Gas Turbine Fan Blade Cover Skin Welding for Rib Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for constructing hollow fan blades in gas turbine engines lack precision and accuracy in attaching cover skins to main bodies, leading to potential misalignment and reduced durability due to the complexity of internal rib geometries and the need for precise welding patterns.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the formation of internal channels and ribs in the main body, inspection to determine a rib pattern, and the creation of corresponding weld patterns on the cover skin, allowing for accurate alignment and welding of the cover skin to the main body, including the use of pedestals for improved alignment and stress distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional methods are used to attach cover skin to main body, then the construction process is simpler, but the alignment precision and welding accuracy are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The weld pattern is formed on the cover skin before the actual welding operation. This preliminary marking of the welding path ensures precise alignment during attachment to the main body, resolving the contradiction by preparing the precise configuration in advance rather than during the welding process itself
Solution Approach 2:
The weld pattern on the cover skin is created based on a copy or projection of the internal rib geometry from the main body. This copying approach transfers the complex internal geometry information to the cover skin surface, enabling precise alignment without requiring direct visualization or measurement of the internal ribs during welding
2Strength
If complex internal rib geometries are accommodated, then the structural integrity is improved, but the welding accuracy is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The weld pattern acts as an intermediary element that translates the complex internal rib geometry into a visible, actionable guide on the cover skin surface. This intermediary representation preserves the structural requirements while making the welding process more accurate and controllable
Solution Approach 2:
The complex task of visually aligning and welding to hidden internal ribs is replaced by following a pre-formed weld pattern on the cover skin surface. This substitution transforms a difficult mechanical alignment problem into a simpler pattern-following operation, maintaining structural integrity while improving welding accuracy
3Reliability
If precise welding patterns are implemented, then the attachment durability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The weld pattern is formed in advance on the cover skin using forming tools or marking systems. This preliminary preparation enables precise welding execution while separating the complexity of pattern creation from the welding operation itself, improving attachment durability without excessively complicating the overall manufacturing process
Data Source
AI summary
A method of forming a gas turbine engine component according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, forming a plurality of internal channels in a main body between one or more internal ribs, and forming a weld pattern in an external surface of a cover skin. The weld pattern is based on at least a geometry of the one or more internal ribs. The method includes positioning the cover skin along the main body to enclose the plurality of internal channels, and welding the cover skin to the main body along the weld pattern subsequent to the positioning step.