Insulated flowpath assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9759356-B2
Application number	US-201514790928-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2015
Priority date	Jul 3, 2014
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A flowpath assembly has a first conduit defining a flowpath radially inward, and a second conduit spaced radially outward from the first conduit. A void defined between the first and second conduits contains an insulating material that may have a greater porosity than the first and second conduits. The assembly may be additive manufactured generally as one unitary piece with the raw material of the conduits being melted and solidified on a slice-by-slice basis and the insulating material being selectively bypassed by an energy gun of an additive manufacturing system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flowpath assembly comprising:
a fuel injector comprising a first conduit, a second conduit and an insulating material;
the first conduit defining a flowpath radially inward and extending along a centerline;
the second conduit spaced radially outward from the first conduit with a void defined by and radially between the first and second conduits; and
the insulating material disposed in the void, wherein the void is sealed and at a negative atmospheric pressure.

2. A flowpath assembly comprising:
a first conduit defining a flowpath radially inward and extending along a centerline;
a second conduit spaced radially outward from the first conduit with a void defined by and radially between the first and second conduits; and
an insulating material disposed in the void;
wherein the first and second conduits are one unitary piece.

3. A flowpath assembly comprising:
a first conduit defining a flowpath radially inward and extending along a centerline;
a second conduit spaced radially outward from the first conduit with a void defined by and radially between the first and second conduits;
an insulating material disposed in the void;
a third conduit co-extending with the first conduit and spaced radially inward from the second conduit; and a support structure located in the void and engaged between the first and second conduits.

4. The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 3 , wherein the first and second conduits and the support structure are additive manufactured as one unitary piece.

5. The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 4 , wherein the insulating material has a greater porosity than the conduits.

6. The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first conduit is substantially concentric to the second conduit.

7. A flowpath assembly comprising:
a first conduit for flowing a fluid;
a second conduit surrounding and spaced radially outward from the first conduit with an insulating void defined between the first and second conduits;
a loosely packed material in the void; and
wherein the flowpath assembly is additive manufactured as one unitary piece.

8. The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 7 , wherein the material has insulating properties and is deposited during additive manufacturing of the first and second conduits.

9. The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 7 comprising:
a support structure in the void and including a plurality of pylons each engaged to and extending between the first and second conduits.

10. The flowpath assembly set forth in claim 9 , wherein the insulating material and the support structure have the same material composition.

11. The flowpath assembly of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the first conduit bends as the first conduit extends along the centerline.

12. The flowpath assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first conduit extends to a nozzle orifice of the fuel injector, and a diameter of the nozzle orifice is less than a diameter of the first conduit.

13. A flowpath assembly comprising:
a fuel injector comprising a first conduit, a second conduit and an insulating material;
the first conduit defining a flowpath radially inward and extending along a centerline;
the second conduit spaced radially outward from the first conduit with a void defined by and radially between the first and second conduits; and
the insulating material disposed in the void, wherein the first and second conduits are additive manufactured simultaneously, and wherein the insulating material is a powder deposited during the simultaneous additive manufacturing of the first and second conduits.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Ott Joe
• Rup Jr John J
• Stempinski Shawn
• Funk Stanley J
• Moura Dennis M
• Dautova Lyutsia
• Coffey Roger O

Classifications

• F02C7/222

  Fuel flow conduits, e.g. manifolds · CPC title

• F23R2900/00018

  Manufacturing combustion chamber liners or subparts · CPC title

• F16L59/14

  Arrangements for the insulation of pipes or pipe systems (F16L59/02 - F16L59/12 take precedence) · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B22F5/10

  of articles with cavities or holes, not otherwise provided for in the preceding subgroups · CPC title