Bimetal shell
Through the bimetallic compressor casing design, a combination of Ti-64 and Ti-6242 alloys is used to solve the thermal and mechanical property requirements of different parts of the turbine engine casing, achieve customized design and material optimization, reduce costs and improve performance.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202480012962.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-03-01
- Filing Date
- 2024-02-12
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-26
AI Technical Summary
In the existing technology, the manufacturing method of the turbine engine casing is difficult to meet the thermal and mechanical property requirements of different parts, resulting in the uniformity of material selection and design, which limits the customization and optimization of the casing.
A bimetallic compressor casing design is adopted, with Ti-64 and Ti-6242 alloys formed in different parts of the casing respectively. Through additive manufacturing processes such as laser directed energy deposition (L-DED-w) and welding technology, multiple cylindrical sub-sections are combined into a cylindrical main body to meet the operating requirements under different temperatures.
The shell is customized in design, the material selection is optimized, the material usage and manufacturing costs are reduced, and the thermal and mechanical properties of the shell are improved, especially in terms of creep performance.
Smart Images
Figure CN120712401A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to an alternative arrangement and associated manufacturing process for forming a compressor casing, particularly but not exclusively for use in aircraft gas turbine engines. Background Art
[0002] Conventional turbine engine casings are formed using forging or similar processes. As part of the forging process, a single material is used, the choice of which is determined by the casing's maximum operational requirements. This can be determined, for example, by thermal and mechanical requirements. Conventional manufacturing techniques allow casings to be successfully manufactured to meet industry requirements.
[0003] However, the inventors have established an alternative approach that conveniently allows the use of different materials so that specific thermal and mechanical properties can be met in a material-specific manner. Although this could be interpreted as increasing manufacturing complexity, it allows for customized housing designs and optimized material selection, as will be described herein. Summary of the Invention
[0004] Various aspects of the invention are set out in the accompanying claims.
[0005] Viewed from a first aspect of the invention described herein, there is provided a compressor casing for a gas turbine engine, the casing comprising a generally cylindrical body formed from a plurality of adjacent cylindrical sub-sections, wherein the cylindrical body has a first end and an opposite second end, and wherein the second end is arranged, in use, at a position within the engine that operates at a higher temperature than the first end, and wherein one or more of the cylindrical sub-sections at the second end of the body are formed from Ti-6242 and one or more of the cylindrical sub-sections at the first end of the body are formed from Ti-64.
[0006] In practice, a bimetallic compressor housing is used. Using multiple alloys to form the housing complicates the manufacturing process, as two alloys need to be used and assembled together. However, the material properties provided by the different alloys allow specific requirements to be met in different parts of the housing (corresponding to the different temperatures in the operating engine).
[0007] Any number of sub-components can be put together to form a generally cylindrical housing body. In one example, the cylindrical body can be formed from four adjacent cylindrical sub-segments. This allows the desired internal geometry within the housing to be easily formed on the inner surface.
[0008] Advantageously, three cylindrical subsections extending from the first end toward the second end of the body may be formed of Ti-64, and the last cylindrical subsection may be formed of Ti-6242. In another arrangement, a single subsection of Ti-64 and a single subsection of Ti-6242 may be used having length ratios as described herein.
[0009] As mentioned above, the temperature profile along the casing in use may vary significantly.The second end of the body may be arranged, in use, towards the exhaust end of the gas turbine engine (ie the hotter end of the casing).
[0010] The methods and arrangements described herein may be used with various compressors, but in one example, the compressor casing is a high pressure compressor casing of a gas turbine engine.
[0011] Advantageously, the length of each sub-segment, as measured along the elongated axis of the cylindrical body, may be different from one or more of the other sub-segments forming the cylindrical body. This allows for flexibility in the internal geometry and also achieves efficiencies by making longer sub-segments where the internal geometry permits.
[0012] Any suitable number of sub-segments may be used. Advantageously, approximately 70% of the length of the cylindrical body, measured along the elongated axis of the body, may be formed from Ti-64 and approximately 30% from Ti-6242. This allows creep and other thermal properties to be achieved while minimizing material usage and ultimately manufacturing cost. In another arrangement, a 50:50 split between the alloys may be used, or alternatively an 80:20 split may be used, depending on the specific application.
[0013] The sub-segments may be formed using various additive manufacturing processes. For example, the sub-segments may be formed using an additive manufacturing process using laser directed energy deposition (L-DED-w) with a welding wire.
[0014] The various sub-segments may also be coupled together using any suitable process. In one example, one or more sub-segments may be coupled to adjacent sub-segments by welding, such as electron beam welding.
[0015] Viewed from another aspect, there is provided a method of manufacturing a compressor casing for a gas turbine engine, the compressor casing comprising a generally cylindrical body formed from a plurality of adjacent cylindrical subsections, wherein the cylindrical body has a first end and an opposite second end, and wherein the second end is arranged, in use, at a position within the engine that operates at a higher temperature than the first end, the method comprising the steps of: (A) forming one or more cylindrical sub-sections having Ti-6242 at the second end of the body; and (B) One or more cylindrical sub-sections of Ti-64 are formed at the first end of the body.
[0016] As described above, the one or more cylindrical sub-sections at the second end of the body may be coupled to the one or more cylindrical sub-sections at the first end by electron beam welding.
[0017] Each sub-segment can be formed using various AM processes. One advantageous example is the additive manufacturing process of laser directed energy deposition (L-DED-w) using a welding wire. Each sub-segment can then be welded to the adjacent sub-segment.
[0018] For example, the sub-segment can be formed by an additive manufacturing process using laser directed energy deposition (L-DED-w) of welding wire, and then transitioning from a Ti-64 welding wire input to the manufacturing process to a Ti-6242 welding wire input at the point along the body where the sub-segment will be formed from Ti-6242. In effect, the feedstock is changed in place. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Aspects of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0020] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a compressor housing as described herein;
[0021] Figure 2 Shown through Figure 1 The cross section of section A-A';
[0022] Figure 3 An embodiment is shown with welded connections between adjacent sub-segments; and
[0023] Figure 4 An embodiment is shown in which an additive manufacturing process has been used to form the body.
[0024] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments are shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and accompanying detailed description are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.
[0025] Any reference to prior art documents in this specification should not be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the art. As used in this specification, the words "comprises", "comprising" and similar words should not be interpreted in an exclusive or exhaustive sense. In other words, they are intended to mean "including but not limited to". The present invention is further described with reference to the following examples. It should be understood that the invention as claimed is not intended to be limited in any way by these examples. It will also be appreciated that the present invention covers not only individual embodiments but also combinations of the embodiments described herein.
[0026] The various embodiments described herein are presented only to aid understanding and teach the claimed features. These embodiments are provided only as a representative sample of embodiments and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. It should be understood that the advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures and / or other aspects described herein should not be considered as limitations on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on the equivalents of the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilized and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. In addition to those specifically described herein, various embodiments of the present invention may appropriately include, consist of, or consist essentially of appropriate combinations of disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, devices, etc. In addition, the present disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.
[0027] It will be appreciated that features of the various aspects of the invention described herein may be used advantageously and interchangeably in any appropriate combination. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a compressor housing (such as a high-pressure compressor housing) of a gas turbine engine is shown. The function and location of the compressor housing will be well understood by those skilled in the art and will not be described further here.
[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the compressor housing 1 comprises an elongated cylindrical body which, in use, surrounds the compressor of the gas turbine engine. As shown, the housing is in the form of a plurality of sub-segments. The four sub-segments 2a to 2d are arranged in a plurality of sub-segments. Figure 1 , but it will be appreciated that other numbers may be used and have the benefit of the teachings herein.
[0030] The sub-segments 2a to 2d are all positioned adjacent to each other to define the elongated cylindrical body 1. Each adjacent sub-segment is connected to the next sub-segment by means of a connection 3a to 3c. This is described below with reference to the attached Figure 3 and Figure 4 Further discussion.
[0031] The ends of the compressor body operate at very different temperatures within the engine in use, as will be described.
[0032] Figure 2 It is through Figure 1 The cross section of the wall of the housing body is shown in section AA'. Figure 2 The left hand end of the body is shown as the cooler end within the engine and the relatively hotter end at the right hand end.
[0033] Subcomponents 2a to 2d correspond to Figure 1 In effect, the subsections allow the housing to be separated to allow for internal machining of features F1, F2, and F3, which may be internal hooks, brackets, or arrangements for mounting other components within the housing. These internal features can be machined and the subsections joined together to produce an elongated cylindrical body with a complex internal geometry. Each dividing line (Dividing Line 1, Dividing Line 2, and Dividing Line 3) corresponds to Figure 1 The connecting parts 3a to 3c in the.
[0034] The length of the shell body is also as Figure 2 As shown, the length of the housing body, measured along the elongated axis (rotational axis) of the body, has different zones or regions formed of different materials. As shown, the cooler end of the body is formed of alloy 1, while the hotter end is formed of alloy 2.
[0035] The inventors have established that different alloys can be used for gas turbine engine casings to meet the mechanical and thermal characteristics of the engine. Specifically, the highest creep capacity is not required along the entire length of the body, and therefore a two-region casing can be advantageously used to meet two different creep requirements.
[0036] More specifically, the inventors have established that Alloy 1 can be a titanium-64 material having a lower creep capability than the second alloy, and Alloy 2 can be titanium-6242. This can meet the creep requirements, but can achieve significant cost savings.
[0037] Although four sub-segments are shown, any suitable number may be used depending on the desired internal complexity and machining required. Furthermore, the length measured along the elongate axis of the body may be different for one or each sub-segment.
[0038] As shown, in this example, boundary 3 represents the transition between Alloy 1 and Alloy 2. The inventors have established that, advantageously, Alloy 1 can be Titanium 64 and Alloy 2 can be Titanium 6242.
[0039] The sub-sections can each be formed in a variety of ways and can then be joined together again using a variety of methods.
[0040] Figure 3 A first example is shown, in which the transition between Ti-64 and Ti-6242 is made at the connection 3a (corresponding to Figure 2 3). In this example, electron beam welding is used to join two alloy segments or regions. Each of these subsegments can be formed using a suitable additive manufacturing process, such as laser directed energy deposition (L-DED-w) using a welding wire. Each subsegment can then be brought together and welded. Electron beam welding has been established to provide a sufficiently strong weld between Ti-64 and Ti-6242.
[0041] Figure 4 An alternative approach is shown where an additive manufacturing process is used to form the entire cylindrical body and the transition between Ti-64 to Ti-Ti6242 is made during the L-DED-w process by simply changing the wire feedstock to a second alloy at the appropriate location (connection 3a).
[0042] It should be appreciated that various welding techniques and metal deposition AM processes can be used to form each sub-segment. Other AM techniques include: - Powder bed fusion method - Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) - Electron beam melting (EBM) - Selective Laser Melting (SLM) - Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) - Direct metal wire deposition Direct metal powder deposition.
Claims
1. A compressor casing for a gas turbine engine, the casing comprising a generally cylindrical body formed from a plurality of adjacent cylindrical subsections, in, The cylindrical body has a first end and an opposite second end, and wherein the second end is arranged, in use, at a position within the engine that operates at a higher temperature than the first end, and wherein one or more of the cylindrical sub-segments at the second end of the body are formed of Ti-6242, and one or more of the cylindrical sub-segments at the first end of the body are formed of Ti-64.
2. The compressor housing according to claim 1, wherein The cylindrical body is formed by four adjacent cylindrical subsections.
3. The compressor housing according to claim 2, wherein: Three cylindrical subsections extending from the first end toward the second end of the body are formed of Ti-64, and a final cylindrical subsection is formed of Ti-6242.
4. A compressor housing according to any preceding claim, wherein The second end of the body is arranged towards an exhaust end of a gas turbine engine in use.
5. A compressor housing according to any preceding claim, wherein The compressor housing is a high-pressure compressor housing of a gas turbine engine.
6. A compressor housing according to any preceding claim, wherein One or more of the cylindrical sub-segments has a length, measured along the elongate axis of the cylindrical body, that is different from one or more other of the other sub-segments forming the cylindrical body.
7. A compressor housing according to any preceding claim, wherein Approximately 70% of the length of the cylindrical body measured along the elongated axis of the body is formed from Ti-64 and approximately 30% is formed from Ti-6242.
8. A compressor housing according to any preceding claim, wherein The sub-sections are formed using an additive manufacturing process.
9. The compressor housing according to claim 8, wherein: The sub-sections are formed using an additive manufacturing process using laser directed energy deposition (L-DED-w) with a welding wire.
10. A compressor housing according to any preceding claim, wherein One or more sub-segments are coupled to adjacent sub-segments by welding.
11. A method of manufacturing a compressor housing for a gas turbine engine, the compressor housing comprising a generally cylindrical body formed from a plurality of adjacent cylindrical subsections, wherein: The cylindrical body has a first end and an opposite second end, and wherein the second end is arranged, in use, at a position within the engine that operates at a higher temperature than the first end, The method comprises the following steps: (A) forming one or more of the cylindrical sub-sections at the second end of the body using Ti-6242; and (B) Forming one or more of the cylindrical sub-sections at the first end of the body using Ti-64.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein The one or more cylindrical sub-sections at the second end of the main body are coupled to the one or more cylindrical sub-sections at the first end by means of electron beam welding.
13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The various sub-segments are formed using an additive manufacturing process using laser directed energy deposition (L-DED-w) with a welding wire, and each sub-segment is subsequently welded to adjacent sub-segments.
14. The method according to claim 11, wherein forming the sub-segments by means of an additive manufacturing process using laser directed energy deposition (L-DED-w) with a welding wire, The method further comprises the following steps: A transition is made from a Ti-64 wire input to the manufacturing process to a Ti-6242 wire input at the point along the body where the sub-section will be formed from Ti-6242.
15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein The compressor housing is a high-pressure compressor housing of a gas turbine engine.
16. A gas turbine engine for an aircraft comprising a compressor housing according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
17. A method of manufacturing a compressor casing for a gas turbine engine according to any one of claims 11 to 15.