Turbomachine Blade Core with Dissolvable Centering for Dust Ducts

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Solution Overview

Problem

The manufacturing of aircraft engine blades with complex internal cavities and channels for enhanced cooling poses challenges in ensuring effective dust removal without obstructing air circulation, particularly in achieving optimal coaxiality and regular thickness of dust removal ducts.

Innovation Solution

A core for molding turbine engine blades is designed with a through-hole and an alumina rod, where centering means made of dissolvable organic polymer materials ensure coaxial alignment, forming a dust removal duct that maintains sufficient thickness and efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If multiple internal cavities and channels are created for enhanced cooling, then cooling performance is improved, but the complexity of dust removal system increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling performanceVSAvoiddust removal system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The dust removal system is segmented into multiple independent dust removal holes, with each hole serving a specific cavity or channel. This allows dust removal functionality to be distributed across multiple locations rather than requiring a single complex system, thereby managing complexity while maintaining effective dust removal across all cooling cavities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dust removal holes as intermediary elements that connect internal cavities to the external environment. These holes act as mediators between the cooling channels and the outside, enabling dust evacuation without interfering with the primary cooling function, thus resolving the complexity issue while maintaining cooling performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If dust removal holes are added to evacuate dust, then dust removal capability is improved, but the risk of dust obstructing air circulation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedust removal capabilityVSAvoiddust obstruction risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Dust removal holes are incorporated into the blade design during the manufacturing stage, before the blade enters service. This preliminary action ensures that dust evacuation pathways are already in place and functional, preventing dust accumulation that could obstruct air circulation during operation, thereby maintaining reliability while minimizing obstruction risk.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts dust particles from the internal cooling cavities by providing direct evacuation pathways through dust removal holes. This extraction function separates the harmful dust particles from the cooling air flow, allowing clean air circulation while maintaining effective dust removal capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Manufacturing precision

If through-hole and alumina rod are used to define duct geometry, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveduct geometry precisionVSAvoidcore structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The alumina rod within the through-hole serves a dual function: it acts as a structural element defining the duct geometry and simultaneously functions as a dust removal pathway. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate components to define geometry and provide dust removal, thereby improving manufacturing precision without proportionally increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The through-hole containing the alumina rod is designed to perform multiple functions: it defines the outer geometry of the dust removal duct, provides structural support, and serves as the evacuation pathway for dust particles. This multi-functionality reduces the overall number of components needed, balancing manufacturing precision requirements with device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 enables the production of blades with optimized dust removal systems that maintain air circulation efficiency and prevent dust obstruction, ensuring effective cooling and performance.

Implementation Method 1

centering means being made of a material intended to be dissolved before casting the blade around said core

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDissolution: Solvation

Data Source

PatentEP3423213B1Core for moulding a turbomachine blade
Publication Date: 2020.12.16 SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES SAS
  • EP3423213B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3423213B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP3423213B1 patent drawingFigure 6~8

AI summary

The invention relates to a core (16) for casting a blade of a turbomachine, said core (16) comprising a first part (17) for defining a first cavity and a second part (18) of which at least one portion (19) defines a second cavity located between the first cavity and the tip of the blade, wherein: - said portion (19) of the second part (18) includes a through-hole that ends opposite the first part (17) so as to define, in the cast blade, an outer face of a duct for removing dust from the first cavity; - an alumina pin (27) which is secured to the end face (28) of the first part (17) extends into the through-hole to define the inner face of the duct; - centering means (29) are placed between the pin (27) and the through-hole so as to center the pin in relation to the through-hole, said centering means (29) being made of a material that is intended to dissolve before the blade is cast around the core (16).