Composite fan containment case and methods of fabricating the same

• US 8,021,102 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Xie, Ming, Braley, Michael Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Ninh H
• Application Number:
  US11/565,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20080128073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 415/9, 415/200, 415/220, 415/213.1, 298/892
• US Class Current: 415/9
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/086 and with one or more layers of pure plastics material, e.g. foam layers applying a non-preformed coating, e.g. a gel-coat, B29C37/0025; with foam blocks B29C70/86
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/32 on a rotating mould, former or core
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7504 Turbines
• CPC Class Codes: D04C 1/02 made from particular materials
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/02411 with a single array of unbent yarn, e.g. unidirectional reinforcement fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2505/02 Reinforcing materials; Prepregs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4932 Turbomachine making

Abstract

A method of fabricating a fan containment case for a gas turbine engine is provided. The method includes forming a core layer material, wrapping the core layer material about a cylindrically-shaped take-up spool, and transferring the core layer material to a cylindrically-shaped mandrel by wrapping a plurality of layers of the core layer material about the mandrel such that the mandrel is circumscribed by the layers and such that a size and a cylindrical shape of the fan containment case are defined by the layers of core layer material.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a fan containment case for a turbine engine, said method comprising:

forming a core layer material having prepreg reinforcement;

wrapping the core layer material about a cylindrically-shaped spool; and

transferring the core layer material to a cylindrically-shaped mandrel by wrapping a plurality of layers of the core layer material about the mandrel such that the mandrel is circumscribed by the layers to facilitate defining a cylindrical shape of the fan containment case via the layers of core layer material, wherein an inner surface of the fan containment case is cylindrical at least along a prime containment zone defined by a portion of the fan containment case radially outward from the fan.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein transferring the core layer material to a cylindrically-shaped mandrel further comprises bonding each of the plurality of layers of the core layer material together using a thermosetting polymeric resin.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising forming a flow path on the inner surface of the fan containment case.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising positioning an accessory mounting bracket on an outer surface of the fan containment case.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein transferring the core layer material to a cylindrically-shaped mandrel further comprises inducing tension to the core layer material to facilitate reducing wrinkle development.

6. A system for fabricating a fan containment case, said system comprising:

a core layer material comprising prepreg reinforcement;

a cylindrically-shaped spool configured for wrapping said core layer material about said spool; and

a cylindrically-shaped mandrel configured for wrapping a plurality of layers of said core layer material about said mandrel from said spool such that said mandrel is circumscribed by said plurality of layers to facilitate defining a cylindrical shape of the fan containment case via said plurality of layers such that the fan containment case has an inner surface, wherein the inner surface is cylindrical along a prime containment zone of the fan containment case.

7. A system in accordance with claim 6 wherein each of said plurality of layers is bonded together using a thermosetting polymeric resin.

8. A system in accordance with claim 6 further comprising acoustic treatments configured to be mounted within the fan containment case to define a flow path of the fan containment case.

9. A system in accordance with claim 6 further comprising an accessory mounting bracket configured to be mounted on an outer surface of the fan containment case.

10. A system in accordance with claim 6 wherein said core layer material is formed using a plurality of braids of reinforcing fibers.

11. A fan containment case for a turbine engine, said fan containment case comprising a cylindrical body comprising a plurality of circumferential layers of core layer material comprising prepreg reinforcement, said core layer material transferred from a cylindrically-shaped spool to a cylindrically-shaped mandrel to define an inner surface of said cylindrical body, said inner surface being cylindrical along a prime containment zone of said fan containment case.

12. A fan containment case in accordance with claim 11 wherein said plurality of circumferential layers of core layer material are bonded together using a thermosetting polymeric resin.

13. A fan containment case in accordance with claim 11 further comprising a plurality of acoustic treatments mounted on said inner surface and defining a flow path of said fan containment case.

14. A fan containment case in accordance with claim 11 further comprising an accessory mounting bracket mounted on an outer surface of said cylindrical body.