Fluid damper and method of making

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9879551-B2
Application number	US-201514698284-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2015
Priority date	May 22, 2014
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

An airfoil includes an airfoil structure defining a damping network that includes a first cavity, a second cavity, a flow passage connecting the first and second cavities. The airfoil further includes a damping material configured to flow through the damping network. A method of forming an airfoil includes forming an airfoil body having a damping network that includes a first cavity, a second cavity, and a flow passage connecting the first and second cavities. The method further includes adding a damping material configured to flow through the damping network.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An airfoil comprising:
an airfoil structure defining a damping network that includes a first cavity, a second cavity, and a first flow passage connecting the first and second cavities, a second flow passage connecting the first and second cavities, and a third flow passage connecting the first flow passage and the second flow passage; and
a damping material configured to flow through the damping network.

2. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the airfoil comprises a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side wall extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, a suction side wall extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge generally opposite the pressure side wall, and wherein the first cavity is formed between the pressure side wall and the suction side wall, and wherein the second cavity is formed between the pressure side wall and the suction side wall and spaced from the first cavity.

3. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the airfoil is a component of a rotating device, wherein the damping material is configured to flow through the damping network during operation of the rotating device.

4. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the damping network comprises a network volume, and wherein between about 10% and about 50% of the network volume is occupied by the damping material.

5. The airfoil of claim 4 , wherein about 50% of the network volume is occupied by the damping material.

6. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the third flow passage is substantially perpendicular to the first flow passage and the second flow passage.

7. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the damping material is selected from the group consisting of a bismuth alloy, a tin alloy, oil, hydraulic fluid and combinations thereof.

8. A method of forming an airfoil, the method comprising:
forming an airfoil body having a damping network that includes a first cavity, a second cavity, and a flow passage connecting the first and second cavities, and forming at least one fill passage for adding the damping material to the damping network; and
adding a damping material configured to flow through the damping network.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the airfoil body comprises a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side wall extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, a suction side wall extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge generally opposite the pressure side wall, and wherein the first cavity is formed between the pressure side wall and the suction side wall, and wherein the second cavity is formed between the pressure side wall and the suction side wall and spaced from the first cavity.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of forming the airfoil body comprises using additive manufacturing.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the steps of forming the airfoil body and forming the damping network comprise investment casting.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises sealing the at least one fill passage after the damping material has been added to the damping network.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Blaney Ken F
• Hayford Richard K

Classifications

• F05D2260/96

  Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise · CPC title

• Y10T29/49341

  with cooling passage · CPC title

• F05D2230/211

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

• F05D2300/1606

  Bismuth · CPC title

• F01D5/18

  Hollow blades, {i.e. blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities (structure of hollow blades in general F01D5/147)}; Heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades · CPC title