Preformed Ceramic Inserts for Precise CMC Airfoil Endwall Contouring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing ceramic matrix composite (CMC) airfoil endwalls in gas turbine engines struggle with high precision contouring, leading to significant aerodynamic losses due to horseshoe vortices at the endwalls.
Innovation Solution
A method involving forming a ceramic insert with a contoured surface, draping a fiber ply over it, and densifying the assembly to achieve precise endwall contouring, using fiber-reinforced CMC materials or monolithic ceramics for the insert.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional casting and machining methods are used for endwall contouring in CMC components, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates resulting in inability to achieve high precision contouring
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by pre-forming the contoured surface on the ceramic insert before draping the fiber ply. The contoured insert serves as a pre-prepared substrate that defines the desired endwall geometry, eliminating the need for complex post-manufacturing contouring operations and enabling high precision directly during the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The contoured ceramic insert acts as an intermediary element between the manufacturing process and the final endwall geometry. By inserting this pre-contoured component into the assembly, the invention transfers the contouring function from the final machining step to an intermediate manufacturing stage, simplifying the overall process while maintaining high precision.
2Loss of energy
If high precision endwall contouring is achieved in CMC components, then aerodynamic losses are reduced, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the endwall manufacturing into distinct functional components: a contoured ceramic insert that defines the precision geometry and fiber plies that provide structural integrity. This segmentation allows the contouring function to be handled by the specialized insert while the fiber composite handles structural requirements, making high precision contouring more manufacturable.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes composite materials by combining ceramic insert with fiber-reinforced CMC plies. The ceramic portion provides the precise contoured surface for aerodynamic performance, while the composite fiber structure provides mechanical strength and thermal resistance, enabling both high precision and manufacturability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for providing endwall contouring in the manufacture of a ceramic matrix composite airfoil endwall for a gas turbine engine includes forming a ceramic insert having a contoured surface defining a desired endwall contouring, draping a first fiber ply over the contoured surface of the ceramic insert, and densifying the assembled ceramic insert and first fiber ply. The first fiber ply conforms to a shape of the contoured surface.