Additive Rotor Support Structure for Thermal Stress Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotating structures in gas turbine engines lack improvements in design and manufacturing methods, particularly in integrating a shaft, bladed rotor, and support structure efficiently.
Innovation Solution
The method involves forming a monolithic body using additive manufacturing, which includes a shaft, a bladed rotor, and a support structure with a plurality of channels and baffles arranged circumferentially. This support structure is designed to provide structural integrity and thermal management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional manufacturing methods are used for rotating structures, then manufacturing process is simpler, but structural integrity and thermal management are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the shaft, bladed rotor, and support structure into a single monolithic body formed by additive manufacturing. This integration eliminates the need for separate manufacturing and assembly processes for these components, thereby improving structural integrity through unified construction while managing manufacturing complexity through advanced fabrication techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is formed within the monolithic body containing the shaft and bladed rotor, with channels and baffles nested within the support structure. This nested configuration allows multiple functional elements to be integrated efficiently, enhancing structural integrity and thermal management capabilities without proportionally increasing external dimensions.
2Reliability
If additive manufacturing is used to form monolithic body, then structural integrity and thermal management improve, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure incorporates channels and baffles with specific geometries optimized for thermal management. The channels are arranged with particular orientations and dimensions, and baffles are positioned at specific locations, creating localized functional regions within the monolithic body that enhance thermal management effectiveness while maintaining overall structural integrity.
3Temperature
If channels and baffles are integrated into support structure, then thermal management improves, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The additive manufacturing process enables precise control of geometric parameters for channels and baffles, including dimensions, orientations, and positions. By leveraging the capabilities of additive manufacturing to achieve high dimensional accuracy, the design can incorporate complex channel networks and baffle configurations that effectively manage thermal stresses while meeting precision requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing is provided. During this method, a body is formed using an additive manufacturing process. The body includes a shaft, a bladed rotor and a support structure. The shaft projects axially along an axis out from the bladed rotor. The support structure projects radially out from the shaft and axially to the bladed rotor. The support structure includes a plurality of channels arranged circumferentially about the axis. Each of the channels projects radially into the support structure towards the axis and to a respective channel side. Each of the channels projects axially into the support structure towards the bladed rotor and to a respective channel end.