Patent Application
20240131587
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to gas turbine engines and, in one embodiment, to hybrid bearing forged flange.
In a gas turbine engine, air is compressed in a compressor and compressor air is then mixed with fuel and combusted in a combustor to produce a high-temperature and high-pressure working fluid. This working fluid is directed into a turbine in which the working fluid is expanded to generate power. The generated power drives the rotation of a rotor within the turbine through aerodynamic interactions between the working fluid and turbine blades or airfoils. The rotor can be used to drive rotations of a propeller or to produce electricity in a generator.
Additively manufactured components are susceptible to a significant amount of distortion and residual stress, particularly following various secondary processes such as, for example, a heating process. To obtain shape accuracy, various techniques are employed to compensate for the dimensional change caused by the distortion that may occur during the secondary processes as well as during operations of additively manufactured components in gas turbine engines. Room for improvement of these various techniques remains.
Accordingly, a need exists for continued improvement in various techniques to compensate for dimensional changes caused by distortions that may occur during secondary processes as well as during operations of additively manufactured components in gas turbine engines.
According to an aspect of the disclosure, a method of additive manufacturing of a component is provided and includes building up the component to have a first uppermost layer and a foundation to have a second uppermost layer below the first uppermost layer, evacuating powder from around the component and the foundation to expose the second uppermost layer, disposing, on the second uppermost layer, a forged flange having an upper surface coplanar with the first uppermost layer, backfilling powder about the component and the forged flange and completing a building up of the component by building up on the forged flange.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the component includes a bearing chamber of a gas turbine engine.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the forged flange includes metallic material having substantially different properties of thermal expansion from materials of the component.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the method further includes chamfering the second uppermost layer prior to the disposing of the forged flange thereon.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the disposing of the forged flange on the second uppermost layer includes mechanically attaching the forged flange to the second uppermost layer.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the completing of the building up of the component includes restarting the building up of the component, which includes building up a main body of the component and building up a peripheral body of the component on the forged flange, and connecting the peripheral body to the main body.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the method is executable in a build chamber including sidewalls and a build plate.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the method further includes, following the completing of the building up of the component, removing the component from the build plate and disassembling the foundation from the forged flange.
According to an aspect of the disclosure, a method of additive manufacturing of a bearing chamber of a gas turbine engine is provided and includes building up a main body of the bearing chamber to have a first uppermost layer and a foundation to have a second uppermost layer below the first uppermost layer, evacuating powder from around the main body and the foundation to expose the second uppermost layer, disposing, on the second uppermost layer, a forged flange having an upper surface coplanar with the first uppermost layer, backfilling powder about the main body and the forged flange and completing the bearing chamber by continuing to build up the main body, building up a peripheral body of the bearing chamber on the forged flange and connecting the peripheral body to the main body.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the forged flange includes metallic material having substantially different properties of thermal expansion from materials of the main body and the peripheral body.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the method further includes chamfering the second uppermost layer prior to the disposing of the forged flange thereon.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the disposing of the forged flange on the second uppermost layer includes mechanically attaching the forged flange to the second uppermost layer.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the method is executable in a build chamber including sidewalls and a build plate.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the method further includes, following the completing of the building up of the bearing chamber, removing the bearing chamber from the build plate and disassembling the foundation from the forged flange.
According to an aspect of the disclosure, an additively manufactured and hybridized component is provided and includes a main body built up of layers of additive manufacturing material, a forged flange formed of material having substantially different properties of thermal expansion from the additive manufacturing material and a peripheral body built up of layers of the additive manufacturing material from the forged flange to connect with the main body.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the additively manufactured component includes a bearing chamber of a gas turbine engine.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the forged flange includes metallic material having the substantially different properties of thermal expansion from the additive manufacturing material.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, a lower surface of the forged flange is substantially flat.
These and other advantages and features will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.
The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:
These and other advantages and features will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.
A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.
The exemplary gas turbine engine 20 generally includes a low speed spool 30 and a high speed spool 32 mounted for rotation about an engine central longitudinal axis A relative to an engine static structure 36 via several bearing systems 38. It should be understood that various bearing systems 38 at various locations may alternatively or additionally be provided, and the location of bearing systems 38 may be varied as appropriate to the application.
The low speed spool 30 generally includes an inner shaft 40 that interconnects a fan 42, a low pressure compressor 44 and a low pressure turbine 46. The inner shaft 40 is connected to the fan 42 through a speed change mechanism, which in exemplary gas turbine engine 20 is illustrated as a geared architecture 48 to drive the fan 42 at a lower speed than the low speed spool 30. The high speed spool 32 includes an outer shaft 50 that interconnects a high pressure compressor 52 and high pressure turbine 54. A combustor 56 is arranged in the gas turbine engine 20 between the high pressure compressor 52 and the high pressure turbine 54. The engine static structure 36 is arranged generally between the high pressure turbine 54 and the low pressure turbine 46. The engine static structure 36 further supports the bearing systems 38 in the turbine section 28. The inner shaft 40 and the outer shaft 50 are concentric and rotate via bearing systems 38 about the engine central longitudinal axis A which is collinear with their longitudinal axes.
The core airflow is compressed by the low pressure compressor 44 and then the high pressure compressor 52, is mixed and burned with fuel in the combustor 56 and is then expanded over the high pressure turbine 54 and the low pressure turbine 46. The high and low pressure turbines 54 and 46 rotationally drive the low speed spool 30 and the high speed spool 32, respectively, in response to the expansion. It will be appreciated that each of the positions of the fan section 22, compressor section 24, combustor section 26, turbine section 28, and fan drive gear system 48 may be varied. For example, geared architecture 48 may be located aft of the combustor section 26 or even aft of the turbine section 28, and the fan section 22 may be positioned forward or aft of the location of geared architecture 48.
Within the gas turbine engine 20, bearings are used to provide smooth relative rotation between the various shafts and non-rotating components and/or between two shafts which rotate at different speeds. An oil lubrication system can be provided that includes an oil pump, sometimes referred to as a main pump, and a network of conduits and nozzles to feed the bearings with oil. This oil is contained in bearing cavities, typically formed inside annular bearing chambers. In these bearing chambers, air and oil flows mix and generate a flow pattern about the engine central longitudinal axis A. The oil flow pattern generally operates as follows: oil particles coalesce along internal bearing chamber partitions and form a liquid partition film which contains air bubbles. Each bearing chamber can be attached to the corresponding gas turbine engine 20 by a flange.
The flange used to attach a bearing chamber to a gas turbine engine is typically made of different materials than the bearing chamber itself so that the flange can withstand the loads applied thereto. This can lead to difficulties in manufacturing and operational use since at least the rates of thermal expansion of the flange and the materials of the bearing chamber differ.
As will be described below, a method of additive manufacturing of a component, such as a bearing chamber of a gas turbine engine, (i.e., the gas turbine engine 20 of
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The method 200 can also include chamfering the second uppermost layer prior to the disposing of the forged flange (block 205). This insures that, even if or when the forged flange thermally expands or contracts during the build up processes, the resulting shape of a lower surface of the forged flange will be flat.
Continuing, the method 200 includes backfilling powder about the bearing chamber and the forged flange (block 206), applying a thin additive manufacturing layer to the upper surface (block 207) and completing a building up of the bearing chamber by building up on the thin additive manufacturing layer (block 208). The thin additive manufacturing layer can have a thickness which is less than thicknesses of each other layer of the bearing chamber. In some cases, the thin additive manufacturing layer can have a thickness of about 20 microns. The completing of the building up of the bearing chamber of block 207 can include restarting the building up of the bearing chamber (block 2081) by building up a main body of the bearing chamber (block 20811) and by building up a peripheral body of the bearing chamber on the thin additive manufacturing layer (block 20812). The completing of the building up of the bearing chamber of block 208 can further include connecting the peripheral body to the main body (block 2082).
In accordance with embodiments, the forged flange includes metallic material having substantially different properties of thermal expansion from materials of the bearing chamber and the thin layer.
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The result of the build up of the bearing chamber 303 is an additively manufactured component/bearing chamber 303 that includes the main body 3031 built up of layers of additive manufacturing material, a forged flange 320 formed of material having substantially different properties of thermal expansion from the additive manufacturing material and having a substantially flat lower surface 322, the thin additive manufacturing layer 330 applied to at least the upper surface 321 of the forged flange 320 and the peripheral body 3032 built up of layers of the additive manufacturing material from the thin additive manufacturing layer 330 to connect with the main body.
Benefits of the features described herein are the provision of a bearing chamber with a hybrid forged flange that can be additively manufactured.
The term “about” is intended to include the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity based upon the equipment available at the time of filing the application.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, element components, and/or groups thereof.
While the present disclosure has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this present disclosure, but that the present disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/419,199 filed Oct. 25, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63419199 | Oct 2022 | US |
