Additive Manufactured Abradable Shell for Gas Turbine Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbine components face challenges in manufacturing and repair, particularly in achieving a precise fit and seal between rotor blade ends and the shell portion, with existing methods like brazing or thermal spraying being inefficient and unreliable.
Innovation Solution
A gas turbine component with a shell portion that houses the rotor blade array, featuring an additively manufactured abradable portion with lower surface hardness and density than the neighboring portion, allowing for improved rubbing-in and integration, and enabling easy repair by replacing the rubbed-in abradable portion with a separately manufactured liner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional brazing or thermal spraying methods are used to attach abradable liners, then the manufacturing process is established and reliable, but the manufacturing efficiency is low and repair complexity is high
Solution Approach 1:
The abradable portion is additively manufactured together with the neighboring portion of the shell portion as a single integrated component, eliminating the need for separate attachment processes such as brazing or thermal spraying. This merging of the abradable portion with the shell portion simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces repair complexity, as the entire assembly can be produced in one piece or with minimal assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The abradable portion is designed as a separable component that can be removed and replaced independently from the shell portion. This extraction approach allows for easy replacement of worn abradable liners without requiring removal or repair of the entire shell portion, significantly reducing repair time and complexity while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
2Productivity
If the abradable portion is additively manufactured together with the neighboring portion, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but the manufacturing precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The abradable portion is designed with locally optimized properties, including reduced surface hardness compared to the neighboring portion, to enable proper rubbing-in behavior. The additive manufacturing process allows for local variation in material properties and geometry, ensuring that the abradable portion achieves the precise radial seal required while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through integrated production.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface hardness of the abradable portion is deliberately reduced relative to the neighboring portion to facilitate the rubbing-in process. This parameter change ensures that the rotor blade ends can properly wear into the abradable portion to achieve an accurate radial seal, while the additive manufacturing process maintains overall dimensional precision despite the localized property changes.
3Manufacturing precision
If the abradable portion has lower surface hardness for better rubbing-in, then the seal quality is improved, but the structural strength may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The abradable portion is designed with locally reduced surface hardness specifically at the surface that contacts the rotor blade ends, while the bulk material and neighboring portions maintain sufficient structural strength. This localized property variation allows the surface to properly wear in for sealing while the overall structure retains the necessary mechanical strength to withstand operational loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The shell portion is constructed as a composite structure where the abradable portion has different material properties (lower hardness) than the neighboring structural portions. This composite approach allows each region to be optimized for its specific function: the abradable portion for sealing through controlled wear, and the neighboring portions for structural strength and support.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances the manufacturing efficiency, reliability, and longevity of gas turbine components by ensuring a precise radial seal and facilitating easy repair, while reducing material costs and operational complexity.
Implementation Method 1
the shell portion has an abradable portion to allow rotor blade ends of the rotor blade array to rub into the same
Implementation Method 2
the abradable portion adjoining a neighboring portion of the shell portion axially at both sides and being additively manufactured together therewith
Data Source
AI summary
A gas turbine component for a gas turbine is provided. The gas turbine component has a shell portion having an abradable portion (2) to allow rotor blade ends (1) of a rotor blade array of the gas turbine to rub into the same. The abradable portion adjoins a neighboring portion (3) of the shell portion axially at both sides and is additively manufactured together therewith.