Abstract:
A gas turbine engine composite article having a composite article airfoil extending outwardly to an article root to an article airfoil tip. Within the article airfoil is a core including a core airfoil attached to a core root including a core dovetail. A continuous outer three-dimensional braided layer including braided composite material tows are braided on the core and the braided layer covers the entire core airfoil and the core root. The core may be an inflatable mandrel or a composite core made of a composite material. The core may include stiffeners such as an I beam or hollow rectangular cross-section box beams. A method for making such an article includes braiding a continuous outer three-dimensional braided layer including braided composite material tows on the core including covering the entire core airfoil and the core root with the continuous outer three-dimensional braided layer.
Abstract:
A process for fabricating a thermoplastic-fiber composite includes heating a thermoplastic resin to a liquid state, unidirectionally orienting fibers, impregnating the fibers with the thermoplastic resin in the liquid state to produce composite laminae, and performing an automated machine lay-up process to produce a composite laminate comprising a plurality of the composite laminae.