Gas Turbine Engine Component with Abrasive Surface Formed by Electrical Discharge Machining

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016169013-A1
Application number	US-201514934458-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 6, 2015
Priority date	Dec 16, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A component for a gas turbine engine is described. The component may comprise a body portion formed from a metallic material. The component may further comprise an abrasive surface forming at least one surface of the body portion, and the abrasive surface may be configured to abrade an abradable material. The abrasive surface may be formed from electrical discharge machining of the metallic material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A component for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a body portion formed from a metallic material; and an abrasive surface along at least one surface of the body portion and configured to abrade an abradable material, the abrasive surface being formed from electrical discharge machining of the metallic material.

2 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the component is an airfoil, and the abrasive surface is along a tip of the airfoil.

3 . The component of claim 2 , wherein the abrasive surface has an average roughness of between about 0.01 millimeters and about 0.7 millimeters.

4 . The component of claim 2 , wherein the tip exhibits a contact area with the abradable material of less than about 20%.

5 . The component of claim 4 , wherein the contact area is between about 5% and about 10%.

6 . The component of claim 2 , wherein the metallic material is selected from the group consisting of a nickel alloy, an aluminum alloy, and an iron alloy.

7 . The component of claim 2 , further comprising a hard coating applied to the abrasive surface, the hard coating having a thickness less than the average roughness of the abrasive surface.

8 . The component of claim 7 , wherein the hard coating is applied by chemical vapor deposition.

9 . The component of claim 8 , wherein the hard coating is a titanium nitride coating.

10 . The component of claim 8 , wherein the hard coating is a diamond-like carbon coating.

11 . The component of claim 7 , wherein the metallic material includes aluminum, and wherein the hard coating is an aluminum oxide coating formed by anodizing the abrasive surface.

12 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the component is a knife edge of a knife edge seal, and wherein the abrasive surface forms a cutting edge of the knife edge.

13 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the component is a cantilever vane, and wherein the abrasive surface forms a radially inward facing edge of the cantilever vane.

14 . An assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
at least one of a fan section, a compressor section, or a turbine section; and an airfoil in the at least one fan section, compressor section, or turbine section, the airfoil including
a body portion formed from a metallic material, and
a tip configured to abrade an abradable material, the tip having an abrasive surface formed from electrical discharge machining of the metallic material.

15 . A method for fabricating an airfoil for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
providing a body portion of the airfoil, the body portion having an tip and formed from a metallic material; and machining the tip by electrode discharge machining to adjust a length of the airfoil and to form an abrasive surface on the tip.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising adjusting at least one electrode discharge machining parameter to provide a desired roughness of the abrasive surface.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one parameter is selected from voltage and current density.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising applying a hard coating to the abrasive surface.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the hard coating is selected from a titanium nitride coating and a diamond-like carbon coating.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising anodizing the abrasive surface to provide a hard coating on the abrasive surface.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Guo Changsheng
• Strock Christopher W

Classifications

• F01D9/041 Primary

  using blades (F01D5/148 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23H1/10

  Supply or regeneration of working media · CPC title

• F05D2240/125

  related to the tip of a stator vane · CPC title

• F05D2300/177

  Ni - Si alloys · CPC title

• B23H9/008

  Surface roughening or texturing · CPC title