McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC
Fiber-reinforced Al-Li compressor airfoil and method of fabricating
A metal matrix composite lightweight compressor airfoil. The airfoil comprises a braided fabric embedded in a lightweight aluminum-lithium alloy. The airfoils are fabricated by forming a plurality of fiber tows by twisting filaments or fibers. The tows are then braided into a fabric. The fabric may be impregnated with an optional fugitive polymer that temporarily occupies interstices of the fabric to facilitate handling of the pre-formed braided fabric, but which is subsequently removed. The airfoil may then be formed as a MMC by one of two separate methods. In the first method, aluminum-lithium alloy is pressure augmented casting into a die that includes a preform of fabric impregnated with fugitive polymer. In a second method, a preform is formed using a tool and mandrel by impregnating fabric with aluminum-lithium alloy. Then aluminum-lithium alloy is pressure augmented cast into a die that includes the alloy-impregnated preform.
General Electric Company
B F C C B Y B B F C F B C C C F
B22D F05D C22C C22C B22F Y10T B22F B22D F04D C22C F04D B22D C22C C22C C22C F05D
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Jianqiang Ronald Ralph
Chen Cairo