Patent Grant
11571768
The present subject matter relates generally to laser machining systems and methods for forming openings in ceramic matrix composite components of gas turbine engines.
In general, turbine performance and efficiency can be improved by increased combustion gas temperatures. Non-traditional high temperature materials, such as ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials, are more commonly being used for various components within gas turbine engines. For example, because CMC materials can withstand relatively extreme temperatures, there is particular interest in replacing components within the flow path of the combustion gases with CMC materials. However, even though CMC components may withstand more extreme temperatures than typical components, CMC components still may require cooling features or reduced exposure to the combustion gases to decrease a likelihood of negative impacts of increased combustion gas temperatures, e.g., material failures or the like. One such cooling feature includes cooling holes configured to receive a cooling fluid. By flowing cooling fluid through the cooling holes, the thermal stress on such CMC components can be reduced. In this way, the operational service lives of such CMC components can be optimized.
Laser systems have conventionally been used to machine cooling holes. However, conventional laser machining methods have led to less than satisfactory cooling hole geometries. For example, conventional laser methods for forming cooling holes in CMC components have caused laser beam clipping on the sides and edges of the interior walls defining such cooling holes. That is, in some instances during lasering, conically-shaped laser beams have clipped areas that are not desired to be machined. When such areas are clipped, the result is typically a tapered cooling hole. Tapered cooling holes can result in poor fluid film effectiveness through the holes, and consequently, heat transfer exchange between the cooling fluid and the CMC component is less than optimal. Moreover, conventional laser machining techniques are limited to relatively shallow penetration depths as laser beam clipping and the angle of inclination of the taper of the hole generally increases with the depth of the hole.
Therefore, improved laser machining systems and methods for forming openings in CMC components would be desirable. More particularly, laser manufacturing systems and methods for forming openings in CMC components would be beneficial.
Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for laser machining one or more walls of an opening of a component using a conically-shaped laser beam is provided. The one or more walls define a first wall portion and a second wall portion. The method includes orienting the component in a first position. The method also includes lasering at least a portion of the first wall portion while the component is oriented in the first position. Further, the method includes orienting the component in a second position. The method also includes lasering at least a portion of the second wall portion while the component is oriented in the second position.
In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a laser system for machining an opening into a component is provided. The laser system defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction each perpendicular to one another. The component defines a first section and a second section. The laser system includes a laser source configured to machine the opening with a conically-shaped laser beam. The laser system also includes an adjustable lens configured to focus the laser beam. The laser system further includes an actuation assembly for orienting the component. The laser system also includes a controller communicatively coupled with the laser source, the adjustable lens, and the actuation assembly, the controller is configured to: control the actuating assembly to orient the component in a first position, wherein when the component is oriented in the first position, the component has a first pitch angle indicative of a pitch of the component about at least one of the lateral and transverse directions with respect to a reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions; control the laser source and the adjustable lens to laser the first section of the component while the component is oriented in the first position; control the actuating assembly to orient the component in a second position, wherein when the component is oriented in the second position, the component has a second pitch angle indicative of a pitch of the component about at least one of the lateral and transverse directions with respect to a reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions; and control the laser source and the adjustable lens to laser the second section of the component while the component is oriented in the second position.
In a further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for laser machining an opening into a component using a conically-shaped laser beam is provided. The opening defines a first section and a second section opposite the first section. The method includes orienting the component in a first position, wherein when the component is oriented in the first position, the component has a first pitch angle indicative of a pitch of the component about at least one of the lateral and transverse directions with respect to a reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions. The method also includes lasering at least a portion of the first section of the opening while the component is oriented in the first position. Moreover, the method further includes orienting the component in a second position, wherein when the component is oriented in the second position, the component has a second pitch angle indicative of a pitch of the component about at least one of the lateral and transverse directions with respect to the reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions. The method also includes lasering at least a portion of the second section of the opening while the component is oriented in the second position.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to present embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description uses numerical and letter designations to refer to features in the drawings. Like or similar designations in the drawings and description have been used to refer to like or similar parts of the invention. As used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. The terms “upstream” and “downstream” refer to the relative direction with respect to fluid flow in a fluid pathway. For example, “upstream” refers to the direction from which the fluid flows and “downstream” refers to the direction to which the fluid flows. As used herein, “substantially” means within twenty percent (20%) of the noted value unless specifically stated otherwise. As used herein, “about” means within about ten percent (10%) of the noted value unless specifically stated otherwise.
The present subject matter is directed to laser systems and methods therefore for machining openings of a component. In one exemplary aspect, a laser system includes features for machining an opening into a component, such as a cooling hole for a CMC component of a gas turbine engine. To form the opening, the component can be oriented in a first position and lasered while oriented in the first position to form a portion of the opening. The component is then oriented to a second position and lasered while oriented in the second position to form another portion of the opening. The component is alternated between the first and second positions until the predetermined geometry of the opening is formed. The component is oriented in the first and second positions such that the laser beam can machine the component without clipping areas of the component that are not desired to be machined.
By orienting the component in one or more positions, the angle of attack of the laser beam can be adjusted. By adjusting the angle of attack of the laser beam, the component can be optimally positioned for lasering. That is, the component can be oriented such that the conically-shaped laser beam does not clip areas in and around the opening that are not desired to be machined. In this way, the desired design intent or predetermined geometry of the opening can be achieved. Orienting the component can also reduce or eliminate tapering of the openings. This can effectively improve the film effectiveness of the opening where the opening is a cooling hole. In addition, by orienting the component in various positions, such as e.g., by pitching the component with respect to a reference plane, the laser beam can penetrate further into the opening without clipping the edges of the opening. The angle of attack of the laser beam can be adjusted as the laser beam penetrates further into the depth of the opening. Accordingly, openings with greater depths can be achieved.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein identical numerals indicate the same elements throughout the figures,
The exemplary core turbine engine 16 depicted generally includes a substantially tubular outer casing 18 that defines an annular inlet 20. The outer casing 18 encases, in serial flow relationship, a compressor section including a booster or low pressure (LP) compressor 22 and a high pressure (HP) compressor 24; a combustion section 26; a turbine section including a high pressure (HP) turbine 28 and a low pressure (LP) turbine 30; and a jet exhaust nozzle section 32. A high pressure (HP) shaft or spool 34 drivingly connects the HP turbine 28 to the HP compressor 24. A low pressure (LP) shaft or spool 36 drivingly connects the LP turbine 30 to the LP compressor 22.
For the depicted embodiment, fan section 14 includes a fan 38 having a plurality of fan blades 40 coupled to a disk 42 in a spaced apart manner. As depicted, fan blades 40 extend outward from disk 42 generally along the radial direction R. Fan blades 40 and disk 42 are together rotatable about the longitudinal axis 12 by LP shaft 36 across a power gear box 46. The power gear box 46 includes a plurality of gears for stepping down the rotational speed of the LP shaft 36 to a more efficient rotational fan speed.
Referring still to the exemplary embodiment of
During operation of the turbofan engine 10, a volume of air 58 enters turbofan 10 through an associated inlet 60 of the nacelle 50 and/or fan section 14. As the volume of air 58 passes across fan blades 40, a first portion of the air 58 as indicated by arrows 62 is directed or routed into the bypass airflow passage 56 and a second portion of the air 58 as indicated by arrows 64 is directed or routed into the LP compressor 22. The ratio between the first portion of air 62 and the second portion of air 64 is commonly known as a bypass ratio. The pressure of the second portion of air 64 is then increased as it is routed through the high pressure (HP) compressor 24 and into the combustion section 26, where it is mixed with fuel and burned to provide combustion gases 66.
The combustion gases 66 are routed through the HP turbine 28 where a portion of thermal and/or kinetic energy from the combustion gases 66 is extracted via sequential stages of HP turbine stator vanes 68 that are coupled to the outer casing 18 and HP turbine rotor blades 70 that are coupled to the HP shaft or spool 34, thus causing the HP shaft or spool 34 to rotate, thereby supporting operation of the HP compressor 24. The combustion gases 66 are then routed through the LP turbine 30 where a second portion of thermal and kinetic energy is extracted from the combustion gases 66 via sequential stages of LP turbine stator vanes 72 that are coupled to the outer casing 18 and LP turbine rotor blades 74 that are coupled to the LP shaft or spool 36, thus causing the LP shaft or spool 36 to rotate, thereby supporting operation of the LP compressor 22 and/or rotation of the fan 38.
The combustion gases 66 are subsequently routed through the jet exhaust nozzle section 32 of the core turbine engine 16 to provide propulsive thrust. Simultaneously, the pressure of the first portion of air 62 is substantially increased as the first portion of air 62 is routed through the bypass airflow passage 56 before it is exhausted from a fan nozzle exhaust section 76 of the turbofan 10, also providing propulsive thrust. The HP turbine 28, the LP turbine 30, and the jet exhaust nozzle section 32 at least partially define a hot gas path 78 for routing the combustion gases 66 through the core turbine engine 16.
In some embodiments, components of turbofan engine 10, particularly components within hot gas path 78, may comprise a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material, which is a non-metallic material having high temperature capability. Exemplary CMC materials utilized for such components may include silicon carbide, silicon, silica, or alumina matrix materials and combinations thereof. Ceramic fibers may be embedded within the matrix, such as oxidation stable reinforcing fibers including monofilaments like sapphire and silicon carbide (e.g., Textron's SCS-6), as well as rovings and yarn including silicon carbide (e.g., Nippon Carbon's NICALON®, Ube Industries' TYRANNO®, and Dow Corning's SYLRAMIC®), alumina silicates (e.g., Nextel's 440 and 480), and chopped whiskers and fibers (e.g., Nextel's 440 and SAFFIL®), and optionally ceramic particles (e.g., oxides of Si, Al, Zr, Y, and combinations thereof) and inorganic fillers (e.g., pyrophyllite, wollastonite, mica, talc, kyanite, and montmorillonite). As further examples, the CMC materials may also include silicon carbide (SiC) or carbon fiber cloth.
CMC materials may be used for various components of the engine, for example, turbine nozzles and/or airfoils in the compressor, and/or fan regions. Turbine nozzles, comprising stator vanes extending between inner and outer bands, direct the hot combustion gas in a manner to maximize extraction at the adjacent downstream turbine blades. As such, CMC materials are desirable for use in forming turbine nozzles exposed to the high temperatures of the hot combustion gases. Of course, other components of turbine engine 10 also may be formed from CMC materials.
As shown in
The laser system 100 also includes an actuating assembly 110. The actuating assembly 110 is operatively configured to translate, rotate, pivot, actuate, adjust, or otherwise move the component 200 between various positions. For example, as shown in
As further shown in
Operation of the laser system 100 is controlled by the controller 112. In some exemplary embodiments, the controller 112 can include a control panel that can represent a general purpose I/O (“GPIO”) device or functional block. In some exemplary embodiments, the control panel can include input components, such as one or more of a variety of electrical, mechanical or electro-mechanical input devices including rotary dials, push buttons, touch pads, and touch screens. The control panel provides selections for user manipulation of the operation of the laser system 100. In response to user manipulation of the control panel, the controller 112 operates various components of the laser system 100.
The controller 112 includes one or more memory devices and one or more processing devices, such as e.g., microprocessors, CPUs or the like, such as general or special purpose microprocessors operable to execute programming instructions or micro-control code associated with operation of the laser system 100. The memory can represent random access memory such as DRAM, or read only memory such as ROM or FLASH. The processor executes programming instructions stored in the memory. The memory can be a separate component from the processor or can be included onboard within the processor. Alternatively, the controller 112 can be constructed without using a microprocessor, e.g., using a combination of discrete analog and/or digital logic circuitry (such as switches, amplifiers, integrators, comparators, flipflops, AND gates, and the like) to perform control functionality instead of relying upon software.
With reference now to
As shown in
As shown in
In some embodiments, the second pitch angle θ2 is an angle opposite the first pitch angle θ1. For instance, in this example, as the first pitch angle θ1 is an upward pitch of ten degrees (10°), the second pitch angle θ2 is a downward pitch of ten degrees (10°) with respect to the plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions L, T. In other embodiments, the second pitch angle θ2 need not be opposite the first pitch angle θ1.
As shown in
As shown in
In some embodiments, the fourth pitch angle θ4 is an angle opposite the third pitch angle θ3. For instance, in this example, as the third pitch angle θ3 is an upward pitch of ten degrees (10°), the fourth pitch angle θ4 is a downward pitch of ten degrees (10°) of the component 200 with respect to the plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions L, T. In other embodiments, the fourth pitch angle θ4 need not be opposite the third pitch angle θ3.
In some embodiments, in addition to rotating or pivoting the component 200, the actuation assembly 110 can also translate the component 200 along the plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions L, T. That is, the component 200 can be translated in the lateral direction L, the transverse direction T, or a combination of the lateral and transverse directions L, T. Additionally or alternatively, the actuation assembly 110 can translate the component 200 along the vertical direction V. By translating the component 200 along one or more of the lateral, transverse and vertical directions L, T, V, in some instances, the laser beam 106 (
In one exemplary aspect, a laser system operatively configured to machine the interior walls of an opening previously formed in a component is provided. For example, the laser system can be used to widen an opening via a boring process with the laser beam. As another example, the laser system can be used to ream, polish, or smooth the interior walls of a cooling hole of a component to improve the film effectiveness. An exemplary manner in which an opening can be machined by the laser system will now herein be described.
As shown in
As shown particularly in
With reference to
With reference now to
As shown in
By orienting the component 200 in the first position P1, the angle of attack of the laser beam 106 is adjusted. By adjusting the angle of attack of the laser beam 106, the first stage ST1 of the first wall portion 222 situated within the first section S1 is optimally positioned for lasering. That is, the component 200 is oriented such that the conically-shaped laser beam 106 does not clip areas that are not desired to be machined.
As shown in
By adjusting the first pitch angle θ1 to laser the second stage ST2 of the first wall portion 222, the angle of attack of the laser beam 106 is further adjusted, which in turn optimally positions the second stage ST2 of the first wall portion 222 to be lasered. Moreover, in this way, the component 200 is oriented such that the conically-shaped laser beam 106 does not clip areas that are not desired to be machined as the laser beam 106 scans back and forth along the second stage ST2 of the first wall portion 222.
After the laser beam 106 machines the first wall portion 222 along the first stage ST1 and the second stage ST2 of the first section S1, although not depicted, the laser beam 106 can further penetrate deeper into the opening 210 to laser the first wall portion 222 along the third stage ST3 of the first section S1. In this way, the first wall portion 222 can be lasered along the entire depth D1 of the opening 210. The first pitch angle 61 can further be adjusted in the same manner as noted above such that laser beam 106 does not clip areas not desired to be machined (i.e., the component 200 can be pitched upward by another five (5°) about the transverse direction T such that the first pitch angle θ1 is fifteen degrees (15°)). Furthermore, in embodiments where the opening 210 includes a base wall 220, the base wall 220 within the first section S1 can be lasered by the laser beam 106 while the component 200 is positioned in the first position P1. In such embodiments, the orientation of the component 200 can be adjusted such that the laser beam 106 does not clip areas not desired to be machined.
As shown in
By orienting the component 200 in the second position P2, the angle of attack of the laser beam 106 is adjusted, and by adjusting the angle of attack of the laser beam 106, the first stage ST1 along the second wall portion 224 is optimally positioned for being lasered. Namely, the component 200 is oriented such that the conically-shaped laser beam 106 does not clip areas that are not desired to be machined as the laser beam 106 scans back and forth (shown by the solid and dotted lines) along the first stage ST1 of the second wall portion 224.
As shown in
By adjusting the second pitch angle θ2 to laser the second stage ST2 of the second wall portion 224, the angle of attack of the laser beam 106 is further adjusted, which in turn optimally positions the second stage ST2 of the second wall portion 224 to be lasered. Moreover, in this way, the component 200 is oriented such that the conically-shaped laser beam 106 does not clip areas that are not desired to be machined as the laser beam 106 scans back and forth along the second stage ST2 of the second wall portion 224.
After the laser beam 106 machines the second wall portion 224 along the first stage ST1 and the second stage ST2 of the second section S2, although not depicted, the laser beam 106 can further penetrate deeper into the opening 210 to laser the second wall portion 224 along the third stage ST3 of the second section S2. In this way, the second wall portion 224 can be lasered along the entire depth D1 of the opening 210. The second pitch angle θ2 can further be adjusted in the same manner as noted above such that laser beam 106 does not clip areas not desired to be machined (i.e., the component 200 can be pitched downward by another five (5°) about the transverse direction T such that the second pitch angle θ2 is fifteen degrees (15°)). Furthermore, in embodiments where the opening 210 includes a base wall 220, the base wall 220 within the second section S2 can be lasered by the laser beam 106 while the component 200 is positioned in the second position P2. In such embodiments, the orientation of the component 200 can be adjusted such that the laser beam 106 does not clip areas not desired to be machined.
In alternative exemplary embodiments, the laser beam 106 can be controlled by the laser system 100 (
In another exemplary aspect, a laser system is provided that is operatively configured to laser machine an opening into a component, such as e.g., a cooling hole into a CMC component of a gas turbine engine. For instance, the laser system 100 of
As shown in
As shown particularly in
With reference now to
As shown in
By orienting the component 200 in the first position P1, the angle of attack of the laser beam 106 is adjusted. By adjusting the angle of attack of the laser beam 106, the first stage ST1 of the first section S1 is optimally positioned for being lasered. Stated differently, the component 200 is oriented such that the conically-shaped laser beam 106 does not clip areas that are not desired to be machined as the laser beam 106 scans back and forth.
As shown in
By orienting the component 200 in the second position P2, the angle of attack of the laser beam 106 is adjusted. By adjusting the angle of attack of the laser beam 106, the first stage ST1 of the second section S2 is optimally positioned for lasering. Moreover, when the component 200 is oriented in the second position P2 for lasering the first stage ST1 of the second section S2, the component 200 is oriented such that the conically-shaped laser beam 106 does not clip areas that are not desired to be machined as the laser beam 106 scans back and forth (i.e., between the solid and dotted laser beam 106 lines).
As shown in
For this embodiment, the first pitch angle θ1 has remained the same as it was for lasering the first stage ST1 within primarily the first section S1. Thus, for this embodiment, the first position P1 is a position in which the component 200 is pitched upward about the transverse direction T by five degrees (5°) with respect to a zero degree (0°) reference line extending in a plane along the lateral and transverse directions L, T. Accordingly, in
By orienting the component 200 in the first position P1 when lasering the second stage ST2 primarily within the first section S1, the angle of attack of the laser beam 106 is adjusted. By adjusting the angle of attack of the laser beam 106, the second stage ST2 of the first section S1 is optimally positioned for lasering. Stated differently, the component is oriented such that the conically-shaped laser beam 106 does not clip areas that are not desired to be machined as the laser beam 106 scans back and forth (i.e., between the solid and dotted lines of the laser beam 106 shown in
As shown in
For this embodiment, the second pitch angle θ2 has remained the same as it was for lasering the first stage ST1 within primarily the second section S2. Thus, for this embodiment, the second position P2 is a position in which the component 200 is pitched downward about the transverse direction T by five degrees (5°) with respect to a zero degree (0°) reference line extending in a plane along the lateral and transverse directions L, T. Accordingly, in
By orienting the component 200 in the second position P2 when lasering the second stage ST2 primarily within the second section S2, the angle of attack of the laser beam 106 is adjusted. By adjusting the angle of attack of the laser beam 106, the second stage ST2 of the second section S2 is optimally positioned for lasering. Stated differently, the component 200 is oriented such that the conically-shaped laser beam 106 does not clip areas that are not desired to be machined as the laser beam 106 scans back and forth (i.e., between the solid and dotted lines of the laser beam 106 shown in
After the laser beam 106 machines the first stage ST1 and the second stage ST2, although not depicted, the laser beam 106 can further penetrate deeper into the opening 210 to laser the third stage ST3 using the same alternating pattern as described above. In this way, the predetermined geometry 230 can be lasered along its entire predetermined depth D2 such that the opening 210 can be completely formed, which in this embodiment is a through hole extending through the component 200. The first pitch angle θ1 (when the component 200 is oriented in the first position P1) and the second pitch angle θ2 (when the component 200 is oriented in the second position P2) can further be adjusted in the same manner as noted above when lasering the third stage ST3 such that laser beam 106 does not clip areas not desired to be machined as the laser beam 106 penetrates deeper into the opening 210.
Alternatively or in addition to orienting the component in the first or second positions, to optimally position one or more stages or portions of the predetermined geometry of the opening, the component can be oriented in a third position or a fourth position as well. The component can be alternated between the third and fourth positions in the same manner as noted above for the first and second positions. When the component is oriented in the third position (e.g., as shown in
At (302), the method (300) includes orienting the component in a first position. For instance, the component can be the component 200 described herein. The component can be, for example, a CMC component (e.g., the turbine nozzle segment 80 of
At (304), the method (300) includes lasering at least a portion of the first wall portion while the component is oriented in the first position. For instance, the laser beam 106 emitted from the laser source 102 and directed by the adjustable lens 104 of
At (306), the method (300) includes orienting the component in a second position. In some implementations, when the component is oriented in the second position, the component has a second pitch angle indicative of a downward pitch about at least one of the lateral and transverse directions with respect to the reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions. For example, the component depicted in
At (308), the method (300) includes lasering at least a portion of the second wall portion while the component is oriented in the second position. For instance, the laser beam 106 emitted from the laser source 102 and directed by the adjustable lens 104 of
In yet other implementations, the second pitch angle is opposite the first pitch angle. For example, if the first pitch angle is an upward pitch of three degrees (3°) with respect to a reference plane (e.g., a 0° reference plane extending along the lateral and transverse directions as shown in
In some implementations, the opening has a depth. In such implementations, the opening defines a plurality of stages each defining a portion of the depth, the plurality of stages including a first stage, e.g., the first stage ST1 shown in
In yet other implementations, the plurality of stages includes a second stage deeper in depth than the first stage (e.g., the second stage ST2 shown in
In some implementations, the opening has a depth and wherein the opening defines a plurality of stages each defining a portion of the depth, and wherein the method further comprises: alternating between orienting and lasering the first wall portion while in the first position and orienting and lasering the second wall portion while in the second position until each stage is lasered along the depth of the opening.
In yet other implementations, the opening defines a predetermined geometry indicative of a desired shape of the opening, and wherein when the component is alternated between the first and second positions and lasered, the component is oriented such that the laser beam does not clip an area outside of the predetermined geometry of the opening.
In yet further implementations, the component defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction each perpendicular to one another, and wherein when the component is oriented in the first position, the component has a first pitch angle indicative of an upward pitch about at least one of the lateral and transverse directions with respect to a reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions, and wherein when the component is oriented in the second position, the component has a second pitch angle indicative of a downward pitch about at least one of the lateral and transverse directions with respect to the reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions, and wherein as the laser beam lasers progressively deeper stages of the opening, the upward pitch of the first pitch angle is increased and the downward pitch of the second pitch angle is increased. In this way, the angle of attack of the laser beam is adjusted or changes by depth. Stated differently, as the laser beam penetrates deeper into the depth of the opening, the angle of attack of the laser beam can be adjusted (i.e., by rotating or pitching the component about one or more of the lateral and transverse directions). The upward pitch of the first pitch angle can be increased incrementally, or in some embodiments, the upward pitch of the first pitch angle can be increased gradually. Likewise, the downward pitch of the second pitch angle can be increased incrementally, or in some embodiments, the upward pitch of the first pitch angle can be increased gradually.
In some implementations, the one or more walls define a third wall portion and a fourth wall portion. In such implementations, the method further includes: orienting the component in a third position; lasering at least a portion of the third wall portion while the component is oriented in the third position; orienting the component in a fourth position; and lasering at least a portion of the fourth wall portion while the component is oriented in the fourth position.
In yet further implementations, the component defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction each perpendicular to one another, and wherein when the component is oriented in the first position, the component has a first pitch angle indicative of an upward pitch about the transverse direction with respect to a reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions, and wherein when the component is oriented in the second position, the component has a second pitch angle indicative of a downward pitch about the transverse direction with respect to the reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions, and wherein when the component is oriented in the third position, the component has a third pitch angle indicative of an upward pitch about the lateral direction with respect to a reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions, and wherein when the component is oriented in the fourth position, the component has a fourth pitch angle indicative of a downward pitch about the lateral direction with respect to the reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions.
At (402), the method (400) includes orienting the component in a first position, wherein when the component is oriented in the first position, the component has a first pitch angle indicative of a pitch of the component about at least one of the lateral and transverse directions with respect to a reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions. For instance, the component can be the component 200 described herein. The component can be, for example, a CMC component (e.g., the turbine nozzle segment 80 of
At (404), the method (400) includes lasering at least a portion of the first section of the opening while the component is oriented in the first position. In this way, at least a portion of the opening can be formed or otherwise machined.
At (406), the method (400) includes orienting the component in a second position, wherein when the component is oriented in the second position, the component has a second pitch angle indicative of a pitch of the component about at least one of the lateral and transverse directions with respect to the reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions. For example, the component depicted in
At (408), the method (400) includes lasering at least a portion of the second section of the opening while the component is oriented in the second position. In this way, at least a portion of the opening can be formed or otherwise machined.
In some implementations, when the component is oriented in the first position, the component has a first pitch angle indicative of an upward pitch about at least one of the lateral and transverse directions with respect to the reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions, and wherein when the component is oriented in the second position, the component has a second pitch angle indicative of a downward pitch about at least one of the lateral and transverse directions with respect to the reference plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions.
In yet other implementations, the opening defines a depth, and wherein as the laser beam lasers progressively deeper into the depth of the opening, the component is alternated between the first position and the second position such that the first and second sections of the opening can be lasered respectively, and wherein as the laser beam lasers progressively deeper into the depth of the opening, the upward pitch of the first pitch angle is increased when the component is oriented in the first position and the downward pitch of the second pitch angle is increased when the component is oriented in the second position.
In some implementations, the opening defines a predetermined geometry indicative of a desired shape of the opening. In such implementations, the opening has a depth and wherein the opening defines a plurality of stages each defining a portion of the depth. Moreover, in such implementations, the method further includes alternating between orienting the component in the first position such that at least a portion of the first section of each stage is lasered and orienting the component in the second position such that at least a portion of the second section of each stage is lasered prior to progressing to deeper stage of the opening; and repeating alternating until the predetermined geometry of the opening is formed to the desired shape, wherein the component is alternated between the first and second positions and lasered such that the laser beam does not clip the component in an area outside of the predetermined geometry of the opening.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
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| 102011056346 | Jun 2012 | DE |
| 0407969 | Jan 1991 | EP |
| 0437676 | Jul 1991 | EP |
| H03114688 | May 1991 | JP |
| H03180294 | Aug 1991 | JP |
| 2000071086 | Mar 2000 | JP |
| 2002160084 | Jun 2002 | JP |
| 2004243404 | Sep 2004 | JP |
| 2007021548 | Feb 2007 | JP |
| 2012127000 | Jul 2012 | JP |
| 2014202756 | Oct 2014 | JP |
| 20140028196 | Mar 2014 | KR |
| Entry |
|---|
| European Search Report Corresponding to EP Application 181881459 dated Feb. 6, 2019. |
| Chinese Search Report and Office Action Corresponding to Application No. 201810926995 dated Jun. 3, 2020. |
| Machine Translated Japanese Search Report Corresponding Application No. 2018149251 dated Dec. 16, 2019. |
| Machine Translated Japanese Office Action Corresponding Application No. 2018149251 dated Dec. 20, 2019. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190054572 A1 | Feb 2019 | US |
