Affordable Composite Front Frame for Turbine Engines

"Composites offer significant weight saving potential in engines, which is of great interest to programs like the X35 JSF and F136 engine. A composite F136 Front Frame offers the AF the potential to save 30 pounds on the JSF alternate engine. Complexcomposite assemblies made conventionally have been expensive, and cost reductions are needed to insert more composites on engines. Automated fiber placement can provide significant cost savings. Braiding is a proven and cost-effective automation methodthat is inherently well-suited to many engine part configurations. RTM for engine parts is limited because of the process characteristics of high temperature resins like PMR15. The SARTM process (a subset of RTM) has been developed to enable PMR15 andother high temperature resins to be used for high temperature engine parts. A combination of braiding and SARTM offers the potential to realize weight savings for a fully functional part at a significantly lower cost than present manufacturing methods.FII, in cooperation with GEAE (the engine prime), shall demonstrate the feasibility and potential benefits to accrue to the F136 JSF engine using a low-cost braided front frame. The program has direct benefit to a major DoD program and significantcommercial potential. Benefits anticipated from this work include realization of a 30 pound weight saving on the F136 engine and a significant cost reduction versus present SOTA composite manufacturing meth