Protective cover for additive manufacturing of gas turbine components

Abstract

A cover for covering at least a portion of a component for finish machining is provided. The cover has a top, a bottom, and at least one wall extending from the top to the bottom. The cover includes a chamber accessible via the bottom. The chamber is configured to hold the component such that at least a portion of the component is protected by the cover. The chamber includes a first brake member and a second brake member each extending into the chamber. The first brake member and the second brake member are arranged in different vertical planes. The cover is additively manufactured using an elastomeric material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of protective covers. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to additively manufactured covers for protecting gas turbine components. Summary of the invention

[0002] A simplified overview of the present invention is presented below to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present invention. This overview is not a broad overview of the present invention. It is not intended to identify key elements of the present invention or to describe the scope of the present invention. Its only purpose is to present some concepts of the present invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description presented elsewhere herein.

[0003] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a cover for a component is disclosed. The cover includes a top, a bottom, and at least one wall extending from the top to the bottom. The cover includes a chamber accessible via the bottom. The chamber is configured to hold the component so that at least a portion of the component is protected by the cover. The chamber includes a first brake and a second brake each extending into the chamber. The first brake and the second brake are arranged in different vertical planes. The cover includes an elastic material.

[0004] In one aspect, according to any of the preceding aspects, the first stopper and the second stopper are each arranged on the bottom.

[0005] In one aspect, according to any one of the above aspects, the first brake member comprises a first lower brake member and a second lower brake member. The first lower brake member faces the second lower brake member.

[0006] In one aspect, according to any one of the above aspects, the second brake member includes a first upper brake member and a second upper brake member. The first upper brake member faces the second upper brake member.

[0007] In one aspect, according to any of the preceding aspects, the at least one wall comprises a plurality of walls. The first lower stopper, the second lower stopper, the first upper stopper and the second upper stopper are each arranged on a different wall of the plurality of walls.

[0008] In one aspect, according to any of the preceding aspects, the first stopper is configured to contact the component to prevent the component from falling out of the cover.

[0009] In one aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the second stopper is configured to contact the component to maintain a distance between the component and the top.

[0010] In one aspect, according to any of the preceding aspects, the component is a gas turbine component and the cover is additively manufactured.

[0011] In one aspect, according to any of the preceding aspects, the gas turbine component is one of a blade and an airfoil.

[0012] In one aspect, according to any of the preceding aspects, the at least one wall comprises four walls.

[0013] In one aspect, according to any of the preceding aspects, the top portion includes a first section, a second section, and a concave section between the first section and the second section.

[0014] In one aspect, according to any of the preceding aspects, the concave section comprises a cutout, and at least one of the first section and the second section is truncated elliptical.

[0015] In one aspect, according to any of the preceding aspects, the base comprises a parallelogram structure.

[0016] In one aspect, according to any of the preceding aspects, at least one wall comprises ribbing.

[0017] In one aspect, an additively manufactured cover for a blade of a gas turbine is provided. The cover includes a top corresponding to the tip of the blade, a bottom, and at least one wall extending from the top to the bottom. The cover has a chamber accessible via the bottom. The chamber is configured to hold the blade so that at least a portion of the blade is protected by the cover. The cover has a first brake and a second brake, each extending into the chamber. The first brake and the second brake are arranged in different vertical planes.

[0018] In one aspect, according to any of the preceding aspects, at least the portion of the blade protected by the cover comprises an airfoil of the blade and an airpath surface of the platform.

[0019] In one aspect, according to any one of the above aspects, the first brake member comprises a first lower brake member and a second lower brake member. The first lower brake member faces the second lower brake member.

[0020] In one aspect, according to any of the preceding aspects, the second brake is configured to maintain a distance between the tip and the top of the blade.

[0021] In one aspect, according to any of the preceding aspects, the dovetail of the blade is exposed when the blade is retained in the cavity.

[0022] In one aspect, a cover for a gas turbine component includes a top having a first section, a second section, and a recessed portion. The cover includes a bottom and a plurality of walls extending from the top to the bottom at an angle. The cover includes a chamber accessible through the bottom. The chamber is configured to hold a gas turbine component such that a first portion of the component is obscured by the cover and a second portion of the component is exposed. The cover includes an elastic material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0024] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional image of a steam turbine blade.

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a portion of a blade covered by a protective cover according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D yes Figure 2 A perspective view of the top of the cover facing in an upward direction.

[0027] 4A to 4D yes Figure 2 A perspective view of the top of the cover facing in a downward direction.

[0028] Figure 5A and Figure 5B yes Figure 2 Bottom view of the cover.

[0029] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B yes Figure 2 A top view of the cover.

[0030] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B yes Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a cover.

[0031] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B It shows that the Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the blade in the cover.

[0032] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a cover according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0033] Fig.10 It is a diagram showing the manufacture and use of Figure 2 and Fig. 9 A flow chart of a method of covering an item. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] A gas turbine generally includes a multi-stage compressor coupled to a multi-stage steam turbine via an axial shaft. Air enters the gas turbine through the compressor, where the temperature and pressure of the air increases as the air passes through the back stage of the compressor. The compressed air is then directed to one or more burners where it is mixed with a fuel source to produce a combustible mixture. The mixture is ignited in the burner to produce a stream of hot combustion gases. These gases are directed into the steam turbine, causing the steam turbine to rotate, thereby driving the compressor. The output of the gas turbine can be mechanical thrust via exhaust from the steam turbine or shaft power from the rotation of the axial shaft, which can drive a generator to produce electricity.

[0035] The compressor and steam turbine each include a plurality of rotating blades and fixed fins having an airfoil extending into a compressed air flow or a hot combustion gas flow. Each blade or fin has a set of specific design criteria that must be met in order to provide the necessary work for the flow through the compressor and steam turbine. However, due to the harsh nature of the operating environment, particularly in steam turbines, it is often necessary to cool these blades and fins. These blades and fins typically utilize complex internal cooling passages in order to maximize the efficiency of the cooling fluid passing through the internal cooling passages.

[0036] Figure 1 A gas turbine component, such as a gas turbine blade 10, is shown. The turbine blade 10 generally includes an airfoil 12 extending from a top or gas path side surface 14 of a platform 16 and a root fixing portion or "dovetail" depending from a lower surface 20 of the platform 16. The dovetail 18 may include one or more serrations or tangs 22 extending laterally from one side 23A of the dovetail 18 to an opposite side 23B of the dovetail 18. The dovetail 18 may terminate at a terminal or bottom wall 25 that may span between the dovetail sides 23A, 23B. The dovetail 18, including the tangs 22 and its bottom wall 25, may be adapted for interlocking engagement in a corresponding groove defined in the periphery of a hub of a turbine rotor. The bottom wall 25 may be part of a metering plate 35 that is brazed or otherwise fixed to the dovetail 18.

[0037] The airfoil 12 may have a pressure side 26, a suction side 27 opposite to the pressure side 26, a tip 28, a leading edge 29, and a trailing edge 31. The tip 28 may include a cover or may be configured to interact with the cover. The cover may be disposed at the tip 28 of each blade 10, or may be a fixed ring including one or more circumferential extensions, each of which is connected to the gas turbine casing. One or more covers may be configured to seal the gap between the tip 28 of the blade 10 and the fixed component (e.g., stator) of the steam turbine, and thereby reduce the leakage flow between the rotating component and the fixed component. The airfoil 12 (e.g., the airfoil pressure side 26) may be in contact with combustion gases at extremely high temperatures. Therefore, the airfoil 12 or a portion of the airfoil may be coated with heat-resistant, wear-resistant, and / or other coatings. During operation, the tip 28 may rub against the tip cover, so the tip 28 may be additionally or alternatively coated with a wear-resistant coating. In a similar manner, one or more other portions of the blade 10 may be coated with different materials, depending on the environment in which those portions are located and the stresses encountered thereby.

[0038] The bottom wall 25 of the dovetail 18 may include one or more inlet holes 30. In addition, one or more portions of the blade 10 may include cooling holes 32 for cooling the blade 10 during operation. The cooling holes 32 may be disposed on one or more surfaces of the airfoil 12, such as the pressure side 26, the suction side 27, the tip 28, the leading edge 29, the trailing edge 31, or a combination thereof. The cooling holes 32 may be circular cooling holes, diffused (e.g., angled) cooling holes, cooling slots, or have one or more other regular or irregular shapes. The cooling gas may pass through an internal cooling passage (not shown for ease of description) in the blade 10 and emerge from the cooling holes 32 to form a thin film coating on the outer surface of the airfoil 12, thereby preventing direct contact of the hot gas with the surface of the blade 10. For example, the illustrated blade 10 has an inlet hole 30 in the bottom wall 25 of the dovetail 18 and a cooling hole 32 on the pressure side 26 of the airfoil 12. The blade 10 (including the airfoil 12 of the blade) may include a hollow internal passage for cooling air to pass through, such as but not limited to from the air inlet 30 to the cooling through hole 32. Thus, cooling air may be exhausted from the compressor and directed into the air inlet 30. The air may exit the cooling through hole 32 to cool one or more portions of the blade 10 during operation. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that different blades may have different cooling schemes, and Figure 1 The air intake holes 30 and cooling through holes 32 in FIG. 3 are exemplary only and are not intended to be independently limiting.

[0039] Gas turbine blades, such as blade 10, may be manufactured using investment casting, also known in the art as lost wax machining. The investment casting process may involve making a precision negative mold of the blade shape, which is filled with wax to form the blade shape. If a blade, such as blade 10, is hollow and has internal cooling passages, a ceramic core in the shape of the cooling passage may be inserted in the middle. The wax blade may be coated with a heat resistant material to make an outer shell, which may then be filled with the blade alloy.

[0040] Once cast, the blade 10 may undergo one or more finishing processes to prepare the blade 10 for operation. The finishing process may ensure that the blade 10 has a desired aerodynamic profile, as this may affect engine efficiency and fuel consumption. The finishing process may also make the blade 10 more fatigue-resistant and thereby increase the life of the blade 10. Some finishing processes may reduce maintenance requirements associated with the blade 10.

[0041] Finishing the blade 10 may include coating one or more surfaces of the blade 10. For example, one or more surfaces of the blade 10 may be blasted with abrasive media to configure the surfaces to receive a coating, and thereafter, heat resistant, wear resistant, and / or other coatings may be applied to the surfaces of the blade 10. Finishing the blade 10 may also include deburring and removing sharp edges, polishing one or more surfaces of the blade 10 to remove excess material, welding, brazing, or otherwise associating features (e.g., metering plate 35) to the blade 10, machining one or more surfaces of the blade 10, and the like. As used herein, the term "finishing" and the phrase "surface finishing" include any of one or more processes that may be used to alter a manufactured component to achieve certain characteristics. For example, finishing the blade 10 includes one or more processes (e.g., media blasting, brazing, coating, machining, and the like) that the blade 10 undergoes after casting the blade 10 to prepare the blade 10 for operation in a gas turbine.

[0042] In order to finish a gas turbine component after manufacturing the gas turbine component, for example, in order to finish the blade 10 after casting the blade 10, the component can be transported to one or more locations (e.g., one or more locations in a manufacturing facility). For example, the blade 10 can be transported from one finishing station to another finishing station by an operator or via one or more mechanized systems (such as a conveyor belt). For example, the blade 10 can be taken to a first station for media blasting, a second station for applying a coating to the pressure side 26, a third station for applying a coating to the tip 28, a fourth station for machining, a fifth station for brazing the metering plate 35 to the blade 10, etc. These stations can be in the same facility or in different facilities. After finishing the blade 10, it can be transported to another station or another location for packaging and shipping. When a component (e.g., a blade 10) is taken from one location to another (e.g., from one station to another), operate with caution. If the blade 10 is damaged while being handled during the finishing process and / or while being transported from one location to another (hereinafter referred to as "handling damage"), the blade 10 may require repair, and in some cases, the blade 10 may have to be scrapped.

[0043] In addition to handling damage, components such as blades 10 may suffer damage from foreign material contamination. For example, brazing material used to braze the metering plate 35 to the dovetail 18 of the blade 10 may accidentally contact the surface of the airfoil 12 or platform 16 and cause damage to the blade 10. Or, for example, a coating applied only to the tip 28 of the blade 10 may accidentally contact the pressure side 26 or suction side 27 of the airfoil 12. Similar to handling damage, damage to a component due to foreign material contamination may require repairing the component before use or scrapping the entire component. The need to repair or replace a component due to such unintentional damage (e.g., handling damage, foreign contamination damage, or other such damage) may be time consuming, laborious, and expensive. It may be beneficial to eliminate or minimize the possibility of damaging a component after one or more initial manufacturing steps have been completed and before the component is completed. Aspects of the present disclosure may provide a cover for protecting a component from damage during finishing.

[0044] Focus Point Figure 2 , Figure 2 A protective cover (or mask, sheath or jacket, hereinafter referred to as a "cover") 100 according to one aspect of the present disclosure is shown. The cover 100 may cover (e.g., wrap) one or more portions of the blade 10 and protect the blade 10 from damage, such as during finishing of the blade. Figure 2In the illustrated embodiment, the cover 100 is shown covering and protecting the airfoil 12 (i.e., each of the pressure side 26, suction side 27, tip 28, leading edge 29, and trailing edge 31) and the gas path side surface 14 of the platform 16. In other examples of the present disclosure, the cover may protect one or more other surfaces of the blade 10 or another component, such as a gas turbine airfoil or other component.

[0045] In an embodiment, the cover 100 can be additively manufactured. Additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing) can be performed by dividing the shape of a three-dimensional object (i.e., the cover 100 in this example) into multiple two-dimensional sections with uniform or variable thickness, and forming two-dimensional sections stacked one by one. There are several known additive printing methods, such as material extrusion, material jetting, adhesive jetting, sheet lamination, reduction photopolymerization, powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition (DED), etc. Any one or more of these methods, or any other additive manufacturing method now known or improved below, can be used to manufacture the cover 100.

[0046] In some non-limiting examples, the cover 100 can be manufactured using reductive photopolymerization. Reductive photopolymerization (such as stereolithography, direct light processing, continuous liquid interface production, solid ground curing, etc.) is a class of additive manufacturing methods that selectively cure materials (e.g., resins or other photopolymers) through targeted light-activated polymerization to manufacture three-dimensional objects. When exposed to certain wavelengths of light, liquid photopolymer molecules can quickly bind together and cure into a solid state through a process called photopolymerization. The liquid photopolymer can be kept in a container or barrel with the build platform partially immersed near the surface of the liquid. Using information supplied by a CAD or other design file, the printer can guide the light source to selectively cure the liquid photopolymer into a solid layer. The build platform can then be re-immersed in the remaining resin, and the process can be repeated for the next layer until the cover 100 has been completely printed.

[0047] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D as well as 4A to 4D The cover 100 is shown in more detail. In some examples of the present disclosure, the cover 100 may have a first wall 102, a second wall 104, a third wall 106, a fourth wall 108, a bottom 110, and a top 112 (see also FIG. 6 ). Each of the first wall 102, the second wall 104, the third wall 106, and the fourth wall 108 may extend from the bottom 110 to the top 112. The first wall 102 may be arranged at one side of the second wall 104 and the third wall 106 may be arranged on the other side of the second wall 104. Similarly, the first wall 102 may be arranged at one side of the fourth wall 108 and the third wall 106 may be arranged on the other side of the fourth wall 108.

[0048] In some examples of the present disclosure, one or more of the first wall 102, the second wall 104, the third wall 106, and the fourth wall 108 may extend from the bottom 110 to the top 112 at an angle (e.g., an acute angle or an obtuse angle as shown). In various aspects of the present disclosure, the first wall 102, the second wall 104, the third wall 106, and the fourth wall 108 may be a frustum of a cone together. The angle at which the first wall 102, the second wall 104, the third wall 106, and the fourth wall 108 extend from the bottom 110 to the top 112 may generally depend on the geometry of the part for which the cover 100 is to be used. Further, the cover 100 having the walls 102, 104, 106, 108 extending from the bottom 110 to the top 112 at an angle (e.g., an acute angle) may require less material to manufacture relative to a cover in which the walls extend vertically from the bottom to the top.

[0049] Each of the first wall 102, the second wall 104, the third wall 106, and the fourth wall 108 may have an exterior or outer surface 102E, 104E, 106E, 108E, respectively. Each of the first wall 102, the second wall 104, the third wall 106, and the fourth wall 108 may also have an interior or inner surface 102I, 104I, 106I, 108I, respectively. The exterior surfaces 102E, 104E, 106E, 108E may be opposite to the inner surfaces 102I, 104I, 106I, 108I, respectively.

[0050] In some examples, the top 112 may have a first section 114 and a second section 116, with a recessed portion 118 between the first section and the second section. The first section 114, the second section 116, and the recessed portion 118 may each have an outer surface 114E, 116E, 118E and an inner surface 114I, 116I, 118I, respectively. In some examples, each of the first section 114 and the second section 116 may be substantially frusto-ovalur. In other embodiments, the first section 114 and / or the second section 116 may be pyramidal, spherical, or have other regular or irregular shapes. In some examples, the first section 114 and / or the second section 116 may be curved so that the first section 114, the second section 116, and the recessed portion 118 generally correspond to the shape of the tip 28 of the blade 10.

[0051] In some examples of the present disclosure, the recessed portion 118 of the top 112 may have a generally concave shape. In other examples, the recessed portion 118 may have other regular or irregular shapes. The recessed portion 118 may have a cutout or opening 120. The recessed portion 118 including its cutout 120 can reduce the total material required for the additively manufactured cover 100. In addition, the recessed portion 118 can facilitate the printing of the cover 100, for example, using reduced photopolymerization. Specifically, the recessed portion 118 and the cutout 120 can reduce the possibility of suction cup formation, which can be formed in other ways when the cover 100 is additively manufactured using reduced photopolymerization. These suction cups, if formed, can hinder the flow of material during the additive manufacturing process and may cause the wall of the cover 100 to cavitate during the additive manufacturing process. The recessed portion 118 including the cutout 120 therein can prevent the formation of these suction cups and can allow the liquid to flow freely during the reduced photopolymerization process, thereby promoting additional printability.

[0052] In some examples of the present disclosure, the bottom 110 may be substantially parallelogram-shaped. In other examples, the bottom 110 may be substantially rectangular, triangular, or have other regular or irregular shapes. In the illustrated example, the bottom 110 has four walls 122, 124, 126, 128. The bottom wall 122 may extend from the first wall 102 and below the first wall 102, the bottom wall 124 may extend from the second wall 104 and below the second wall 104, the bottom wall 126 may extend from the third wall 106 and below the third wall 106, and the bottom wall 128 may extend from the fourth wall 108 and below the fourth wall 108. Each bottom wall 122, 124, 126, 128 may have an inner surface 122I, 124I, 126I, 128I and an outer surface 122E, 124E, 126E, 128E, respectively. The outer surfaces 122E, 124E, 126E, 128E of the bottom wall may be opposite to the inner surfaces 122I, 124I, 126I, 128I thereof, respectively.

[0053] The first wall 102, the second wall 104, the third wall 106, the fourth wall 108, the bottom 110 and the top 112 may collectively define a chamber 130 (FIG. 5). Specifically, the inner surfaces 102I, 104I, 106I, 108I of the first wall 102, the second wall 104, the third wall 106, and the fourth wall 108, the inner surface of the top 112 (i.e., the inner surfaces 114I, 116I, 118I of the first section 114, the second section 116 and the recessed portion 118), and the inner surfaces 122I, 124I, 126I, 128I of the walls 122, 124, 126, 128 of the bottom 110 may collectively define the chamber 130. In some examples, the shape of the chamber 130 may be approximately truncated pyramidal. In other examples, the chamber 130 may be approximately spherical, cylindrical, cuboid, or have other symmetrical or asymmetrical shapes. In some examples, the shape of the cavity 130 may not exactly correspond to the shape of a portion of the component to be protected by the cover 100 (in this example, the airfoil 12 of the blade 10). The inner surfaces 122I, 124I, 126I, 128I of the walls 122, 124, 126, 128 of the bottom 110 may define an inlet passage 132 through which the cavity 130 may be accessed.

[0054] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the inner surfaces 122I, 124I, 126I, 128I of the bottom 110 may include two pairs of stops or shelves. Specifically, the inner surface 124I of the bottom wall 124 may have a lower stop 134A ( Figure 4B ), and the inner surface 128I of the bottom wall 128 may have a lower stopper 134B ( Figure 4D ). The lower brakes 134A, 134B may also be referred to herein as "anti-release brakes" 134A, 134B. The lower brake 134A may face the lower brake 134B and be coplanar with the lower brake.

[0055] The inner surface 122I of the bottom wall 122 may have an upper stopper 136A ( Figure 4A ) and the inner surface 126I of the bottom wall 126 may have an upper stopper 136B ( Figure 4B ). The upper stoppers 136A, 136B may also be referred to herein as "anti-over-insertion stoppers" 136A, 136B. The upper stopper 136A may face the upper stopper 136B and be coplanar with the upper stopper.

[0056] In an embodiment, the lower stops 134A, 134B can be at or near the lowest portion of the base 110, and the upper stops 136A, 136B can be at or near the highest portion of the base 110 (i.e., the upper stops 136A, 136B can be in a different vertical plane relative to the lower stops 134A, 134B). Thus, the lower stops 134A, 134B can be closer to the inlet channel 132 than the upper stops 136A, 136B ( Figure 7A-7B ). For example, there may be a vertical distance D between the lower brake members 134A, 134B and the upper brake members 136A, 136B.

[0057] In some examples, lower brakes 134A, 134B can be roughly rectangular and can be the same. In other examples, lower brake 134A can be different from lower brake 134B, and these brakes can have any regular or irregular shape. Upper brakes 136A, 136B can be roughly rectangular and can be the same. In other examples, upper brake 136A can be different from upper brake 136B, and these brakes can have any regular or irregular shape. Each of lower brakes 134A, 134B and upper brakes 136A, 136B can extend roughly laterally in chamber 130 from the corresponding bottom wall associated with the brake. In some examples, a separate lower brake and / or a separate upper brake can be provided, rather than a pair of lower brakes 134A, 134B and a pair of upper brakes 136A, 136B. In other examples, the cover 100 may have a different number of stoppers, such as 3 stoppers, 4 stoppers, 5 stoppers, to N stoppers, instead of a pair of lower stoppers 134A, 134B and a pair of upper stoppers 136A, 136B.

[0058] In some examples of the present disclosure, the cover 100 may be formed of an elastic material. In certain aspects of the embodiments, the cover 100 may be additively manufactured using an elastic material. Compared to manufacturing the cover 100 using conventional techniques (e.g., molding, which requires making tools before manufacturing the part), additively manufacturing the cover 100 using an elastic material may provide one or more benefits. Additively manufacturing the cover 100 using an elastic material may ensure that the cover 100 is flexible and conforms to the surface of the blade 10 protected by the cover 100. Due to its elastic material structure, the bottom 110 of the cover 100 may be stretched to allow the airfoil 12 to be inserted into the cavity 130. In addition, relative to rigid or abrasive materials, the cover 100 made using an elastic material may be less likely to damage the blade 10 when it contacts the blade 10.

[0059] In examples of the present disclosure, the cover 100 may be additively manufactured using a silicone elastomer having a Shore hardness ranging between about 50 and about 90A. IND402 can be used to additively manufacture the cover 100. In other examples, elastomeric three-dimensional printable polymers (e.g., resins, particles, filaments, powders, and the like) that provide a minimum Shore hardness of about 75A and a minimum tear strength of about 28 kN / m can be used to additively manufacture the cover 100. Using an elastomer having a Shore hardness in the range of about 50A to about 90A and a minimum tear strength of about 28 kN / m can ensure that the cover 100 has appropriate flexibility to accept the airfoil 12 of the blade 10 without expending excessive effort, and is durable enough to withstand forces and materials that would otherwise cause damage to the airfoil 12. In addition, the relatively high resilient properties of such elastomers can allow these elastomers to easily withstand externally applied impacts (e.g., from the surface of a tool or station) that might otherwise have been transferred to the blade 10 and damaged the blade 10.

[0060] Another benefit of using an elastomeric material to additively manufacture the cover 100 may be that the cover 100 is secured to the blade 10 without the need for screws, nuts and bolts, or other such fasteners that require tools for tightening, such as a screwdriver or pliers. Covers that require tools, including but not limited to screws, nuts and bolts, or other such fasteners (collectively referred to as screws), have a high likelihood of being damaged if the screws are over-tightened, and conversely, may not effectively cover the blade 10 if the screws are not properly tightened. The cover 100 as embodied by the present disclosure is a "tool-less" cover 100 that, due to its design and elastomeric structure, can provide a conformal shield for selectively and effectively covering one or more portions of the blade 10.

[0061] Focus Point Figure 2 . Once the cover 100 is manufactured, for example using additive manufacturing techniques, the cover can be used to protect the blade 10 during finishing. Specifically, the tip 28 of the airfoil 12 of the blade 10 can be pushed into the cavity 130 of the cover 100 in a direction A toward the top 112 of the cover 100 so that the tip 28 is close to and adjacent to the inner surface of the top 112 (i.e., the inner surfaces 114I, 116I, 118I of the first section 114, the second section 116, and the recessed portion 118). When so positioned, the pressure side 26 and the suction side 27 of the airfoil 12 can be adjacent to one or more of the inner surfaces 102I, 104I, 106I, 108I of the walls 102, 104, 106, 108.

[0062] The upper stoppers 136A, 136B can play a role in preventing the blade 10 from being over-inserted into the cover 100. The stoppers 136A, 136B can ensure that the tip 28 of the blade 10 is spaced apart from and does not contact the inner surface of the top 112, so that the inner surfaces 114I, 116I, 118I of the first section 114, the second section 116, and the concave portion 118 do not contact the tip 28 of the blade 10. Fig. 8A 1 is a schematic diagram and shows the blade 10 inserted into the chamber 130. It can be seen that when the blade 10 is inserted into the chamber 130 in the direction A, the upper stopper 136A (and 136B, which are Fig. 8A The upper stoppers 136A, 136B (not visible in the figure) may abut the gas path side surface 14 of the platform 16 and prevent the blade 10 from further entering the chamber 130. In certain aspects of the embodiments, the blade 10 or the cover 100 may be movable relative to each other. In some examples, the upper stoppers 136A, 136B (to facilitate the movement of the blade 10 in the chamber 130) may be provided. Fig. 8A 136B) can thus ensure that the tip 28 of the blade 10 is at least a distance E1 from the inner surface of the top 112 of the cover 100. The spacing E1 between the tip 28 of the blade 10 and the top 112 of the cover 100 can ensure that unintentional forces applied to the top 112 (for example, in the case where the top 112 of the cover 100 is accidentally hit by an object, or in the case where the cover 100 falls and the top 112 hits the floor) are not easily transmitted to the tip 28 of the blade 10 and thus damage it.

[0063] In contrast, the lower brakes 134A, 134B can be used to prevent the blade 10 from being accidentally released from the cover 100, and can ensure that the blade 10, once inserted into the cover 100, will not accidentally fall out of the cover 100 or otherwise separate from the cover 100. Specifically, as Figure 8BAs shown, when gravity or other forces pull the blade 10 into the interior of the cover 100 along the direction B, the lower surface 20 of the platform can abut the lower stoppers 134A, 134B. Therefore, the blade 10 can be prevented from falling out of the cover 100. Therefore, the blade 10 can only be separated from the cover 100 intentionally (for example, the blade 10 may be manually pulled out of the cover 100 after the bottom 110 is stretched open), but not unintentionally separated from the cover 100. This can ensure that the cover 100 continues to protect the blade 10 as intended during the finishing process. In addition, due to the elastic structure of the upper stoppers 134A, 134B and the lower stoppers 136A, 136B, none of these stoppers 134A, 134B, 136A and / or 136B will hinder the airfoil 12 from being pushed into the cavity 130. That is, if the detents 134A, 134B, 136A and / or 136B come into contact with the airfoil 12 when the blade 10 is pushed into the cover 100, these detents 134A, 134B, 136A and / or 136B may all be pushed aside by the airfoil 12 and may thereafter return to or toward their original positions.

[0064] Once the blade 10 is inserted into the cover 100, the gas path surfaces 14 of the airfoil 12 and platform 16 that are retained within the cover 100 may be protected from damage (e.g., damage from handling, damage from foreign contamination, etc.). Because the cover 100 does not cover the dovetail 18, an operator may finish (e.g., coat, braze, machine, shot peen, and other further processes) the exposed dovetail 18 while the gas path surfaces 14 of the airfoil 12 and platform 16 are protected. As noted, in other embodiments, the cover 100 may cover a portion or the entire dovetail 18, while another portion or portions of the blade 10 may be exposed for finishing. Figure 2 As shown, the cover 100 can be a unitary structure. In other examples, the cover 100 can include two or more separate or separable parts configured to protect different parts of a component (such as a gas turbine component). In some examples, the cover 100 can have one or more windows to allow access to one or more parts of the blade 10 through the cover 100 for finishing.

[0065] Fig. 9 A cover 200 is shown in another aspect of the present disclosure. The cover 200 may be similar to the cover 100 unless otherwise noted. Corresponding parts may be indicated by corresponding reference numerals, notwithstanding any apparent deviations.

[0066] As previously described, cover 100 can be additively manufactured. Cover 200 can also be additively manufactured, for example, using vat photopolymerization or other additive manufacturing processes now known or improved below. The difference between cover 100 and cover 200 can be that cover 200 can include ribs or textures 201 (hereinafter, "ribs 201"). Ribs 201 can provide structural integrity for cover 200, and thus can allow cover 200 to be thinner relative to cover 100 while providing the same or similar level of protection. In addition, ribs 201 can provide a textured surface that can facilitate the operator to grasp and handle cover 200 without slipping. Ribs 201 can be a roughly hexagonal pattern as shown, or can have other regular or irregular shapes. For example, in some embodiments, ribs 201 can be polygonal, triangular, circular, square, or can include a pattern including two or more symmetrical or asymmetrical shapes. The ribs 201 may be integral with the cover 200 and may be additively manufactured together with the cover 200. Fig. 9 2, but cover 200 (similar to cover 100) may have a pair of upper and lower stops 134A, 134B, 136A and / or 136B on the inner surface of cover 200. That is, cover 200 may be the same as cover 100 in the example except that ribs 201 are included therein.

[0067] As noted, in some examples, the surfaces of the covers 100 and 200 may not precisely match the protected surfaces of the airfoil 12. For example, when the airfoil 12 is within the cover 100 or 200, one or more spaces may exist between the surface of the airfoil 12 and the surface of the cover 100 or 200. The inexact correspondence between the airfoil 12 and the cover 100 or 200 may allow for greater tolerances of the shroud 100 or 200, rather than a tight skin-on-skin correspondence between the airfoil 12 and the covers 100, 200. Thus, the covers 100 and 200 may be manufactured using an additive manufacturing process utilizing a consumer-grade printer, rather than utilizing a high-end commercial additive printer that may be required to manufacture blade covers with tight tolerances.

[0068] Fig.10A flow chart illustrating a method 300 of manufacturing and using a cover, such as cover 100 or cover 200, is shown. In step 302, a cover (e.g., cover 100 or cover 200) may be additively manufactured. In step 304, a component may be associated with the cover such that at least a portion of the component is protected by the cover. For example, the airfoil 12 of the blade 10 may be placed inside the cover 100 or cover 200 for protection. In step 306, one or more finishing processes may be performed on the exposed portion of the component while the remaining component is protected by the cover 100 or cover 200. For example, when the airfoil 12 is shielded by the cover 100 or cover 200, the exposed dovetail 18 of the blade 10 may be coated, machined, deburred, or otherwise finished. Once finishing is completed, the component (e.g., blade 10) may be separated from the cover 100 or cover 200 in step 308. If desired, the portions of the component obscured by cover 100 or 200 may now be finished to prepare the component for operation.

[0069] Thus, as has been described, covers 100 and 200 may protect one or more portions of a component while one or more exposed portions of the component undergo one or more finishing processes.

[0070] Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, many different configurations of the various components depicted and components not shown are possible. The embodiments of the present disclosure that have been described are illustrative and not restrictive. Alternative embodiments that do not deviate from the scope thereof will become clear to those skilled in the art. Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, those skilled in the art may perfect alternative methods for implementing the above improvements.

[0071] It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations and are considered within the scope of the claims.Not all steps listed in the various figures need to be performed in the particular order described.

Claims

1. A covering member for a component, the covering member comprising: top; bottom; at least one wall extending from said top to said bottom; a chamber accessible through the bottom, the chamber configured to retain the component such that at least a portion of the component is protected by the cover; as well as a first brake and a second brake each extending into the chamber, the first brake and the second brake being arranged in different vertical planes; Wherein, the covering element comprises elastic material.

2. The covering member according to claim 1, wherein: Each of the first stopper and the second stopper is disposed on the bottom.

3. The covering member according to claim 2, wherein: The first brake member includes a first lower brake member and a second lower brake member, and the first lower brake member faces the second lower brake member.

4. The covering member according to claim 3, wherein: The second brake member includes a first upper brake member and a second upper brake member, and the first upper brake member faces the second upper brake member.

5. The covering member according to claim 4, wherein: The at least one wall includes a plurality of walls, and each of the first lower stopper, the second lower stopper, the first upper stopper, and the second upper stopper is disposed on a different wall among the plurality of walls.

6. The covering member according to claim 1, wherein: The first stopper is configured to contact the component to prevent the component from falling out of the cover.

7. The covering member according to claim 6, wherein: The second stopper is configured to contact the component to maintain a distance between the component and the top.

8. The cover according to claim 1, wherein: The component is a gas turbine component; and The cover is manufactured by additive manufacturing.

9. The covering member according to claim 8, wherein: The gas turbine component is at least one of a blade and an airfoil.

10. The covering member according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one wall includes four walls.

11. The covering member according to claim 1, wherein: The top portion includes a first section, a second section, and a concave section between the first section and the second section.

12. The cover according to claim 11, wherein: At least one of the first section and the second section is a truncated ellipse; and The recessed section includes a cutout.

13. The covering member according to claim 1, wherein: The bottom portion includes a parallelogram structure.

14. The cover according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one wall includes ribbing.

15. An additively manufactured cover for a blade of a gas turbine, the cover comprising: a top portion corresponding to a tip of the blade; bottom; at least one wall extending from said top to said bottom; a chamber accessible through the base, the chamber configured to retain the blade such that at least a portion of the blade is protected by the cover; as well as A first stopper and a second stopper each extend into the chamber, the first stopper and the second stopper being arranged in different vertical planes.

16. The additively manufactured cover according to claim 15, wherein: The at least a portion of the blade protected by the cover includes an airfoil and a gas path surface of a platform of the blade.

17. The additively manufactured cover according to claim 16, wherein: The first brake member includes a first lower brake member and a second lower brake member, and the first lower brake member faces the second lower brake member.

18. The additively manufactured cover of claim 15, wherein: The second brake is configured to maintain a distance between the tip and the top of the blade.

19. The additively manufactured cover of claim 15, wherein: When the blade is retained in the cavity, the dovetail of the blade is exposed.

20. A cover for a gas turbine component, the cover comprising: a top portion having a first section, a second section, and a recessed portion; bottom; a plurality of walls extending at an angle from the top to the bottom; as well as a chamber accessible through the bottom, the chamber configured to retain the gas turbine component such that a first portion of the component is obscured by the cover and a second portion of the component is exposed; Wherein, the covering element comprises elastic material.

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