Reduced cross flow linking cavities and method of casting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11021968-B2
Application number	US-201816195048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2018
Priority date	Nov 19, 2018
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A cast component having reduced cross flow linking cavities and method of casting may include a body. The body may define a plurality of internal flow channels. The plurality of internal flow channels may include a first internal flow channel and a second internal flow channel. The cast component may also include a plurality of linking cavities obstructing unintended fluid communication between the first internal flow channel and the second internal flow channel through the plurality of linking cavities.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for casting a component having a plurality of internal flow channels, the method comprising:
positioning a core within a cavity of a mold, wherein the cavity of the mold defines an outer component shape, the core comprising a plurality of legs and at least one tie bar that couples at least two of the plurality of legs together;
casting the component within the cavity of the mold with the core positioned therein;
removing the component from the mold, with the core positioned internally within the component; and
leaching the core from the component such that each leg of the plurality of legs forms a respective internal flow channel within the component, and wherein leaching the at least one tie bar forms a respective linking cavity having a first end and a second end, wherein at least one of:
the plurality of legs further comprises a plurality of turbulator forms, the plurality of turbulator forms having an upstream face and a downstream turbulator face opposite thereof defining a leading edge of a low-pressure region within the respective flow channels, wherein the at least one linking cavity is in fluid communication with the low-pressure region, and wherein each linking cavity with the low-pressure region obstructs fluid communication through the linking cavity; or
a first flow channel restrains a first fluid flow and a second fluid flow channel restrains a second fluid flow which has a pressure less than a first fluid flow pressure, and the plurality of legs have a plurality of turbulator forms, the plurality of turbulator forms having an upstream turbulator face and a downstream turbulator face opposite thereof defining a leading edge of a low-pressure region within the respective flow channels, wherein the first end is in fluid communication with a first fluid flow path low-pressure region and the second end is in fluid communication with the upstream turbulator face of the second fluid flow channel, and wherein each linking cavity with the low-pressure region obstructs fluid communication through the linking cavity; or
the at least on tie bar is formed as a coil, and wherein the linking cavity with the coil obstructs fluid communication through the linking cavity; or
the core further comprises a first core material which is susceptible to a leaching process, and the method further comprising inserting a second core material which is resistant to the leaching process into a portion of the at least one tie bar, the second core material remaining in the component following the leaching process; and wherein the linking cavity with the second core material obstructs fluid communication within the linking cavity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of internal flow channels comprises a first internal flow channel and a second internal flow channel;
the first internal flow channel having a first channel outer surface and second internal flow channel having a second channel outer surface;
the first end of the linking cavity intersects the first channel outer surface at an acute angle;
the second end of the linking cavity intersects the second channel outer surface at an acute angle; and
the linking cavity having a bend.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the core is produced by additive manufacturing.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cast component is a component of a gas turbine aviation engine.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the component is a turbine blade and the plurality of internal flow channels are a plurality of serpentine cooling passages.

6. A method for casting a component having a plurality of internal flow channels, the method comprising:
positioning a core within a cavity of a mold, wherein the cavity of the mold defines an outer component shape, the core comprising a plurality of legs and at least one tie bar that couples at least two of the plurality of legs together;
casting the component within the cavity of the mold with the core positioned therein;
removing the component from the mold, with the core positioned internally within the component; and
leaching the core from the component such that each leg of the plurality of legs forms a respective internal flow channel within the component, and wherein leaching the at least one tie bar forms a respective linking cavity having a first end and a second end;
wherein the linking cavity has a first diameter and a second diameter, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter, the second diameter establishing a constriction point within the linking cavity, the constriction point being located along the linking cavity at a point calculated to equalize a pressure at the first end of the linking cavity with a pressure at the second end of the linking cavity, and wherein the linking cavity with the constriction point obstructs fluid communication through the linking cavity.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the core is produced by additive manufacturing.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the cast component is a component of a gas turbine aviation engine.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the component is a turbine blade and the plurality of internal flow channels are a plurality of serpentine cooling passages.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Osgood Daniel Endecott
• Pang Tingfan
• Garay Gregory Terrence
• Webster Zachary Daniel
• Jones Ryan Christopher

Classifications

• B22C9/26 Primary

  for ribbed tubes; for radiators · CPC title

• B22F10/25

  Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS] · CPC title

• B22F10/38

  to achieve specific product aspects, e.g. surface smoothness, density, porosity or hollow structures · CPC title

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• F01D5/187 Primary

  Convection cooling · CPC title