Hollow Turbomachine Blade Manufacturing via Form Rolling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing hollow turbomachine blades are complex and costly due to the need for additional elements to form the root part, leading to high material and machining costs.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using form rolling to create a tubular-shaped blank and cutting longitudinal segments from a ring to produce primary part blanks, which are then flattened and assembled using diffusion bonding and superplastic forming, reducing material losses and machining operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional machining methods are used to create external parts with varying thickness, then the blade root can be formed, but material costs and machining costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing parameter from traditional machining to form rolling process. The form rolling process creates variable thickness sections (thick root part and thin airfoil part) in a single continuous operation, eliminating the need for separate machining operations and reducing material waste significantly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the blank into distinct thickness zones during the form rolling process. The thick root part and thin airfoil part are created as separate functional segments within a single continuous blank, allowing optimized material distribution without additional machining or assembly steps.
2Manufacturing precision
If additional elements are added to form the blade root, then the required thickness can be achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the root part and airfoil part into a single integrated blank formed by form rolling. The variable thickness profile is created within one continuous piece, eliminating the need for multiple separate elements and their subsequent assembly, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining required root thickness.
3Productivity
If multiple separate parts are manufactured and assembled, then the blade preform can be created, but manufacturing complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary forming of the complete blank geometry (including both thick root and thin airfoil sections) in a single form rolling operation before any assembly steps. This preliminary action creates a ready-to-use blank that requires minimal subsequent processing, significantly improving manufacturing efficiency.
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 significantly lowers manufacturing costs and simplifies the production of complex blade profiles by utilizing form rolling and tubular feed, allowing for the creation of hollow blades from simpler ring elements with reduced material and machining expenses.
Implementation Method 1
circular form rolling of a tubular-shaped feed made from a metallic material
Implementation Method 2
assembled to each other using the diffusion bonding technique
Implementation Method 3
inflation of this preform by applying gas pressure and superplastic forming of this preform
Data Source
AI summary
In a method for manufacturing a hollow blade for a turbomachine, the blade is made from a preform derived from external primary parts. Each primary part comprising a root part is formed by flattening a blank cut out from a ring with a large diameter provided with a protuberance, in order to reduce costs.