Casting core for a cast engine component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025281972-A1
Application number	US-202418675526-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 28, 2024
Priority date	Aug 30, 2022
Publication date	Sep 11, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A casting core is used in manufacture of a cast engine component. The cast engine component has a first area, a second area, a fluid passage wall separating the first area and the second area, and a connecting fluid passage extending through the fluid passage wall and interconnecting the first area and the second area. The casting core has a first core and a second core. The second core defines a first leg and a second leg of the connecting fluid passage. The second core defines a turn of the connecting fluid passage. At least a portion of the first core and an entirety of the second core is provided within a geometric boundary defined by a set of geometric characteristics of the first core and the second core within the geometric boundary.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A casting core used in manufacture of a cast engine component, the cast engine component having a first area, a second area, a fluid passage wall separating the first area and the second area, and a connecting fluid passage extending through the fluid passage wall and interconnecting the first area and the second area, the casting core comprising:
a first core corresponding to at least one of the first area or the second area of the cast engine component; and a second core corresponding to the connecting fluid passage of the cast engine component, the second core further defining:
a first leg of the connecting fluid passage extending in a first direction;
a second leg of the connecting fluid passage extending in a second direction non-parallel to the first direction; and
a turn of the connecting fluid passage formed along an intersection between the first leg and the second leg and extending along at least a portion of the first leg or the second leg;
wherein after a casting process, the first core and the second core are each removed to define voids formed within the cast engine component; and wherein at least a portion of the first core and an entirety of the second core is provided within a geometric boundary defined by a set of geometric characteristics of the first core and the second core within the geometric boundary, the set of geometric characteristics having:
a first minimum equivalent diameter (D 1 eqmin ) of the first core that is representative of a minimum hydraulic diameter of at least one of the first area or the second area within the geometric boundary, the first minimum equivalent diameter (D 1 eqmin ) being greater than or equal to 0.015 inches and less than or equal to 1 inch (0.015≤D 1 eqmin ≤1);
a second minimum equivalent diameter (D 2 eqmin ) of the second core that is representative of a minimum hydraulic diameter of the connecting fluid passage within the geometric boundary, the second minimum equivalent diameter (D 2 eqmin ) being greater than or equal to 0.005 inches and less than or equal to 0.2 inches (0.005≤D 2 eqmin ≤0.2);
wherein a flexible geometry factor (FGF) is equal to:

(

D
⁢

1
eqmin

D
⁢

2
eqmin

)

;

and
wherein the flexible geometry factor (FGF) is greater than or equal to 0.286 and less than or equal to 200 (0.286≤FGF≤200).

2 . The casting core of claim 1 , wherein:
the first leg has a first centerline; the second leg has a second centerline; the second core extends a total length axially along the first centerline and the second centerline; and the total length is greater than or equal to 0.5 times the second minimum equivalent diameter (D 2 eq ).

3 . The casting core of claim 1 , wherein the second core is continuously formed as a single body with at least a portion of the first core defining at least one of a respective portion of the first area, a respective portion of the second area, or a combination thereof.

4 . The casting core of claim 1 , wherein the first area is provided exterior the fluid passage wall, with the connecting fluid passage being a film hole.

5 . The casting core of claim 4 , wherein the second area is a fluid manifold.

6 . The casting core of claim 4 , wherein the second area is a metering section.

7 . The casting core of claim 1 , wherein the first area is a metering section of the connecting fluid passage.

8 . The casting core of claim 1 , wherein the fluid passage wall is one of either an interior wall or an exterior wall of the cast engine component.

9 . The casting core of claim 1 , wherein:
the geometric boundary includes only the second core and a portion of the first core defining the second area; the first minimum equivalent diameter (D 1 eqmin ) is greater than or equal to 0.015 inches and less than or equal to 0.091 inches (0.015≤D 1 eqmin ≤0.091); the second minimum equivalent diameter (D 2 eqmin ) being greater than or equal to 0.005 inches and less than or equal to 0.03 inches (0.005≤D 2 eqmin ≤0.03); and the flexible geometry factor (FGF) is greater than or equal to 0.5 and less than or equal to 18.182 (0.5≤FGF≤18.182).

10 . The casting core of claim 1 , wherein:
the first minimum equivalent diameter (D 1 eqmin ) is greater than or equal to 0.034 inches and less than or equal to 1 inch (0.034≤D 1 eqmin ≤1); the second minimum equivalent diameter (D 2 eqmin ) being greater than or equal to 0.005 inches and less than or equal to 0.03 inches (0.005≤D2 eqmin ≤0.03); and the flexible geometry factor (FGF) is greater than or equal to 1.143 and less than or equal to 200 (1.143≤FGF≤200).

11 . The casting core of claim 1 , wherein:
the geometric boundary includes a portion of the first core defining both the first area and the second area; the first minimum equivalent diameter (D 1 eqmin ) is an average of a minimum equivalent diameter of the first area and a minimum equivalent diameter of the second area; the first minimum equivalent diameter (D 1 eqmin ) is greater than or equal to 0.017 inches and less than or equal to 1 inch (0.017≤D 1 eqmin ≤1); the second minimum equivalent diameter (D 2 eqmin ) being greater than or equal to 0.01 inches and less than or equal to 0.2 inches (0.01≤D 2 eqmin ≤0.2); and the flexible geometry factor (FGF) is greater than or equal to 0.286 and less than or equal to 100 (0.286≤FGF≤100).

12 . The casting core of claim 1 , wherein:
the flexible geometry factor (FGF) is a third flexible geometry factor; the turn has a first bend with a first radius of curvature and a second bend with a second radius of curvature, with the smallest of the first radius of curvature and the second radius of curvature defining a radius (R) of the turn, the radius (R) being greater than or equal to 0.005 inches and less than or equal to 0.05 inches (0.005≤R≤0.05); a first flexible geometry factor (FGF1) is equal to:

(

D
⁢

1
eqmin

D
⁢

2
eqmin

)

⁢

(

R

D
⁢

2
eqmin

)

;

and
wherein the first flexible geometry factor (FGF1) is greater than or equal to 0.024 and less than or equal to 1000 (0.024≤FGF1≤1000).

13 .

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Osgood Daniel Endecott
• Webster Zachary Daniel
• Gonyou Craig Alan
• Durstock Daniel Lee
• Feldmann Kevin R
• Gallier Kirk Douglas
• Herman William C
• Gentilli Nicholas Charles

Classifications

• F05D2230/211

  by precision casting, e.g. microfusing or investment casting · CPC title

• F05D2260/20

  Heat transfer, e.g. cooling · CPC title

• F05D2260/202

  by film cooling · CPC title

• F05D2250/185

  serpentine-like · CPC title

• F01D5/187

  Convection cooling · CPC title