Ceramic Core-Shell Mold Filaments for Turbine Cooling Holes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing intricate turbine blades with complex internal geometries, such as investment casting, face limitations in achieving fine detail and resolution in ceramic core-shell molds, particularly in producing small filaments for effusion cooling holes, due to the limitations of powder bed and selective laser activation processes.
Innovation Solution
The use of direct light processing (DLP) to create integrated ceramic core-shell molds with thin filaments spanning between the core and shell portions, enabling the production of fine cooling hole patterns in cast components by supporting the polymerization process from the bottom, allowing for thinner filaments and improved resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If powder bed or selective laser activation processes are used to manufacture ceramic core-shell molds, then the manufacturing capability is available, but the resolution and fine detail production capability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical manufacturing methods (powder bed, selective laser activation) with a chemical solution casting process. This substitution enables the formation of thin filaments and fine details through chemical deposition rather than mechanical layering, achieving superior resolution and fine detail capability in the ceramic core-shell mold
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing process parameters by using solution casting with controlled evaporation and drying conditions. This parameter change allows the formation of thin filaments and fine features that cannot be achieved with conventional powder bed or laser activation methods, directly improving manufacturing precision
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional investment casting methods are used, then the casting process can proceed, but the production of intricate internal geometries and fine detail cooling holes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates thin filaments and fine detail features into the ceramic core-shell mold structure before the casting process. These pre-formed features define the intricate internal geometries and cooling hole patterns directly in the final cast component, eliminating the need for post-casting modifications and enabling complex internal structures with high precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the mold into core and shell portions with thin filaments connecting them, allowing the filaments to define separate cooling hole pathways. This segmentation enables the production of intricate internal geometries that would be difficult to achieve with a monolithic mold structure
3Reliability
If traditional tip pins and ball braze chutes are used, then the casting structure is supported, but the complexity of post-casting modifications increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes traditional tip pins and ball braze chutes from the casting structure by using thin filaments that are integral to the core-shell mold. This extraction eliminates the need for separate support structures and subsequent brazing operations, reducing device complexity while maintaining structural reliability during casting
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the support function traditionally provided by tip pins with the cooling hole definition function by integrating thin filaments into the core-shell mold structure. This merging combines multiple functions into a single element, eliminating post-casting modifications while maintaining casting reliability
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
DLP enables the production of ceramic core-shell molds with sufficient resolution to form cooling holes of small dimensions, enhancing the precision and complexity of internal geometries in cast components, such as turbine blades, by eliminating the need for ball chutes and supporting structures, and allowing for more intricate cooling patterns.
Implementation Method 1
direct light processing (DLP) to create integrated ceramic core-shell molds... by supporting the polymerization process from the bottom
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure generally relates to partial integrated core-shell investment casting molds that can be assembled into complete molds. Each section of the partial mold may contain both a portion of a core and portion of a shell. Each section can then be assembled into a mold for casting of a metal part. The partial integrated core-shell investment casting molds and the complete molds may be provided with filament structures corresponding to cooling hole patterns on the surface of the turbine as or stator vane, which provide a leaching pathway for the core portion after metal casting. The invention also relates to core filaments that can be used to supplement the leaching pathway, for example in a core tip portion of the mold.