Ceramic Matrix Composite Production via Integrated Furnace Cycle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gas turbine engine components, such as turbine blades and combustor liners, are limited by their temperature capability, leading to inefficiencies and high emissions, as existing materials and cooling technologies do not adequately address the need for higher temperature resistance.
Innovation Solution
A method for producing ceramic matrix composites involves applying a fiber interface coating, followed by chemical vapor infiltration, and then infiltrating with molten material within a single furnace cycle, using a pressure gradient to ensure uniform coating and reduced porosity, allowing for improved thermal and mechanical properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple coating and infiltration steps are performed separately, then coating quality and material properties are improved, but production time and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate coating and infiltration steps into a single integrated furnace cycle. The process applies fiber interface coating, chemical vapor infiltration coating, and molten material infiltration sequentially within the same heating cycle without removing the preform from the tool, thereby maintaining coating quality while reducing production time and process complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The fiber interface coating is applied as a preliminary step before the main infiltration process. This preliminary coating prepares the fiber surface for subsequent molten material infiltration, ensuring proper bonding and reducing porosity while streamlining the overall production sequence
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple furnace cycles are used for coating and infiltration, then material density and reduced porosity are achieved, but energy consumption and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple furnace cycles into a single integrated heating cycle that performs fiber interface coating, chemical vapor infiltration, and molten material infiltration sequentially. This eliminates the need for repeated heating and cooling cycles, significantly reducing energy consumption while achieving the same material density and porosity reduction through continuous processing
3Adaptability or versatility
If preform is removed from tool between steps, then flexibility and adaptability are improved, but geometric fidelity and surface finish deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent keeps the preform continuously positioned in the same tool throughout the entire furnace cycle, performing all coating and infiltration steps in-situ. This maintains geometric fidelity and surface finish by eliminating handling and repositioning operations, while the integrated process design provides the necessary flexibility and adaptability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This process results in composites with enhanced proportional limit strength, reduced porosity, and improved interlaminar tensile strength, leading to increased component life, reduced costs, and simplified production, while maintaining geometric fidelity and surface finish.
Implementation Method 1
coating the coated fibers resulting from step a) via chemical vapor infiltration
Implementation Method 2
the forced flow processes can apply a pressure gradient of about 0.005 atm to about 1.0 atm
Implementation Method 3
infiltrating the coated fibers resulting from step b) with molten material
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A method of producing a ceramic matrix composite comprising: a) applying a fiber interface coating to the composite, b) coating the composite via chemical vapor infiltration, and c) infiltrating the composite with molten material, wherein the composite is not removed from a tool between steps (a), (b), and (c), wherein the fiber interface coating and the chemical vapor infiltration are forced flow processes, wherein the forced flow fiber interface coating applies a pressure gradient of about 0.005 to about 1.0 atm, wherein the coating is carbon, boron nitride, or silicon doped boron nitride, wherein the chemical vapor infiltration applies silicon carbide, silicon nitride carbide, boron carbide, or carbon as a coating, wherein the coating is about 0.1 [micro]m to about 15.0 [micro]m, wherein the ceramic matrix composite is a tool, wherein the molten material comprises an alloy, wherein the molten material comprises silicon carbide, carbon, or a ceramic particulate, wherein the composite is multi-layered, wherein at least one layer comprises at least one of a carbide, a nitride, a boride, or carbon, for instance one layer is silicon carbide or boron nitride.