Shrouded Impeller Brazing with a Slotted Shell for Paste Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brazing techniques for connecting shrouds to impeller blades in refrigerant compressors face challenges in controlling the surface finish and preventing overflow of brazing material, leading to inconsistent joint strength and increased manufacturing complexity.
Innovation Solution
The use of a slotted shell to direct brazing material onto the tips of the blades, either manually or through capillary forces, ensuring precise application and preventing overflow, followed by a brazing process to join the impeller and shroud, with optional reuse of the shell.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional brazing techniques are used to connect shrouds to impeller blades, then the joining process can be completed, but the surface finish control is poor and brazing material overflow occurs, leading to inconsistent joint strength
Solution Approach 1:
A shell with slots is introduced as an intermediary device between the brazing material and the impeller blade tips. The shell directs the brazing material through its slots onto the blade tips, providing precise control over material placement and preventing overflow, thereby achieving consistent surface finish and joint strength
Solution Approach 2:
The shell is pre-positioned around the impeller blades before brazing begins. This preliminary arrangement ensures that the brazing material will be directed exactly where needed during the brazing process, preventing overflow and ensuring consistent application across all blade tips
2Ease of manufacture
If manual brazing material application is used, then the process can be completed, but the manufacturing complexity increases and consistency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The slotted shell serves as a mechanical intermediary that replaces manual precision application. By simply positioning the shell and allowing brazing material to flow through its slots, the system achieves consistent material distribution without requiring skilled manual application, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining precision
Solution Approach 2:
The brazing material flows through the slots of the shell by capillary action or gravity, applying itself automatically to the blade tips without requiring manual intervention for each application point. This self-service mechanism ensures consistent application across all blades while reducing manufacturing 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
Enhances brazing joint strength, reduces manufacturing complexity, and ensures a consistent and reliable connection between the shroud and impeller, improving the functional performance of the shrouded impeller.
Implementation Method 1
applying brazing paste to each of the tips by using the slots to direct the brazing paste to the tips
Implementation Method 2
joining the impeller and shroud using a brazing technique
Data Source
AI summary
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method of manufacturing a shrouded impeller, including: arranging a shell relative to an impeller, wherein the impeller includes a plurality of blades, wherein the shell includes a plurality of slots, and wherein the arranging step includes aligning each of the slots with a tip of a respective one of the blades of the impeller; applying brazing paste to each of the tips by using the slots to direct the brazing paste to the tips; arranging a shroud relative to the impeller; and joining the impeller and shroud using a brazing technique.