Triangular Support Beams in Additive Turbomachine Vane Sleeves

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Solution Overview

Problem

The current manufacturing process for turbomachine distributor blades is lengthy and expensive, involving multiple steps like sheet bending, welding, and electroerosion machining, which is inefficient for producing ventilation jackets.

Innovation Solution

A tubular ventilation jacket designed for additive manufacturing, featuring support beams with a triangular cross-section and polygonal perforations, allowing for rapid and economical production by reinforcing the bottom wall and optimizing layer formation during the manufacturing process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional manufacturing processes (sheet bending, welding, electroerosion machining) are used to produce ventilation jackets, then structural integrity can be maintained, but production time and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction speedVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the manufacturing parameters by adopting additive manufacturing technology, which fundamentally alters the production approach from subtractive and assembly-based methods to a direct layer-by-layer construction process, thereby reducing production time and cost while maintaining structural integrity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The ventilation jacket incorporates support beams with triangular cross-sections that act as internal reinforcement structures within the additive-manufactured component, creating a composite structure that maintains structural integrity while enabling rapid production through single-step manufacturing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Productivity

If additive manufacturing is used to produce ventilation jackets, then production time and cost are reduced, but structural support during manufacturing becomes challenging

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction speedVSAvoidstructural support
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The support beams are designed with triangular cross-sections that provide preliminary structural support during the additive manufacturing process itself, preventing sagging of the bottom wall while the material is being deposited layer by layer, thus enabling the use of additive manufacturing while maintaining structural integrity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The integration of support beams as integral parts of the additive-manufactured ventilation jacket creates a composite structure where the beams provide internal reinforcement, allowing the thin-walled ventilation structure to maintain strength while enabling rapid production methods

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 manufacture of turbomachine distributor blades through additive manufacturing, reducing production time and cost while maintaining structural integrity and cooling efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

the beams extending inside the sleeve, between the tubular wall and the bottom wall and having a longitudinal section of general triangular shape

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectStructural reinforcement through geometric shape:

Implementation Method 2

the tubular wall perforated around this axis... Part of this air passes through openings in the liner walls and cools the blade wall by impact

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid flow through perforations:

Implementation Method 3

the invention relates to a tubular ventilation sleeve for a turbomachine distributor... configured to allow its manufacture by additive manufacturing

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdditive manufacturing: 3D Printing

Data Source

PatentEP3942156B1Tubular impingement insert for a turbomachine vane
Publication Date: 2023.02.15 SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES SAS
  • EP3942156B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3942156B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3942156B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6c

AI summary

The invention relates to a tubular ventilation sleeve (1) for a turbomachine distributor, in particular for an aircraft, the sleeve having a generally elongate shape along an axis (A-A) and comprising a perforated tubular wall (1a) around said axis, one of the axial ends of the sleeve being open and the other being closed by a bottom wall (1b), characterized in that it further comprises support beams (7) when the sleeve (1) is made by additive manufacturing, said beams (7) extending inside the sleeve (1) between the tubular wall (1a) and the bottom wall (1b) and having a longitudinal cross-section with a generally triangular shape, two sides of which are respectively connected to the tubular wall (1a) and the bottom wall (1b) and the last side of which is free and extends inside the sleeve, perforations (2) in the tubular wall (1a) being provided between the support beams (7).