US Patent 11549380 Contour weaving to form airfoil

A method of fabricating an airfoil includes drawing a continuous woven fabric ply over a contoured surface that has a geometry that is analogous to a geometry of an airfoil. The continuous woven fabric ply takes the geometry of the contoured surface to thereby form a contoured continuous woven fabric ply. The contoured continuous woven fabric ply is then wrapped around an airfoil tool to produce an airfoil preform. The airfoil tool has a geometry that is analogous to the airfoil. The contoured continuous woven fabric ply takes the geometry of the airfoil tool. The airfoil preform is then densified with a ceramic matrix to produce a ceramic matrix composite airfoil.