Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090165988 | TURBINE AIRFOIL CASTING METHOD - A method for making a turbine airfoil includes: (a) providing a mold having: (i) a core; (ii) an outer shell surrounding the core such that the core and the outer shell cooperatively define a cavity in the shape of an airfoil having at least one outer wall; and (iii) a core support extending from the core to the outer shell through a portion of the cavity that defines the at least one sidewall; (b) introducing molten metal alloy into the cavity and surrounding the core support; (c) solidifying the alloy to form an airfoil casting having at least one outer wall which has at least one core support opening passing therethrough; (d) removing the mold so as to expose the airfoil; and (e) sealing the at least one core support opening in the airfoil with a metal alloy metallurgically bonded to the at least one outer wall. | 07-02-2009 |
20090313823 | IMPARTING DEEP COMPRESSIVE RESIDUAL STRESSES INTO A GAS TURBINE ENGINE AIRFOIL PERIPHERAL REPAIR WELDMENT - A gas turbine engine airfoil is repaired by machining away airfoil material along at least a portion of at least one of leading and trailing edges and a radially outer tip forming at least one cut-back area and forming a weldment by welding successive beads of welding material into the cut-back area. Desired finished dimensions of the repaired airfoil are obtained by machining away some of the weld bead material in the weldment and then deep compressive residual stresses are imparted in a pre-stressed region extending into and encompassing the weldment and a portion of the airfoil adjacent the weldment. The compressive residual stresses may be are imparted after either rough machining or final finishing thereafter of the weldment. The cut-back area may extend up to about 90% of the airfoil's span and have a maximum cut-back depth up to about 0.22 inches. | 12-24-2009 |
20100200189 | METHOD OF FABRICATING TURBINE AIRFOILS AND TIP STRUCTURES THEREFOR - A method for making a turbine airfoil includes providing a mold core and an outer shell which cooperatively define a cavity in the shape of a hollow airfoil having an outer wall, a root, and a tip. A tip portion of the core extends completely through the portion of the cavity defining the tip of the airfoil. The core is restrained to prevent movement between the core and outer shell. Molten metal is introduced into the cavity and solidified to form an airfoil having at least one outer wall which defines an open tip and a hollow interior. A metallic tip cap is formed on the outer wall which substantially closes off the open tip. The tip cap may be formed by packing the airfoil with metallic powder; and laser sintering the exposed powder so as to form a tip cap which is metallurgically bonded to the outer wall. | 08-12-2010 |
20100226780 | VARYING FLUENCE AS A FUNCTION OF THICKNESS DURING LASER SHOCK PEENING - A method for simultaneously laser shock peening opposite laser shock peening surfaces on opposite sides of an article, such as a gas turbine engine airfoil, with varying thickness using oppositely aimed laser beams and varying surface fluence of the laser beams over the laser shock peening surfaces as a function of the thickness of the article beneath each one of a plurality of laser shock peened spots formed by the beams on the surfaces. The fluence may be equal to the thickness multiplied by a volumetric fluence factor, the volumetric fluence factor being held constant over the laser shock peening surface. The volumetric fluence factor may be in a range of about 1200 J/cm | 09-09-2010 |
20100251546 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING PERFORMANCE OF MANAUFACTURING OPERATIONS OR STEPS - A manufacturing system and manufacturing method for adjusting the performance of manufacturing operations or steps in manufacturing components having three-dimensional external structural characteristics. An embodiment of the system broadly comprises: (a) a plurality of manufacturing operations for processing a component having three-dimensional external structural characteristics; (b) at least one analytical device for analyzing at least one characteristic of the component after the performance of one or more manufacturing operations to generate a component data set; (c) at least one data storage device for storing the generated component data sets and for providing at least a relevant portion of accumulated component data; and (d) a communication mechanism for transmitting at least a relevant portion of accumulated component data to one or more manufacturing operations so that the performance thereof can be adjusted in response to the transmitted portion of accumulated component data. An embodiment of the method broadly comprises the following steps: (a) providing a component having three-dimensional external structural characteristics; (b) providing at least a relevant portion of accumulated component data comprising at least two different component data sets; and (c) performing a manufacturing step on the component to provide a processed component, wherein the at least relevant portion of accumulated component data is used to adjust the manner in which the manufacturing step is performed. | 10-07-2010 |