US 12,331,657 B2
Composite airfoil for a turbine engine
Nicholas Joseph Kray, Mason, OH (US); and Elzbieta Kryj-Kos, Liberty Township, OH (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Evendale, OH (US)
Filed by GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on May 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/314,499.
Prior Publication US 2024/0376828 A1, Nov. 14, 2024
Int. Cl. F01D 5/28 (2006.01)
CPC F01D 5/282 (2013.01) [F05B 2280/6003 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A composite airfoil, comprising:
an airfoil core including a composite core comprising a three-dimensional, woven fiber network;
a wall completely surrounding the airfoil core, including a first set of stacked plies including a first type of ply having directional fibers extending in a first direction, and defining at least a portion of an exterior surface, the exterior surface extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge to define a chordwise direction and between a root and a tip to define a spanwise direction; and
at least one stiffener located in at least one pocket defined by the composite core and the wall, wherein the at least one stiffener is located at the at least one pocket, the at least one stiffener having a second set of stacked plies including a second type of ply having directional fibers extending in a pre-determined direction associated with a pre-determined stiffness of the at least one stiffener;
wherein the at least one stiffener is oriented relative to the spanwise direction so as to provide torsional stiffening.