Methods of forming and assembling a rotor blade using additive manufacturing processes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020247561-A1
Application number	US-201916264623-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 31, 2019
Priority date	Jan 31, 2019
Publication date	Aug 6, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of forming a rotor blade, including forming at least one of a partial upper skin, a partial lower skin, and a partial support network using an additive manufacturing process; and forming a first receptacle in at least a one of the partial upper skin, the partial lower skin, and the partial support network using the additive manufacturing process. The first receptacle is configured to receive of at least one of an electronic component and a mechanical component. In some embodiments, there is a method of manufacturing a rotor blade that includes forming a first locating receptacle in at least one of the upper skin, the lower skin, and the support network using the additive manufacturing process; and positioning at least one of the upper skin, the lower skin, and the support network in a desired position on a fixture based, in part, on the first locating receptacle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of forming a rotor blade, comprising:
forming at least one of a partial upper skin, a partial lower skin, and a partial support network using an additive manufacturing process; and forming a first receptacle in at least a one of the partial upper skin, the partial lower skin, and the partial support network using the additive manufacturing process; wherein the first receptacle configured to receive of at least one of a first electronic component and a first mechanical component.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the first receptacle in at least one of the partial upper skin, the partial lower skin, and the partial support network using an additive manufacturing process comprises:
forming a first receptacle surface in at least one of the partial upper skin, the partial lower skin, and the partial support network.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
disposing at least one of the first electronic component and the first mechanical component in the first receptacle.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
filling at least a portion of the first receptacle with a filler material.

5 . The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
filling all of the first receptacle with a filler material such that at least one of the first electronic component and the first mechanical component is embedded within the first receptacle.

6 . The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
forming a second receptacle in at least one of the partial upper skin, the partial lower skin, and the partial support network using the additive manufacturing process; wherein the second receptacle is configured to receive of at least one of a second electronic component and a second mechanical component.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
disposing at least one of the second electronic component and the second mechanical component in the second receptacle.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
filling at least a portion of the second receptacle with a filler material.

9 . The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
filling all of the second receptacle with a filler material such that at least one of the second electronic component and the second mechanical component is embedded within the second receptacle.

10 . The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
connecting at least one of the first electronic component and the first mechanical component disposed in the first receptacle to the at least one of the second electronic component and the second mechanical component in the second receptacle.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
forming at least one of a full size upper skin, a full size lower skin, and a full size support networking using the additive manufacturing process.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the first receptacle is partially through at least one of the full size upper skin, the full size lower skin, and the full size support network.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the first receptacle extends through at least one of the full size upper skin the full size lower skin, and the full size support network.

14 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the first receptacle is disposed within at least one of the full size upper skin, the full size lower skin, and the full size support network.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the additive manufacturing process comprises at least one of the following: electron beam melting, selective laser sintering, selective laser melting, stereolithography, direct metal laser sintering, three-dimensional printing, fused deposition modeling, laser curing and lasered engineered net shaping.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first electronic component comprises at least one of the following: an electric wire, a heater element, a light emitting device.

17 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first mechanical component comprises at least one of the following: a weight, a plurality of weights, a securing member, fastener, an abrasion strip, and an actuator.

18 . A method of manufacturing a rotor blade, comprising:
forming at least one of an upper skin, a lower skin, and a support network using an additive manufacturing process; forming a first locating receptacle in at least one of the upper skin, the lower skin, and the support network using the additive manufacturing process; and positioning at least one of the upper skin, the lower skin, and the support network in a desired position on a fixture, the step of positioning is based, at least in part, on the first locating receptacle.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the fixture comprises at least one locating pin alignable with the first locating receptacle in at least one of the upper skin, the lower skin, and the support network during the positioning step.

20 . The method according to claim 18 ; further comprising:
locating at least one blade feature based on the first locating receptacle disposed on at least one of the upper skin, the lower skin, and the support network.

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

Inventors

• Rivera Justin A

Classifications

• B22F10/385

  Overhang structures · CPC title

• B22F10/25

  Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS] · CPC title

• B22F10/73

  of powder · CPC title

• B22F10/28

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

• B22F2999/00

  Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy · CPC title