Hollow Composite Turbomachine Blade Cavities Without Metal Melting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing hollow composite material turbomachine blades face challenges such as increased cost, undesirable residues, and restricted cavity geometries due to metal melting and demoulding operations, which affect mechanical performance and limit the production of complex shapes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving three-dimensional weaving of fibrous blanks with de-bonded zones to form internal cavities, using flexible shaping parts that are inserted and later withdrawn after densification, allowing for complex cavity shapes without metal melting, and featuring separable pieces and varying materials for ease of demoulding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If metal shaping is melted after densification of fibrous structures, then hollow blades with various shapes can be manufactured, but the process adds cost, leaves undesirable residues, and requires high temperatures that impact mechanical properties
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the harmful element (metal shaping) from the manufacturing process. Instead of using metal shaping that melts and leaves residues, the patent uses a removable core around which fibrous structures are draped, and the core is extracted after densification, eliminating the source of undesirable residues while maintaining the ability to produce hollow blades with various shapes
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary substance (removable core material such as plaster, gesso, or resin) that serves as a temporary support during manufacturing. This intermediary allows the fibrous structures to be draped and densified around it, then is easily removed without leaving residues, replacing the problematic metal shaping that directly contacted the composite material
2Shape
If metal shaping is melted after densification, then hollow blades with various shapes can be manufactured, but high temperatures are required that have non-negligible impact on mechanical properties
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the high-temperature metal melting step from the process by using a removable core that can be extracted at low temperatures. The core material (plaster, gesso, resin) is chosen specifically because it can be removed without subjecting the densified fibrous structure to high temperatures that would degrade its mechanical properties
3Temperature
If a metal mandrel is used for draping fibrous structures, then no metal melting is required, but the possible cavity geometries are greatly restricted by the demoulding operation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies the principle of flexible forms by using removable cores that can be easily extracted after densification. The core materials (plaster, gesso, resin) allow for complex geometries because they can be shaped precisely before draping and removed without the geometric constraints that plague rigid metal mandrels, enabling tortuous and complex cavity shapes
4Shape
If complex shapes are desired for new-generation blades, then metal melting would be required to achieve the geometry, but this increases cost and leaves residues
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs disposable removable cores made from inexpensive materials (plaster, gesso, resin) that are shaped to the desired complex geometry, used temporarily during manufacturing, and then discarded or easily removed. This eliminates the need for expensive metal melting operations while achieving complex shapes, as the core is a low-cost temporary form that serves its purpose and is then extracted
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
Enables the production of hollow composite material parts with complex shapes and improved mechanical performance by eliminating high-temperature metal melting steps and reducing residue formation, while facilitating demoulding through flexible and separable shaping parts.
Implementation Method 1
the shaping part is flexible and in that the shaping part is mechanically withdrawn from the structure after the densification step
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing hollow composite material turbomachine part, includes producing a fibrous blank in one piece by three-dimensional weaving of yarns, the blank including at least one de-bonded zone forming an internal cavity, inserting a shaping part into the internal cavity of the fibrous blank in order to obtain a preform, densification of the preform by a matrix in order to obtain a structure having a fibrous reinforcement consisting of the preform densified by the matrix, wherein the shaping part is flexible and wherein the shaping part is mechanically withdrawn from the structure after the densification.