Impeller balancing using additive process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9217331-B1
Application number	US-201514633943-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 27, 2015
Priority date	Feb 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2015
Grant date	Dec 22, 2015

Abstract

A number of variations may include a method of balancing a rotor assembly and a balanced rotor assembly which may involve additive material applied to the rotor assembly. One or more of the following options may be employed: adding a mass to an impeller hub between two adjacent vanes; adding a mass to an impeller back wall; adding a mass to back wall scallops, and adding a mass to an impeller nose. Material removal may be used in combination with material addition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of balancing a rotor assembly wherein the rotor assembly includes a compressor wheel that is rotatably driven, the method comprising:
forming the compressor wheel as part of the rotor assembly, the compressor wheel formed to have a hub supporting a plurality of vanes disposed around the hub and a back wall extending from the hub wherein the back wall has an outer peripheral surface, and a nose extending from the hub;
determining a correction mass to add to the rotor assembly to balance the rotor assembly; and
adding the correction mass to the compressor wheel through at least one of:
(a) forming the correction mass as a series of beads on the hub, wherein the plurality of vanes has a profile and further comprising forming the series of beads in a row that matches the profile; or
(b) forming scallops in the outer peripheral surface and wherein the step of adding the correction mass to the compressor wheel comprises adding the correction mass in one or more of the scallops.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising forming the correction mass to a thickness no more than 1.0 millimeter.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the correction mass is added to the compressor wheel and further comprising cutting the back wall to remove material from the compressor wheel opposite the correction mass.

4. A method of balancing a rotor assembly wherein the rotor assembly includes a compressor wheel that is rotatably driven, the method comprising:
forming the compressor wheel as part of the rotor assembly, the compressor wheel formed to have a hub supporting a plurality of vanes disposed around the hub and a back wall extending from the hub wherein the back wall has an outer peripheral surface, and a nose extending from the hub;
determining a correction mass to add to the rotor assembly to balance the rotor assembly; and
adding the correction mass to the compressor wheel, wherein the nose has a terminal end and wherein the nose is formed with a taper forming an angled surface tapering to the terminal end and further comprising adding the correction mass to the nose around part of the angled surface to fill the taper to the terminal end.

5. A method of balancing a rotor assembly wherein the rotor assembly includes a compressor wheel connected to a turbine wheel by a shaft, the method comprising:
forming the compressor wheel to have a first hub supporting a first plurality of vanes disposed around the first hub and a first back wall extending from the first hub wherein the first back wall has a first outer peripheral surface, and a first nose extending from the first hub;
forming the turbine wheel to have a second hub supporting a second plurality of vanes disposed around the second hub and a second back wall extending from the second hub wherein the second back wall has a second outer peripheral surface, and a second nose extending from the second hub;
determining a correction mass to add to one or both of the compressor wheel and the turbine wheel to balance the rotor assembly; and
selecting one or more of options: (a) adding the correction mass to the first hub between two of the first plurality of vanes; and (b) adding the correction mass to the second hub between two of the second plurality of vanes; and
adding the correction mass according to the selected options,
wherein the options: (a) adding the correction mass to the first hub between two of the first plurality of vanes; and (b) adding the correction mass to the second hub between two of the second plurality of vanes; comprises: (a) adding the correction mass to the first hub by forming of a first series of beads placed between two of the first plurality of vanes; or (b) adding the correction mass to the second hub by forming of a second series of beads between two of the second plurality of vanes.

6. The method according to claim 5 further comprising forming the first series of beads by forming individual beads in the first and the second series of beads, each with a 2.0 millimeter diameter and a 0.5 millimeter height.

7. A product for use with an internal combustion engine comprising:
an impeller wheel connected to a shaft to form a rotor assembly;
the impeller wheel has a hub and a back wall extends from the hub wherein the back wall has an outer peripheral surface facing away from the shaft, and a nose extends from the hub opposite the back wall wherein a plurality of vanes is disposed around the hub between the back wall and the nose; and
a balancing mass added to the rotor assembly, the balancing mass added to a surface of the rotor assembly and extending no more than a select amount from the surface, wherein the back wall has a back face facing away from the plurality of blades, and wherein the balancing mass is added to the back face and the outer peripheral surface.

Assignees

• Borgwarner Inc

Inventors

• Yellapragada Srikar
• Wallace Rob

Classifications

• F01D5/043

  of the axial inlet- radial outlet, or vice versa, type · CPC title

• F05D2220/40

  in turbochargers · CPC title

• F16F15/322

  the rotating body being a shaft (F16F15/34, F16F15/36 take precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2230/31

  Layer deposition · CPC title

• F01D5/027 Primary

  Arrangements for balancing (for balancing rotating bodies in general F16F15/32; for compensating imbalance G01M1/36) · CPC title