Integral instrumentation in additively manufactured components of gas turbine engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016348531-A1
Application number	US-201515114013-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 23, 2015
Priority date	Feb 5, 2014
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A pressure probe includes a non-deflecting airfoil, a sensing feature, and an interior passage. The non-deflecting airfoil is made of a metal and configured for use in a gas turbine engine. The airfoil extends from a base to a tapered portion, and thence to a linear portion, along a primary axis. The sensing feature is formed monolithically with the airfoil, as by additive manufacturing. The interior passage is operatively connected to the sensing feature and passes through both the airfoil and the base.

First claim

1 . A pressure probe comprising:
a non-deflecting airfoil made of a metal and configured for use in a gas turbine engine, the airfoil extending from a base to a tapered portion to a linear portion along a primary axis; a sensing feature monolithically formed with the airfoil; and an interior passage operatively connected to the sensing feature and passing through both the airfoil and the base.

2 . The pressure probe of claim 1 , wherein the sensing feature is a kiel.

3 . The pressure probe of claim 2 , wherein the kiel is oriented to face in an expected airstream direction.

4 . The pressure probe of claim 4 , wherein the pressure probe comprises a plurality of kiels and a plurality of interior passages, each interior passage operatively connected to a different one of the kiels.

5 . The pressure probe of claim 3 , wherein the interior passages have equal passage lengths.

6 . The pressure probe of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of interior passages passes through the base.

7 . The pressure probe of claim 1 , wherein the airfoil includes a chord dimension and a width dimension that vary along the primary axis, such that:
the chord dimension is 8% less at the intersection of the tapered portion and the linear portion than at the intersection of the tapered portion and the base; and the width dimension is 20% less at the intersection of the tapered portion and the linear portion than at the intersection of the tapered portion and the base.

8 . The pressure probe of claim 4 , wherein the base is configured to be coupled to a plurality of hypo tubes.

9 . The pressure probe of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the plurality of kiels faces in a different direction from others of the plurality of kiels.

10 . A method of making a pressure probe, the method comprising:
selectively sintering layers of a metal feedstock powder into a pressure probe having a plurality of internal passageways, each of the plurality of internal passageways having an equal length; and selectively sintering the layers of the metal feedstock power into a plurality of kiels that are monolithically formed with the pressure probe, wherein each of the kiels are fluidically connected to one of the plurality of internal passageways.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein selectively sintering includes direct metal laser sintering.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the pressure probe includes a non-deflecting airfoil.

13 . A Mach probe comprising:
a Mach probe airfoil made of a metal and configured for use in a gas turbine engine, the Mach probe airfoil extending from a base along a non-linear primary axis; a plurality of sensing features monolithically formed with the Mach probe airfoil; and a plurality of interior passages, wherein each of the plurality of sensing features is operatively connected to a different one of the plurality of interior passages, and the plurality of interior passages have equal lengths.

14 . The Mach probe of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of sensing features comprises a kiel.

15 . The Mach probe of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of kiels faces in a direction of an expected airstream.

16 . The Mach probe of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the kiels faces in a different direction from the others of the plurality of kiels.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Rice William W
• Walker Michael Ian
• Thomesen Douglas H

Classifications

• F02C7/00 Primary

  Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants (controlling F02C9/00) · CPC title

• B22F10/28

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

• B22F12/90

  Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors · CPC title

• F01D21/003 Primary

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

• G01M15/14

  Testing gas-turbine engines or jet-propulsion engines · CPC title