Integral part wear indicator system, method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016201502-A1
Application number	US-201615076807-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 22, 2016
Priority date	Dec 13, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A part comprising a one or more removable wear indicators is provided. The part may be a stator segment comprising a plurality of airfoils. The stator segment may also comprise one or more mock airfoils at each end of the stator segment. Each of the mock airfoils may comprise an indicator configured to wear during a polishing process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A stator segment comprising:
a plurality of airfoils; a first mock airfoil formed on a first end of the stator; a second mock airfoil formed on a second end of the stator, wherein the first mock airfoil and the second mock airfoil are removed in response to the completion of a polishing process.

2 . The stator of claim 1 , wherein the first mock airfoil comprises an inspection indicator.

3 . The stator of claim 2 , wherein inspection indicator comprises a first portion and a second portion.

4 . The stator of claim 3 , wherein the second portion is stacked on the first portion.

5 . The stator of claim 3 , wherein the second portion is configured to wear of in response to the completion of a polishing process.

6 . The stator of claim 3 , wherein the first portion is configured to survive the completion of a polishing process.

7 . The stator of claim 1 , wherein the polishing process comprises at least one of a grit blast process, an abrasive flow machining process, and a super polish process.

8 . A part wear monitoring system, comprising:
a stator segment, comprising: a first plurality of integrally formed airfoils; a first integrally formed inspection surface comprising a first wear indicator; and a second integrally formed inspection surface comprising a second wear indicator.

9 . The part wear monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the first wear indicator comprises a first portion and a second portion.

10 . The part wear monitoring system of claim 9 , wherein the second portion is stacked on the first portion.

11 . The part wear monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the second indicator has an “X” shape.

12 . The part wear monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the first integrally formed inspection surface is a mock airfoil.

13 . The part wear monitoring system of claim 12 , wherein the mock airfoil is removed in response to completion of a polishing process.

14 . The part wear monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the stator segment is subjected to abrasive flow machining.

15 . The part wear monitoring system of claim 14 , wherein a first subset of the plurality of integrally formed airfoils are subject to greater wear form the abrasive flow machining process than a second subset of the plurality of integrally formed airfoils based on the location of the first subset and the second subset.

16 . An abrasive process monitoring system, comprising:
a part comprising a plurality of integrally formed features; a first inspection feature comprising a first wear indicator and formed adjacent to at least one of the integrally formed features; a second inspection feature comprising a second wear indicator and formed adjacent to at least one of the integrally formed features, wherein at least one of the first inspection feature and the second inspection feature is removed in response to a level of wear showing on at least one of the first wear indicator and the second wear indicator.

17 . The abrasive process monitoring system of claim 16 , wherein the first indicator comprises a first surface and a second surface.

18 . The abrasive process monitoring system of claim 17 , wherein the second surface is disposed on the first surface.

19 . The abrasive process monitoring system of claim 18 , wherein the second surface is configured to wear away from the first surface in response to abrasive processing.

20 . The abrasive process monitoring system of claim 18 , wherein the part is complete in response to the second surface wearing away from the first surface.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Beckman Micah
• Livchitz Daniel
• Marchitto Edward
• Masiukiewicz David

Classifications

• G01N3/56

  Investigating resistance to wear or abrasion · CPC title

• F01D9/041

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

• F04D29/542

  Bladed diffusers (fixing blades to stators F01D9/042) · CPC title

• F01D21/003 Primary

  Arrangements for testing or measuring (for measuring vibrations G01H) · CPC title

• B24C3/327

  by an axially-moving flow of abrasive particles without passing a blast gun, impeller or the like along the internal surface (polishing or abrading surfaces using plastically deformable grinding compound, moved relatively to the workpiece under the influence of pressure B24B31/116) · CPC title