Integrally Bladed Rotor Surface Treatment via Horizontal Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for surface strengthening and smoothing of integrally bladed rotor areas in jet engines face challenges due to varying treatment results caused by the filling level of abrasive media, leading to uneven material removal and potential deformations, particularly in large rotor components, which prolongs processing time and affects the quality of the treated surface.
Innovation Solution
The method involves arranging the rotor area horizontally within a container, allowing for a reduced filling level of strengthening and smoothing elements, and using a combination of rotation and vibration to generate a relative movement between the rotor surface and the elements, ensuring uniform treatment across the entire surface without the need for complete coverage by the abrasive media.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the rotor area is arranged upright inside the container with high filling level of abrasive medium, then the entire surface can be treated simultaneously, but the treatment result varies unevenly over the axial length due to weight force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional upright arrangement by arranging the rotor area horizontally inside the container. This inversion eliminates the uneven weight force distribution that occurs in vertical arrangements, where the lower regions experience excessive pressure from the abrasive medium. The horizontal arrangement ensures uniform treatment quality along the entire axial length of the rotor area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the spatial orientation parameter from vertical to horizontal arrangement. This parameter change fundamentally alters the distribution of weight force on the abrasive medium, transforming the treatment process from one with highly variable pressure distribution to one with uniform pressure distribution across the rotor surface.
2Manufacturing precision
If the rotor area is turned around after defined treatment duration, then uniform treatment quality is improved, but the treatment time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of maintaining vertical arrangement and periodically inverting the rotor, the patent adopts a continuous horizontal arrangement. This eliminates the need for periodic inversion operations, achieving uniform treatment quality without extending treatment time through additional process steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The horizontal arrangement enables continuous treatment without interruption for turning or repositioning. The abrasive medium continuously acts on the rotor surface uniformly throughout the treatment process, eliminating idle time associated with periodic inversion operations.
3Manufacturing precision
If high filling level of abrasive medium is used, then complete surface coverage is achieved, but deformations such as bending of blade elements occur
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting from vertical to horizontal arrangement, the patent eliminates the concentration of abrasive medium weight at the lower regions of the rotor. This prevents excessive localized pressure that causes blade element bending and deformation, while still achieving complete surface coverage through the horizontal distribution of abrasive elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The horizontal arrangement creates an equipotential distribution of weight force across the rotor surface, eliminating the gravitational gradient that exists in vertical arrangements. This ensures uniform pressure distribution that achieves complete coverage without creating localized over-pressure zones that deform the structure.
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 uniform surface treatment of large rotor components within shorter process times, reducing the risk of deformations and improving surface quality, fatigue strength, and aerodynamic properties while minimizing the need for extensive material removal.
Implementation Method 1
the workpiece to be treated and the container are jointly set into vibration by an eccentrically mounted drive, as a result of which the abrasive medium arranged inside a space delimited by the container and the component to be treated, or the strengthening and/or smoothing elements arranged therein, are moved
Implementation Method 2
a smoothing and/or strengthening and/or deburring being achieved by material removal and/or material reshaping in the region of the surface of a component to be treated
Implementation Method 3
a relative movement between the surface of the rotor area and the strengthening and/or smoothing elements is generated
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention describes a method and an apparatus for surface strengthening and/or smoothing of an integrally bladed rotor area of a jet engine. The rotor area can be connected to a device and held by the latter inside the container in a position equivalent to an at least approximately horizontal orientation of a rotary axis of the rotor area. A space delimited by the container and the rotor area between a surface of the rotor area and that surface of the container facing the rotor area is filled at least partially with strengthening and/or smoothing elements. A relative movement is generated between the surface of the rotor area and the strengthening and/or smoothing elements. The surface region of the rotor area to be strengthened and/or smoothed is at a distance from the surface of the container facing the rotor area.