Re-entrant Cooling Grooves Eliminate Sacrificial Fillers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current micro-channel cooling techniques for gas turbine engines require the use of sacrificial fillers to support coatings during deposition, which are costly and time-consuming to remove, and can damage components, while also leaving residual material that affects cooling efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The method involves forming re-entrant shaped grooves in the substrate surface, which allows for the formation of micro-channels without the need for sacrificial fillers by using abrasive liquid jet machining or other techniques, enabling the coating to be deposited without filling the channels, thus reducing the need for filling and leaching processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sacrificial fillers are used to support coatings during deposition in micro-channel cooling techniques, then coating deposition is enabled, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to filling and removal processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the sacrificial filler entirely from the micro-channel cooling technique. By using a slurry coating process that can be applied directly to the substrate without fillers, the invention extracts the harmful filling and removal processes from the manufacturing sequence, thereby reducing complexity while maintaining coating deposition capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The slurry coating process is self-sufficient and does not require external sacrificial materials. The coating slurry itself provides the necessary properties for deposition and bonding without needing filler materials to support it during the process, making the system self-service and eliminating auxiliary filling/removal steps.
2Ease of manufacture
If sacrificial fillers are used during coating deposition, then coating can be deposited without filling channels, but time is lost due to lengthy leaching and etching removal processes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the time-consuming filler removal processes (leaching and etching) from the manufacturing sequence by completely eliminating the use of sacrificial fillers. The slurry coating method allows direct deposition without requiring subsequent removal steps, thereby recovering significant manufacturing time.
3Ease of manufacture
If sacrificial fillers are used in micro-channel cooling, then coating deposition is supported, but component durability is reduced due to potential damage from filler removal processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the damaging filler removal processes (leaching and etching) that compromise component integrity. By using a filler-free slurry coating approach, the invention extracts the source of potential damage while maintaining the ability to deposit coatings effectively, thereby preserving component durability.
4Ease of manufacture
If sacrificial fillers are used during coating deposition, then coating can be applied, but cooling efficiency is reduced due to residual filler material in channels
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts residual filler material from the micro-channels by completely eliminating the use of sacrificial fillers during coating deposition. The slurry coating process allows the coating to be applied directly without leaving behind any filler residues that would obstruct coolant flow and reduce cooling 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 enhances cooling efficiency by minimizing coating deposition within the channels, reducing manufacturing costs, and eliminating the need for costly filler removal processes, while maintaining effective heat transfer and component durability.
Implementation Method 1
forming one or more grooves in the component, where each groove extends at least partially along an outer surface of the substrate and narrows at an opening thereof, such that each groove comprises a re-entrant shaped groove
Data Source
AI summary
A method of fabricating a component is provided. The component includes a substrate that has at least one interior space. The method includes forming one or more grooves in the component. Each groove extends at least partially along an outer surface of the substrate and narrows at an opening thereof, such that each groove is re-entrant shaped. A cross-sectional area A of each groove is in a range of about 2 to about 3 times an area R=W*D, where W is the width of the opening and D is the depth of the re-entrant-shaped groove. Components with grooves formed in the substrate and components with grooves formed at least partially in a structural coating are also provided.