AUTOMATED FORMATION OF NET SHAPE MULTIDIRECTIONAL FIBER ARCHITECTURES FOR TURBINE ENGINE ROTOR BLISKS

CANDIDATE MATERIALS BEING CONSIDERED FOR FUTURE HIGH PERFORMANCE TURBINE ENGINES INCLUDE CERAMIC MATRIX, INTERMETALLIC MATRIX, AND ADVANCED CARBOR-CARBON COMPOSITES. CURRENT FIBER PLACEMENT TECHNIQUES ARE INADEQUATE TO FABRICATE THE COMPLEX, MULTIDIRECTIONAL PREFORMS REQUIRED FOR BLADES, VANES, DISKS, OR BLISKS OF THESE MATERIALS. FOSTER-MILLER IS PROPOSING AN AUTOMATED APPROACH TO PRODUCE MULTIDIRECTIONAL BLISK PREFORMS. BRAIDING AND WEAVING PROCESSES WILL BE INTEGRATED TO PRODUCE A NET SHAPE PREFORM WITH INTEGRAL BLADES. THE METHOD IS NOT RESTRICTED TO THREE ORTHOGONAL (POLAR) COORDINATES. THE PREFORM WILL CONTAIN A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF HOOP REINFORCEMENT IN THE DISK REGION AND PREDOMINANTLY RADIAL AND +0O ORIENTATIONS IN THE BLADE. PHASE I WILL SHOW FEASIBILITY BY FABRICATING A REPRESENTATIVE BLISK SECTOR. PHASE II WOULD INVOLVE DETAILED DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF A PROTOTYPE WEAVING SYSTEM WHICH WOULD BE USED TO PRODUCE PROTOTYPE BLISK PREFORMS IN SEVERAL GEOMETRIES AND FIBER MATERIALS. PREFORMS WOULD BE INFILTRATED WITH APPROPRIATE MATRIX PRECURSORS AND PYROLIZED OR SINTERED TO PRODUCE DEMONSTRATION BLISK(S). PARTICIPATION OF AN ENGINE MANUFACTURER WILL BE SOUGHT IN PHASE II. IF PHASE II IS SUCCESSFUL, FOSTER-MILLER WOULD SEEK TO COMMERCIALIZE THE TECHNOLOGY WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF AN ENGINE MANUFACTURER.