Insulated flowpath assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016003380-A1
Application number	US-201514790928-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 2, 2015
Priority date	Jul 3, 2014
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A flowpath assembly has a first conduit defining a flowpath radially inward, and a second conduit spaced radially outward from the first conduit. A void defined between the first and second conduits contains an insulating material that may have a greater porosity than the first and second conduits. The assembly may be additive manufactured generally as one unitary piece with the raw material of the conduits being melted and solidified on a slice-by-slice basis and the insulating material being selectively bypassed by an energy gun of an additive manufacturing system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A flowpath assembly comprising:
a first conduit defining a flowpath radially inward and extending along a centerline; a second conduit spaced radially outward from the first conduit with a void defined by and radially between the first and second conduits; and an insulating material disposed in the void.

2 . The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 1 , wherein the void is sealed and at a negative atmospheric pressure.

3 . The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first and second conduits are additive manufactured simultaneously.

4 . The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 3 , wherein the insulating material is a powder deposited during the simultaneous additive manufacturing of the first and second conduits.

5 . The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 3 , wherein the first and second conduits are one unitary piece.

6 . The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 1 further comprising:
a third conduit co-extending with the first conduit and spaced radially inward from the second conduit.

7 . The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 1 further comprising:
a support structure located in the void and engaged between the first and second conduits.

8 . The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 7 , wherein the first and second conduits and the support structure are additive manufactured as one unitary piece.

9 . The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 8 , wherein the insulating material has a greater porosity than the conduits.

10 . The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 1 , wherein the assembly is part of a fuel injector for a gas turbine engine.

11 . The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first conduit is substantially concentric to the second conduit.

12 . A flowpath assembly comprising:
a first conduit for flowing a fluid; a second conduit surrounding and spaced radially outward from the first conduit with an insulating void defined between the first and second conduits; a loosely packed material in the void; and wherein the flowpath assembly is additive manufactured as one unitary piece.

13 . The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 12 , wherein the material has insulating properties and is deposited during additive manufacturing of the first and second conduits.

14 . The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 12 comprising:
a support structure in the void and including a plurality of pylons each engaged to and extending between the first and second conduits.

15 . The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 14 , wherein the insulating material and the support structure have the same material composition.

16 . A method of manufacturing a flowpath assembly comprising the steps of:
electronically modeling the flowpath assembly having a first conduit co-extending and surrounded by a second conduit; additive manufacturing the first conduit; additive manufacturing the second conduit generally simultaneously to manufacturing of the first conduit; and depositing an insulating material generally during manufacturing of the first and second conduits.

17 . The method set forth in claim 16 , wherein the additive manufacturing of the first and second conduits and the depositing of the insulating material all include depositing of a powder.

18 . The method set forth in claim 16 comprising the step of:
additive manufacturing a support structure engaged between the first and second conduits and generally during the manufacturing of the first and second conduits.

19 . The method set forth in claim 18 , wherein the support structure and the insulating material are made of the same material composition.

20 . The method set forth in claim 16 , wherein the flowpath assembly is modeled into a plurality of slices each slice having a portion of the first conduit, the second conduit and the insulating material, and a first slice of the plurality of slices is manufactured in-part through melting and solidification before proceeding to the manufacture of a next successive slice of the plurality of slices, and the insulating material is not melted.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Ott Joe
• Rup Jr John J
• Stempinski Shawn
• Funk Stanley J
• Moura Dennis M
• Dautova Lyutsia
• Coffey Roger O

Classifications

• F02C7/222

  Fuel flow conduits, e.g. manifolds · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B22F5/10

  of articles with cavities or holes, not otherwise provided for in the preceding subgroups · CPC title

• F23R2900/00018

  Manufacturing combustion chamber liners or subparts · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title