Heat Shield Panel Manufacturing via Layered Etching and Diffusion Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing heat shield panels for gas turbine engines face challenges in creating complex geometries and alignment of attachment features, leading to manufacturing difficulties and quality issues such as porosity and thread integrity problems.
Innovation Solution
The method involves dividing the heat shield panel model into layers, chemically etching features onto separate sheets, and using a negative template with studs to align and stack the sheets, followed by diffusion bonding or other solid-state welding techniques to join them together, eliminating the need for post-processing and improving feature complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional investment casting methods are used to manufacture heat shield panels, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to porosity and thread integrity problems
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shield panel is divided into multiple layers that are manufactured separately using additive manufacturing, then stacked and joined together. This segmentation allows each layer to be produced with high precision without the porosity issues of conventional casting, while the modular approach maintains manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Attachment features such as threaded studs are pre-formed as integral parts of the panel layers during additive manufacturing, rather than being added post-casting. This preliminary action ensures thread integrity is built-in from the start, eliminating the need for separate threading operations and improving overall manufacturing precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional casting methods are used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to porosity issues
Solution Approach 1:
The conventional mechanical casting process is replaced with additive manufacturing technology. This substitution eliminates the porosity inherent in casting methods while maintaining process simplicity through automated layer-by-layer construction. The additive process builds solid, defect-free structures without the need for complex mold removal or post-casting repair operations.
3Reliability
If complex cooling apertures and attachment mechanisms are integrated into the panel design, then cooling efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases making manufacturing difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The panel is segmented into multiple layers, each containing specific cooling apertures or attachment features. This segmentation allows complex geometries to be distributed across layers, making them easier to manufacture individually through additive processes while achieving integrated cooling efficiency when assembled. Each layer can be optimized independently for its specific function.
Solution Approach 2:
Complex three-dimensional cooling channels and attachment mechanisms are created by stacking multiple two-dimensional layers. This dimensional approach allows intricate internal geometries to be built up layer-by-layer using additive manufacturing, achieving high cooling efficiency and functional integration without increasing manufacturing difficulty. The complexity is managed through the layering dimension rather than attempting to form complex shapes in single-piece casting.
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 approach enables the fabrication of heat shield panels with complex cooling apertures and attachment mechanisms, enhancing cooling efficiency and reducing manufacturing costs by avoiding the limitations of investment casting.
Implementation Method 1
forming further includes chemically etching each of the sheets
Implementation Method 2
joining the sheets together further includes diffusion bonding the sheets together
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of manufacturing a heat shield panel for a gas turbine engine comprising: determining a plurality of layers to compose a heat shield panel having one or more cooling apertures (309) with complex geometries; forming (706) each of the plurality of layers into sheets (860); forming (708) each of the sheets into a three-dimensional slice of the heat shield panel; stacking each of the sheets to form a three-dimensional heat shield panel; and joining the sheets together.