Ceramic Insert Contouring for Gas Turbine CMC Airfoil Endwalls

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the desired endwall contour into a ceramic insert before the CMC layup process. The insert is manufactured separately with the precise contour already established, then positioned within the mold cavity before fiber ply placement. This allows the complex contouring to be achieved without complicating the CMC manufacturing process itself, as the insert serves as a pre-prepared template that guides the fiber layup to achieve the desired geometry.

The patent introduces a ceramic insert as an intermediary element that mediates between the manufacturing process and the final CMC component geometry. The insert serves as a temporary form-giving element during manufacturing that is later removed, leaving the desired contour in the CMC component. This intermediary approach allows high precision contouring to be achieved without directly modifying the CMC layup process, thereby maintaining manufacturing ease while achieving the required geometric precision for reduced aerodynamic losses.

The patent applies segmentation by separating the endwall contouring function from the CMC component manufacturing. Instead of attempting to achieve contouring through complex CMC layup modifications, the solution divides the problem into two independent parts: a removable ceramic insert that provides the contour during manufacturing, and the CMC component itself that is manufactured using standard layup techniques. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex integrated solutions and allows each component to be optimized independently.