Method and assembly for forming components having internal passages using a jacketed core

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9987677-B2
Application number	US-201514972413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2015
Priority date	Dec 17, 2015
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A method of forming a component having an internal passage defined therein includes positioning a jacketed core with respect to a mold. The jacketed core includes a hollow structure formed from a first material, an inner core disposed within the hollow structure, and a core channel that extends from at least a first end of the inner core through at least a portion of inner core. The method also includes introducing a component material in a molten state into a cavity of the mold, such that the component material in the molten state at least partially absorbs the first material from the jacketed core within the cavity. The method further includes cooling the component material in the cavity to form the component. The inner core defines the internal passage within the component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a component having an internal passage defined therein, said method comprising:
positioning a jacketed core with respect to a mold, wherein the jacketed core includes:
a hollow structure formed from a first material;
an inner core disposed within the hollow structure;
a core channel that extends from at least a first end of the inner core through at least a portion of said inner core; and
a plurality of spacers positioned within the hollow structure and substantially encased within the inner core, each of the plurality of spacers being positioned at a respective offset distance from an inner surface of the hollow structure such that the core channel extends through each of the spacers;

introducing a component material in a molten state into a cavity of the mold, such that the component material in the molten state at least partially absorbs the first material from the jacketed core within the cavity; and
cooling the component material in the cavity to form the component, wherein the inner core defines the internal passage within the component.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing the inner core from the component to form the internal passage.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein removing the inner core comprises flowing a fluid into the core channel.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the inner core is formed from a ceramic material, and wherein flowing the fluid into the core channel comprises flowing the fluid configured to interact with the ceramic material such that the inner core is leached from the component through contact with the fluid.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the core channel extends from the first end to an opposite second end of the inner core, and flowing the fluid into the core channel comprises flowing the fluid under pressure within the core channel from the first end to the second end.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the jacketed core comprises positioning the jacketed core that further includes the plurality of spacers formed from a material that is selectively removable from the component along with, and in the same fashion as, the inner core.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming the jacketed core by:
positioning a wire within the hollow structure, the wire formed from a second material; and
adding an inner core material within the hollow structure after the wire is positioned, such that the inner core material fills in around the wire, wherein the inner core material forms the inner core and the wire defines the core channel within the inner core.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising melting the wire to facilitate removing the wire from the core channel.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein melting the wire comprises heating a shell of mold material to melt a pattern material positioned within the shell, wherein the jacketed core extends within the pattern material such that the wire is heated above a melting point of the second material.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein melting the wire comprises firing a shell of mold material to form the mold, wherein the jacketed core extends within the shell such that the wire is heated above a melting point of the second material.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein positioning the wire within the hollow structure comprises:
threading the wire through the plurality of spacers; and
positioning the spacers threaded with the wire within the hollow structure.

12. A mold assembly for use in forming a component having an internal passage defined therein, the component formed from a component material, said mold assembly comprising:
a mold defining a mold cavity therein; and
a jacketed core positioned with respect to said mold, said jacketed core comprising:
a hollow structure formed from a first material;
an inner core disposed within said hollow structure;
a core channel that extends from at least a first end of said inner core through at least a portion of said inner core; and
a plurality of spacers positioned within said hollow structure and substantially encased within said inner core, each of said plurality of spacers being positioned at a respective offset distance from an inner surface of said hollow structure such that said core channel extends through each of said spacers, wherein:

said first material is at least partially absorbable by the component material in a molten state, and
a portion of said jacketed core is positioned within said mold cavity such that said inner core of said portion of said jacketed core defines a position of the internal passage within the component.

13. The mold assembly of claim 12 , wherein said inner core is formed from an inner core material that is removable from the component by a fluid flowed into said core channel.

14. The mold assembly of claim 13 , wherein said inner core material is a ceramic material that is leachable from the component by the fluid.

15. The mold assembly of claim 12 , wherein said core channel extends from said first end to an opposite second end of said inner core.

16. The mold assembly of claim 12 , wherein each of said spacers is formed from a material that is selectively removable from the component along with, and in the same fashion as, said inner core.

17. A mold assembly for use in forming a component having an internal passage defined therein, the component formed from a component material, said mold assembly comprising:
a mold defining a mold cavity therein; and
a jacketed core positioned with respect to said mold, said jacketed core comprising:
a hollow structure formed from a first material;
an inner core disposed within said hollow structure;
a core channel that extends from at least a first end of said inner core through at least a portion of said inner core; and
at least three spacers positioned within said hollow structure and substantially encased within said inner core, such that said core channel extends through each of said spacers, wherein:

said first material is at least partially absorbable by the component material in a molten state,
a portion of said jacketed core is positioned within said mold cavity such that said inner core of said portion of said jacketed core defines a position of the internal passage within the component.

18. The mold assembly of claim 17 , wherein said inner core is formed from an inner core material that is removable from the component by a fluid flowed into said core channel.

19. The mold assembly of claim 17 , wherein said core channel extends from said first end to an opposite second end of said inner core.

20. The mold assembly of claim 17 , wherein each of said spacers is formed from a material that is selectively removable from the component along with, and in the same fashion as, said inner core.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Arnett Michael Douglas
• Moors Thomas Michael
• Peck Arthur Samuel

Classifications

• B22C9/24 Primary

  for hollow articles · CPC title

• B22D25/02

  by its peculiarity of shape; of works of art {(cylinders, pistons B22D15/02)} · CPC title

• B22C9/106

  Vented or reinforced cores · CPC title

• B22C9/103 Primary

  Multipart cores · CPC title

• B22C9/10

  Cores; Manufacture or installation of cores {(breaker cores B22C9/084)} · CPC title