Compressor Impeller Blade Additive Build for Complex Geometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manufacturing processes for centrifugal and axial compressor impellers are limited by the complexity of blade geometries due to manufacturing constraints, such as milling limitations, casting mechanical penalties, and the complexity and cost of powder metallurgy, which restrict the optimization of blade shapes and materials.
Innovation Solution
A method using DMD-type additive manufacturing with localized material addition, allowing the formation and finishing of blades by rotating a hub relative to a nozzle, enabling the creation of complex blade shapes and materials, including abrasive and harder materials at the blade tops and leading edges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If traditional milling processes are used to manufacture impeller blades, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but blade geometry complexity is limited and cannot achieve optimized aerodynamic shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical milling processes with laser additive manufacturing technology. This substitution enables the creation of complex three-dimensional blade geometries including twisted shapes, variable thickness profiles, and optimized aerodynamic contours that cannot be achieved through conventional subtractive manufacturing methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the manufacturing approach from subtractive (milling) to additive (laser deposition), fundamentally altering how material is removed or added. This parameter change in the manufacturing process enables unprecedented geometric freedom while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through digital modeling and automated layer-by-layer construction.
2Shape
If casting processes are used to manufacture impeller blades, then complex geometries can be achieved, but mechanical characteristics deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces casting processes with laser additive manufacturing, substituting a thermal phase-change process with a controlled material deposition process. This eliminates the mechanical property degradation associated with casting while maintaining the ability to create complex geometries through digital design and precise material placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention enables the use of high-strength metallic alloys and composite materials that can be selectively deposited through laser additive manufacturing. These materials provide superior mechanical properties compared to cast materials, including enhanced fatigue resistance, tensile strength, and toughness, while the additive process maintains geometric complexity.
3Strength
If powder metallurgy is used to manufacture impeller blades, then material properties can be optimized, but process complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges material deposition and geometric formation into a single integrated laser additive manufacturing process. This combines what were previously separate steps (material preparation, shaping, and property optimization) into one unified process, reducing overall process complexity while maintaining material property optimization through selective alloy composition control.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a universal manufacturing platform that can produce various blade geometries and material compositions using the same laser additive manufacturing technology. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate specialized processes for different material properties, reducing complexity while maintaining optimization capabilities.
4Ease of manufacture
If blade spacing and curvature are increased to simplify manufacturing, then ease of manufacture improves, but aerodynamic performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional manufacturing constraints with laser additive manufacturing capabilities, allowing the production of blades with tight spacing and high curvature. The non-contact nature of laser deposition and the ability to build material layer-by-layer eliminate accessibility issues that plague traditional manufacturing, enabling aerodynamically optimized geometries without compromise.
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 manufacturing of blades with complex geometries and enhanced mechanical properties, overcoming manufacturing constraints and extending the range of feasible blade shapes and materials.
Implementation Method 1
localised material addition with a nozzle according to a DMD-type additive manufacturing process to form and/or finish a blade
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a compressor impeller or rotor including a hub that carries blades, involving a step of manufacturing a hub which includes all or some of the blades, and a step of additive manufacture by adding localised material using a method such as the LMD process to form or finish each blade.