Turbomachine blade tip attachment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11143033-B2
Application number	US-201816184052-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2018
Priority date	Nov 8, 2018
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A blade for a turbomachine, a tip for a blade of a turbomachine and a related method are disclosed. The blade may include a tip body having a shape at least partially configured for coupling to an airfoil body of the blade; at least one coolant passage in the tip body configured for fluid communication with at least one coolant passage in the airfoil body; and a retention member extending from the tip body for coupling to a tip retention member seat in the airfoil body. The tip can be replaced, allowing for changes in the coolant passages in the tip of a blade.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A blade for a turbomachine, the blade comprising: an airfoil body including at least one first coolant passage, and an opening in the airfoil body having a tip retention member seat in or on an inner surface of the at least one first coolant passage of the airfoil body, and a tip having a shape at least partially configured for coupling to the opening in the airfoil body, the tip including: a tip body, at least one second coolant passage in the tip body configured for fluid communication with the at least one first coolant passage in the airfoil body, and a retention member extending from the tip body for coupling to the tip retention member seat in the at least one first coolant passage of the airfoil body, wherein the tip retention member seat includes a first tip retention member seat at a first lengthwise position on the airfoil body, and a second tip retention member seat at a second, different lengthwise position on the airfoil body, lengthwise indicating a length of the airfoil body from the tip toward a root of the airfoil body, and a lengthwise separation between the first tip retention member seat and the second tip retention member seat is sufficient for coupling of the retention member to the second tip retention member seat after removing a portion of the airfoil body having the first tip retention member seat.

2. The turbomachine blade of claim 1 , wherein each of the tip retention member seats includes a ridge extending inwardly from the inner surface of a wall of the airfoil body.

3. The turbomachine blade of claim 2 , wherein the ridge is discontinuous along the inner surface.

4. The turbomachine blade of claim 1 , further comprising a brazing material coupling the tip to the airfoil body along at least mating surfaces of the tip body and the airfoil body.

5. The turbomachine blade of claim 1 , wherein the retention member includes a flexible element having a retention seat engaging element at a distal end thereof for engaging with the corresponding tip retention member seat on the inner surface of the airfoil body.

6. The turbomachine blade of claim 1 , wherein each of the tip retention member seats includes a plurality of tip retention member seats spaced about the opening in the airfoil body, and the retention member includes a plurality of retention members spaced about the tip body to engage with a number of the corresponding plurality of tip retention member seats.

7. A method of forming a blade for a turbomachine, the method comprising:
providing an airfoil body including at least one first coolant passage therein and an opening in the airfoil body having at least one tip retention member seat in or on an inner surface of the at least one first coolant passage of the airfoil body, wherein providing the airfoil body includes:
providing the at least one tip retention member seat with a first tip retention member seat at a first lengthwise position of the airfoil body and a second tip retention member seat at a second, different lengthwise position of the airfoil body, and cutting away a distal end of the airfoil body, the distal end including the first tip retention member seat;
providing a first tip having a shape at least partially configured for coupling to the opening in the airfoil body, the first tip including: a tip body, at least one second coolant passage in the tip body, and at least one retention member extending from the tip body and shaped for coupling to the first tip retention member seat or the second tip retention member seat in the at least one first coolant passage of the airfoil body; and
coupling the first tip to the airfoil body such that the at least one second coolant passage is in fluid communication with the at least one first coolant passage in the airfoil body, and the at least one retention member couples to the second tip retention member seat in the airfoil body.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the coupling further includes metallurgically coupling the first tip to the airfoil body along at least mating surfaces of the tip body and the airfoil body.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the metallurgically coupling includes heating the tip and the airfoil body, pressing the tip body to the airfoil body, and brazing the tip body to the airfoil body.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the providing the airfoil body includes adding each one of the at least one retention member seat as a ridge extending inwardly from an inner surface of a previously manufactured airfoil body.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the ridge is discontinuous on the inner surface of the airfoil body.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the providing the airfoil body includes manufacturing the airfoil body with the opening and adding each one of the at least one retention member seat as an integral ridge extending inwardly from an inner surface of the airfoil body.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the steps of the manufacturing the airfoil body and the providing the first tip includes one of investment casting or additively manufacturing.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein each retention member includes a flexible element having a retention seat engaging element at a distal end thereof for engaging with one of the at least one tip retention member seat of the airfoil body.

15. A tip for a blade of a turbomachine, the tip comprising: a tip body having a shape at least partially configured for coupling to at least one first coolant passage within an airfoil body of the blade; at least one second coolant passage in the tip body configured for fluid communication with the at least one first coolant passage in the airfoil body; and a retention member extending from the tip body for coupling to a tip retention member seat in at least one first coolant passage formed within the airfoil body, wherein a length of the retention member extending from the tip body is configured for mounting on the tip retention member seat at a lengthwise position on the airfoil body that is horizontally distal to a different tip retention member seat, after removing a portion of the airfoil body having the different tip retention member seat.

16. The tip of claim 15 , wherein the retention member includes a flexible element having a retention seat engaging element at a distal end thereof for engaging with the tip retention member seat in the airfoil body.

17. The tip of claim 15 , wherein the tip retention member seat includes a plurality of retention member seats and the retention member is one of a plurality of retention members spaced about the tip body to engage with the corresponding plurality of the retention member seats on the airfoil body.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Kottilingam Srikanth Chandrudu
• Schaeffer Jon Conrad
• Tollison Brian Lee

Classifications

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• B23K1/0018

  Brazing of turbine parts · CPC title

• F05D2230/60

  Assembly methods · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title