Design and processing method for manufacturing hollow airfoils
US5269058A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 16, 1992 |
| Grant date | Dec 14, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 16, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/49893
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A method for forming a hollow, internally-ribbed airfoil having a complex geometry. The process forms airfoil halves from alloy members in essentially final machined form. The airfoil halves optionally include a gasket around their periphery and optionally, a gasket around the internal sequence of ribs and cavities. Because the airfoil halves are in final form before joining, important interior airfoil dimensions such as skin thickness, cavity size, rib location and gasket location as well as exterior dimensions such as camber and twist may be verified prior to joining. The airfoil halves are then joined by welding, thereby sealing their interiors and diffusion bonding at relatively low pressures. The gaskets eliminate the use of high pressures and associated skin buckling and permit a concentration of the loads at key locations despite the low pressures. After diffusion bonding, any voids are removed by hot isostatically pressing the airfoil in the superplastic temperature range of the alloy.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.