Components with cooling channels and methods of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9327384-B2
Application number	US-201113168117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2011
Priority date	Jun 24, 2011
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A manufacturing method includes forming one or more grooves in a component that comprises a substrate with an outer surface. The substrate has at least one interior space, and each groove extends at least partially along the substrate and has a base. The manufacturing method further includes forming one or more access holes through the base of a respective groove, to connect the groove in fluid communication with the respective hollow interior space. The manufacturing method further includes forming at least one connecting groove in the component, such that each connecting groove intersects at least a subset of the one or more grooves. The manufacturing method further includes disposing a coating over at least a portion of the outer surface of the substrate, such that the groove(s) and the coating together define one or more channels for cooling the component. The coating does not completely bridge the connecting groove, such that the connecting groove at least partially defines an exit region for the respective cooling channel(s).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A manufacturing method comprising:
forming two or more grooves in a component that comprises a substrate with an outer surface, wherein the substrate has at least one interior space, and wherein each of the two or more grooves extends at least partially along the substrate and has a base;
forming one or more access holes through the base of a respective one of the two or more grooves and at a first end of the respective groove, to connect the groove in fluid communication with respective ones of the at least one interior space; and
forming at least one connecting groove in the component such that the at least one connecting groove intersects at least two of the two or more grooves at an opposed second end of the respective groove and wherein the at least one connecting groove is formed extending from the outer surface of the substrate to a same depth as that of each of a respective grooves of the subset of the two or more grooves;
disposing a coating over at least a portion of the outer surface of the substrate, such that the two or more grooves and the coating together define two or more channels for cooling the component, wherein the coating does not bridge the connecting groove along a length of the connecting groove, such that the connecting groove at least partially defines an exit region for the respective two or more cooling channels and wherein a portion of the coating remains as a residual coating within the exit region and on the base of a respective one of the connecting grooves to at least partially fill the connecting groove and provide a cooling flow distributor.

2. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , further comprising casting the substrate prior to forming the two or more grooves and the one or more connecting grooves, wherein each groove is formed by directing an abrasive liquid jet at the outer surface of the substrate, and wherein each connecting groove is formed using the abrasive liquid jet.

3. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more connecting grooves is open-shaped, and wherein a portion of the coating is disposed in the exit region of respective connecting grooves, the manufacturing method further comprising removing at least a portion of the coating disposed in each exit region.

4. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein the two or more grooves and the one or more connecting grooves are formed in the outer surface of the substrate.

5. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises an outer layer of a structural coating, the manufacturing method further comprising depositing an inner layer of the structural coating on the outer surface of the substrate prior to forming the two or more grooves and the one or more connecting grooves, wherein each groove and connecting groove are formed at least partially in the inner structural coating.

6. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein the base of each groove is wider than the top, such that each groove comprises a re-entrant shaped groove.

7. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more connecting grooves is re-entrant shaped, and wherein a permeable slot extends through the coating in the exit region for the connecting groove.

8. The manufacturing method of claim 7 , further comprising forming at least one exit hole through the permeable slot.

9. A component comprising
a substrate comprising an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the inner surface defines at least one interior space, wherein the component defines two or more grooves,
wherein each of the two or more grooves extends at least partially along the substrate and has a base, wherein one or more access holes are formed through the base of a respective groove and at a first end of the respective groove, to connect the groove in fluid communication with respective ones of the at least one interior space, wherein the component further defines at least one connecting groove that intersects at least two of the two or more grooves at an opposed second end of the respective groove and wherein the at least one connecting groove is formed extending from the outer surface of the substrate to a same depth as that of each of a respective groove of the at least two of the two or more grooves; and
a coating disposed over at least a portion of the outer surface of the substrate, wherein the two or more grooves and the coating together define two or more channels for cooling the component, and wherein the coating does not completely bridge the connecting groove along a length of the connecting groove, such that the connecting groove at least partially defines an exit region for the respective two or more cooling channels and wherein a portion of the coating remains as a residual coating within the exit region and on the base of a respective one of the connecting grooves to at least partially fill the connecting groove and provide a cooling flow distributor.

10. The component of claim 9 , wherein the connecting groove is not provided with an access hole for direct communication with the at least one interior space, such that coolant from the interior space flows into the connecting groove through the channels.

11. The component of claim 9 , wherein each of the two or more grooves has a top, wherein the base of the respective groove is wider than the top, such that each groove comprises a re-entrant shaped groove, and such that each channel comprises a re-entrant shaped channel.

12. The component of claim 9 , wherein a plurality of grooves are formed in the component, wherein a plurality of cooling channels are defined by the coating and the grooves, and wherein at least one of the one or more connecting grooves is oriented approximately perpendicular to the cooling channels.

13. The component of claim 9 , wherein a plurality of grooves are formed in the component, wherein a plurality of cooling channels are defined by the coating and the grooves, and wherein at least one of the one or more connecting grooves has a non-orthogonal angle of incidence relative to the cooling channels.

14. The component of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the one or more connecting grooves has an angled exit wall.

15. The component of claim 9 , wherein each of the one or more connecting grooves is re-entrant shaped, and wherein a permeable slot extends through the coating in the exit region for the connecting groove.

16. The component of claim 15 , wherein at least one exit hole extends through the permeable slot.

17. The component of claim 9 , wherein the coating comprises an inner structural coating layer disposed on the outer surface of the substrate and an outer structural coating layer disposed on the inner structural coating layer, wherein each groove and connecting groove are formed at least partially in the inner structural coating layer.

18. The component of claim 9 , wherein the outer surface of the substrate defines the two or more grooves and the one or more connecting groove.

Assignees

• Bunker Ronald Scott
• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Bunker Ronald Scott

Classifications

• F01D5/288

  Protective coatings for blades · CPC title

• C23C4/073

  containing MCrAl or MCrAlY alloys, where M is nickel, cobalt or iron, with or without non-metal elements · CPC title

• Y02T50/672

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• C23C4/04

  characterised by the coating material · CPC title

• F01D5/186

  Film cooling (F01D5/187 takes precedence) · CPC title