Multi-Chamber Additive Manufacturing System for Gas Turbine Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-dimensional component building systems face challenges in maintaining consistent fluid parameters during the formation and post-processing of components, particularly in the removal of contaminants and excess build-up material, which can affect the quality and efficiency of gas turbine engine components.
Innovation Solution
A multi-chamber system with controlled fluid parameters, where the second chamber maintains equal fluid parameters with the first and third chambers, allowing for precise formation and post-processing of components using a directed heat source, and includes mechanisms for removing excess build-up material, such as vacuum or brush tooling, to ensure consistent atmospheric conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a single chamber is used for component formation and post-processing, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to fluid parameter variations during contaminant removal and material deposition
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into multiple chambers (first chamber for base loading, second chamber for component formation, third chamber for post-processing) that are fluidly isolated from each other. Each chamber can maintain independent fluid parameters, allowing the formation chamber to maintain consistent atmosphere during component building while other chambers handle contaminant removal or material deposition without affecting the formation environment.
2Reliability
If the chamber atmosphere is purged of contaminants after component removal, then reliability is improved, but loss of time increases due to atmospheric adjustment requirements before next forming operation
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the chamber into multiple fluidly isolated sections, the formation chamber can maintain its atmosphere continuously while other chambers perform purging or material loading operations. This eliminates the need to interrupt component formation for atmospheric adjustments, reducing cycle time while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-chamber configuration enables continuous component formation in the second chamber while simultaneous operations (contaminant removal, material deposition, base loading) occur in other chambers. This continuous operation eliminates idle time for atmospheric adjustments, maintaining productive action throughout the entire system.
3Manufacturing precision
If excess build-up material is removed from the component, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional tooling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The post-processing chamber extracts and isolates the excess build-up material removal operation from the component formation process. By using vacuum or brush tooling in a separate chamber, the system can perform surface cleaning without adding complex tooling to the formation chamber, maintaining manufacturing precision while minimizing device complexity.
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 system ensures the formation of components with predetermined specifications by maintaining equal fluid parameters across chambers, enhancing the quality and efficiency of gas turbine engine components while allowing for continuous operation without interruptions for atmospheric adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
a directed heat source and build-up material configured to form a component on the at least one base by melting or sintering
Implementation Method 2
a directed heat source and build-up material configured to form a component on the at least one base by melting or sintering
Implementation Method 3
The third chamber includes tooling to remove excess build-up material. The tooling is one of a vacuum or a brush.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
A multi-dimensional component building system (18) comprising a first chamber (10) adjacent to and in fluid communication with at least one second chamber (12) through at least one door, wherein the first chamber (10) is fluidly sealed from the at least one second chamber (12) if the at least one door is in a closed position, the at least one second chamber (12) configured to provide a base to a first platform in the first chamber (10) if at least one door is open and fluid parameters of the first chamber (10) and the at least one second chamber (12) are substantially equal, wherein the first chamber (10) includes the first platform moveable by a first piston adjacent a second platform moveable by a second piston, wherein the first platform is configured to receive at least one base, wherein a dispenser in communication with build-up material disposed on the second platform is configured to move a portion of the build-up material from the second platform onto the at least one base on the first platform, the first chamber (10) including a beam source to form a component on the at least one base from the build-up material by melting or sintering.