the cavity;

and wherein the plurality of stacked platform plies in the primary outer nozzle platform comprises first platform plies with unidirectional fibers oriented in a first fiber direction and second platform plies with unidirectional fibers oriented in a second fiber direction transverse to the first fiber direction; and

wherein the first platform plies and the second platform plies are stacked in an alternating manner.

16. The turbine section of claim 13, wherein the primary inner nozzle platform comprises from ten to fifteen stacked platform plies, each of the platform plies comprising an opening corresponding to a size and shape of the cavity, the respective openings being aligned with the cavity;

and wherein the plurality of stacked platform plies in the primary inner nozzle platform comprises first platform plies with unidirectional fibers oriented in a first fiber direction and second platform plies with unidirectional fibers oriented in a second fiber direction transverse to the first fiber direction; and

wherein the first platform plies and the second platform plies are stacked in an alternating manner.