Turbine blade with attachment-supported platform for composite material construction

Abstract

A turbine blade of ceramic matrix composite material construction adapted for use in a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The turbine blade includes a root, an airfoil, and a platform. The root is adapted to attach the turbine blade to a disk. The airfoil is shaped to interact with hot gasses moving through the gas path of a gas turbine engine and cause rotation of the turbine blade when the turbine blade is used in a gas turbine engine. The platform is arranged between the root and the airfoil and is shaped to block gasses from the gas path migrating toward the root when the turbine blade is used in a gas turbine engine.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A turbine blade of ceramic matrix composite material construction, the turbine blade comprising
 a root shaped to include a flared portion configured to attach the turbine blade to a disk,   an airfoil shaped to interact with hot gasses moving through the gas path of a gas turbine engine and cause rotation of the turbine blade when the turbine blade is used, and   a platform having an attachment side facing the root and a gas path side facing the airfoil, the platform arranged between the root and the airfoil and shaped to extend outwardly from the root and the airfoil in order to block gasses from the gas path migrating toward the root when the turbine blade is used,   wherein the turbine blade includes core fiber-reinforcement plies that form part of the root and the airfoil without forming part of the platform, attachment fiber-reinforcement plies that form part of the root and the platform, and a plurality filler reinforcement fibers arranged in fill regions of the root defined by divergence of adjacent core fiber-reinforcement plies within the root.   
     
     
         2 . The turbine blade of  claim 1 , wherein the attachment fiber-reinforcement plies are arranged in confronting relation with one another throughout the root so as not to define any fill regions between adjacent attachment fiber-reinforcement plies. 
     
     
         3 . The turbine blade of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of filler reinforcement fibers include at least one of individual fiber tows and loose fibers. 
     
     
         4 . The turbine blade of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of platform fiber-reinforcement plies that form part of the platform without forming part of the root or the airfoil. 
     
     
         5 . The turbine blade of  claim 4 , wherein a second plurality of filler reinforcement fibers are arranged to fill a space formed between one of the attachment reinforcement-fiber plies and one of the platform fiber-reinforcement plies. 
     
     
         6 . The turbine blade of  claim 5 , wherein an external one of the attachment fiber-reinforcement plies is located at the attachment side of the platform and the second plurality of filler reinforcement fibers are spaced apart from the external one of the attachment fiber-reinforcement plies by at least one internal one of the attachment fiber-reinforcement plies. 
     
     
         7 . The turbine blade of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of filler reinforcement fibers and the second plurality of filler reinforcement fibers both include at least one of individual fiber tows and loose fibers. 
     
     
         8 . The turbine blade of  claim 1 , wherein the turbine blade includes at least one gas path fiber-reinforcement ply that forms part of the airfoil and the platform. 
     
     
         9 . The turbine blade of  claim 8 , wherein an external one of the at least one gas path fiber-reinforcement plies provides an outer surface of the airfoil and the gas path side of the platform. 
     
     
         10 . The turbine blade of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one gas path fiber-reinforcement plies includes only one fiber-reinforcement ply. 
     
     
         11 . The turbine blade of  claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of platform fiber-reinforcement plies that form part of the platform without forming part of the root or the airfoil, wherein a plurality of transition reinforcement fibers are arranged to fill a space between the external one of the at least one gas path fiber-reinforcement plies and one of the platform fiber-reinforcement plies. 
     
     
         12 . A turbine blade of ceramic matrix composite material construction, the turbine blade comprising
 a root shaped to include a flared portion,   an airfoil shaped to interact with hot gasses moving through the gas path of a gas turbine engine, and   a platform having an attachment side facing the root and a gas path side facing the airfoil,   wherein the turbine blade includes (i) core fiber-reinforcement plies that form part of the root and the airfoil without forming part of the platform, and (ii) attachment fiber-reinforcement plies that form part of the root and the platform, and   wherein one adjacent pair of core fiber-reinforcement plies diverge from one another within the root to drive a flare shape of the flared portion of the root, while adjacent attachment fiber-reinforcement plies are arranged in confronting relation with one another and do not diverge from one another within the root.   
     
     
         13 . The turbine blade of  claim 12 , wherein the turbine blade includes a plurality filler reinforcement fibers arranged in a fill region of the root defined between core fiber-reinforcement plies of the one adjacent pair of core fiber-reinforcement plies that diverge from one another within the root. 
     
     
         14 . The turbine blade of  claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of platform fiber-reinforcement plies that form part of the platform without forming part of the root or the airfoil. 
     
     
         15 . The turbine blade of  claim 14 , wherein a second plurality of filler reinforcement fibers are arranged to fill a space formed between one of the attachment reinforcement-fiber plies and one of the platform fiber-reinforcement plies. 
     
     
         16 . The turbine blade of  claim 15 , wherein an external one of the attachment fiber-reinforcement plies is located at the attachment side of the platform and the second plurality of filler reinforcement fibers are spaced apart from the external one of the attachment fiber-reinforcement plies by at least one internal one of the attachment fiber-reinforcement plies. 
     
     
         17 . The turbine blade of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of filler reinforcement fibers and the second plurality of filler reinforcement fibers both include at least one of individual fiber tows and loose fibers. 
     
     
         18 . The turbine blade of  claim 12 , wherein the turbine blade includes at least one gas path fiber-reinforcement ply that forms part of the airfoil and the platform. 
     
     
         19 . The turbine blade of  claim 18 , wherein an external one of the at least one gas path fiber-reinforcement plies provides an outer surface of the airfoil and the gas path side of the platform. 
     
     
         20 . The turbine blade of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one gas path fiber-reinforcement plies includes only one fiber-reinforcement ply.