Not applicable.
This present disclosure relates generally to a system and method for improving the masking of a gas turbine engine component in preparation for an electroplating process. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an improved masking tool which provides for ease of use, rapid tool production, and reduced handling of gas turbine engine parts during the plating process.
A gas turbine engine typically includes a multi-stage compressor coupled to a multi-stage turbine via an axial shaft. Air enters the gas turbine engine through the compressor where its temperature and pressure increase as it passes through subsequent stages of the compressor. The compressed air is then directed to one or more combustors where it mixes with a fuel source to create a combustible mixture. This mixture is ignited in the one or more combustors to create a flow of hot combustion gases. These gases are directed into the turbine causing the turbine to rotate, thereby driving the compressor. The output of the gas turbine engine can be mechanical thrust via exhaust from the turbine or shaft power from the rotation of an axial shaft, where the axial shaft can drive a generator to produce electricity.
The turbine section of the gas turbine engine typically includes a plurality of alternating stages of rotating and stationary airfoils. Due to the operating temperatures and mechanical load experienced in the turbine section, these rotating and stationary airfoils, also commonly referred to as blades and vanes, respectively, are cast from high strength, high temperature alloys, such as nickel and cobalt. Depending on the specific temperature at each stage of the turbine, many of these blades and vanes are hollow and air-cooled. In order to maximize and extend service life, many blades and vanes include the application of one or more coatings to various internal and external surfaces of the blade and vane.
One such coating process applied to internal and external surfaces of turbine airfoils is the electroplating of exotic materials, such as platinum. The application of platinum composite coatings to turbine airfoils creates a highly refractory and temperature resistant component with increased hot corrosion resistance and reduced oxidation levels, thus extending the maintenance intervals and overall life of the turbine airfoil.
Traditionally, successful electroplating of components in such industrial type applications, such as turbine blade and vane manufacturing, requires the process to exhibit good electrical properties, ductility, good diffusion properties and even thickness distribution. In an electroplating process, an electric current is used to reduce dissolved metal particles, such that the dissolved particles form a thin metal coating on a surface, thus improving the surface properties of the part. The part to be plated typically serves as the cathode in the circuit while the metal to be plated to the part is the anode. The parts are placed in a solution, the electrolyte, containing dissolved metal salts and ions that permit the flow of electricity. Upon a flow of electricity to the system, the dissolved metal ions in the solution “plate out” onto the cathode, or the gas turbine engine component, thus forming a thin coating over the desired surface.
While there are various materials that can be used and numerous turbine airfoil geometries to which such coating can be applied, one common problem experienced industry-wide is the time and effort expended to prepare the parts for the coating process. Typically, the portion of the airfoil exposed to the hot combustion gases and certain adjacent regions are the sections being coated while the remaining portions are masked or protected from the coating process. This masking process can be a labor-intensive, timely and costly process, as each part is individually taped, or otherwise protected in preparation for the coating process and then after the plating process, the masking is removed and the part is cleaned.
Typical electroplating processes use metal tooling fabricated from multiple parts to contain the gas turbine component and manipulate the component during the electroplating process. The manufacturing of these tools often takes considerable time and is expensive due to the traditional tooling manufacturing techniques utilized. Historically, these tools also implement the use of fasteners to secure parts together requiring handheld tools and additional handling and manipulation of the parts to be plated.
The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure to provide a basic understanding of some aspects thereof. This summary is not an extensive overview of the application. It is not intended to identify critical elements of the disclosure or to delineate the scope of the disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented elsewhere herein.
In an aspect of the disclosure, a system for securing a component for an electrically-driven process is disclosed. The system includes a main body having an opening, a retention slot configured for retaining the component, and a channel. The system includes a fastener extending through the opening in the main body, and an insert inserted into the channel. The system has a shank movably coupled to the fastener and configured to contact the insert. The insert is configured to maintain electrical contact between the shank and the component when the component is retained within the retention slot.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the insert includes a flat spring.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the component displaces the flat spring from its steady state when the component is inserted into the retention slot.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the insert includes a support having a projection configured to contact the component when the component is retained within the retention slot.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the system includes a cover plate having a locking tab.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the main body includes a socket for receiving the locking tab.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the main body has a relief slot and the locking tab has a catch configured to extend through the relief slot.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, at least one of the main body and the fastener is additively manufactured from a polymer material.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the shank extends through an aperture in the insert.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the insert is additively manufactured from a conductive material.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the electrically-driven process includes an electroplating process.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the component is a gas turbine component.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the gas turbine component is at least one of a blade and a vane.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the insert is configured to maintain electrical contact between the shank and the component when the component is retained within the retention slot and moves relative to the shank.
In an aspect, a system for securing a gas turbine component for an electrically-driven process is disclosed. The system includes a main body having an opening, a retention slot configured to receive a dovetail of the gas turbine component, and a channel. The system has a fastener extending through the opening in the main body, and an insert inserted into the channel. The insert has a flat spring and a stop having an aperture. The insert is in contact with the gas turbine component. The system includes a shank movably coupled to the fastener, the shank extending through the stop and contacting the flat spring.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the main body includes a notch for engaging a projection of the stop.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the insert includes a support having a protrusion.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the system is configured to mask at least a portion of the gas turbine component during the electrically-driven process.
In an aspect, a system for masking a component for an electrically-driven process is provided. The system includes a main body having a retention slot configured for retaining the component, and a fastener extending through the main body. The system includes an insert. A shank is movably coupled to the fastener and is configured to contact the insert while the component is retained within the retention slot.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the insert comprises a flat spring.
In an aspect, according to any one of the preceding aspects, the system includes a cover plate having a locking tab configured to be received in a socket in the main body.
These and other features of the present disclosure can be best understood from the following description and claims.
The present disclosure is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
The present disclosure is intended for use in the manufacturing or repair of a gas turbine engine component, such as a turbine blade, vane, or other gas turbine component undergoing an electroplating process. As such, the present disclosure is capable of being used with a variety of gas turbine engine components, regardless of the manufacturer.
As embodied by the disclosure, a gas turbine engine component, such as a turbine blade and vane, is a complex component. The component may have intricate geometric profiles including cooling features, cooling holes, thin walls, and operates under extreme operating temperatures and mechanical loading. Depending on the operating conditions, it is often desirable to apply one or more coatings to the surfaces of the component, such as a blade or vane, to reduce oxidation and erosion and to shield the component from the high operating temperatures.
The present disclosure provides an improved system for fixturing a gas turbine engine component undergoing an electroplating process. Through the present disclosure, the need for manual masking of surfaces not being coated is greatly reduced, thereby saving time, reducing costs, and reducing the amount of contact with the component during the coating process. The likelihood of damaging the component during the coating process is therefore reduced.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure are depicted in
The system 100 further includes a removeable cover plate 120 positioned within the opening 110 of the first end 108. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the cover plate 120 includes an end plate 122 and one or more locking tabs 124 for engaging a corresponding relief slot 118 in at least one of the first sidewall 114 and the second sidewall 116. In the embodiment of the disclosure depicted in
A fastener 140 is moveably secured within the main body 102 and extends through the top surface 104. This is more clearly depicted in
The system 100 also includes a shank 160 having a first end 162 and an opposing second end 164. The shank 160 includes a threaded portion 166 located along a portion of the shank outer surface between the first end 162 and the second end 164. The shank 160, as depicted in
As shown in
For the system 100 depicted in
The system 100 provides an improvement over the manual masking techniques utilized in the prior art by providing reusable tooling into which a gas turbine component 200 can be secured. The system 100 undergoes an electroplating process, and the gas turbine component 200 is then removed. The system 100 or portions thereof may be reused.
The system 100 can be fabricated through a variety of processes and from a variety of materials. While the main body 102, the removeable cover plate 120, and the fastener 140 can be manufactured and assembled using typical machining and assembly techniques, such processes are costly and time consuming. Each of these components of system 100 can be fabricated from an additive manufacturing or 3-D printing process. Furthermore, for such rapid manufacturing techniques, each of the main body 102, the removeable cover plate 120 and the fastener 140 can be fabricated from a rigid polymer material having suitable strength to manipulate a gas turbine engine component and a softening temperature of about 365K. One such acceptable material is Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and may have ultraviolet (UV) tolerant properties if needed, such as Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA). Using these materials, the main body 102, the removeable cover plate 120 and the fastener 140 can be produced using additive manufacturing methods such as fused deposition modeling 3-D printing or other acceptable means.
When utilizing an additive manufacturing process with the materials outlined above, the main body 102 and fastener 140 can be fabricated integrally so there is no need for multiple parts or complicated assembly techniques to form the main body 102. That is, the main body 102 and fastener 140 can be printed such that a soluble material is printed between the surfaces of main body 102 surrounding the fastener 140. Then, the soluble material between the main body 102 and fastener 140 may be dissolved, thereby creating a gap between the main body 102 and the fastener 140; such may allow the fastener 140 to rotate and move within the main body 102, but yet be contained by the top surface 104 of the main body 102.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, a method of preparing a gas turbine engine component for an electroplating process is provided. A masking system as outlined herein, including a main body 102, a removeable cover plate 120 having an end plate 122 and one or more locking tabs 124, a fastener 140 located at least partially within the main body 102, and a shank 160 engaged with the fastener 140, is provided. The gas turbine component 200 is then placed through an opening in the main body 102 such that the component 200 is held within the main body 102 by a retention slot 113. Once the gas turbine component 200 is positioned within the main body 102, the removeable cover plate 120 is positioned over the opening in the main body, such that the one or more locking tabs 124 extend into the main body 102 and are secured to one or more corresponding relief slots 118 in the sidewalls of the main body 102. A shank 160, which is fabricated from a conductive material and has external threads located thereon, is then inserted into the fastener 140 and the fastener 140 is rotated relative to the shank 160, thereby drawing the shank 160 into contact with the gas turbine component 200.
Once the gas turbine component 200 is secured within the main body 102, the system 100 is secured to the adjacent tooling for placing the gas turbine component 200 in the solution and for connecting the gas turbine component 200 to a source of electrical charge to complete the plating process. One such assembly utilizing the system 100 is depicted in
Referring now to
Often times, prior to a part undergoing an electroplating process, it is necessary for certain surfaces of the gas turbine component to be masked to protect these surfaces from the electroplating materials and process. For example, the present disclosure can be used as part of a system of gas turbine components fixtured for an electroplating process. One such masking process in which the present disclosure may be utilized is in conjunction with a ultraviolet cured maskant that is applied robotically to the gas turbine components once secured in the tooling fixtures, as discussed above and shown in
Electroplating of the gas turbine component 200 in the electrolytic solution may cause the electrolytic solution to reach extremely high temperatures, such as a temperature of about 373K or more. The electrolytic solution may continuously evaporate at this temperature and the resultant steam may contact the system 100, including main body 102 thereof. This high-temperature steam may cause main body 102, which as discussed may be made of a polymer material, to expand. Expansion of main body 102 may cause retention slot 113 to also expand, and consequently, gas turbine component 200 may move in a downward direction within the retention slot 113. The shank 160, however, may be threadingly coupled to fastener 140, and as such, may not move with the gas turbine component 200. The relative movement between shank 160 and gas turbine component 200 may cause shank 160, which is initially in physical contact with gas turbine component 200, to no longer contact the gas turbine component 200. The electrical contact between shank 160 and gas turbine component 200 may therefore be severed, resulting in disruption of the electroplating process. Such may cause the gas turbine component 200 to be unevenly electroplated, and the gas turbine component 200 may have to be reworked or scrapped. It may be beneficial to ensure that electrical contact between gas turbine component 200 and shank 160 is maintained for the duration of the electroplating process.
Focus is directed to
The system 300, like system 100, may include a main body 302 having a top surface 304, a bottom surface 306 (see
First sidewall 314 may include a relief slot 318A (see
System 300 may include a cover plate 320 that generally corresponds to cover plate 120 of system 100. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the cover plate 320 includes an end plate 322 and one or more locking tabs for engaging a corresponding relief slot 318A in first sidewall 314 and relief slot 318B in second sidewall 316 of main body 302. For example, as illustrated in
System 300 may include a fastener 340 (see
System 300 may include a shank 360 (see
First portion 363 may include a threaded area 366 having threads along the outer surface of shank 360. Second portion 365 may extend from the threaded area 366 and terminate at the first end 362. Second portion 365 may be configured to contact a surface of gas turbine component 400, as discussed herein. The shank 360 may also include a notch 370 proximate the second end 364 for fixturing the system 300 together with the gas turbine component 400 for the electroplating process. As embodied by the disclosure, shank 360 is fabricated from a conductive material to allow for the closing of the electrical circuit between the electrical source and the gas turbine component 400 during the electroplating process. In some examples, shank 360 includes titanium. In other examples of the embodiments, shank 360 includes stainless steel, aluminum, or other metals or metal alloys.
As discussed herein, system 300 may be used to secure gas turbine component 400 undergoing an electroplating process. The gas turbine component 400 may be a blade, a vane, a duct segment, a shroud, or other gas turbine component. In some aspects of the embodiments, gas turbine component 400 may have a pressure side 402 (see
One difference between system 100 and system 300 may be that system 300 may include an insert 380 (see
In some examples of the embodiments, insert 380 may include a base or support 382 (
In an aspect of the embodiments, first side 384A of support 382 may include one or more serrations 386A (see
A stopping member or protrusion 388 (see
A flat spring 390 may extend from first end 384C. In some examples, flat spring 390 may extend from first end 384C away from second end 384D. Flat spring 390 may have a first end 391A (see
In some examples of the embodiments, flat spring 390 may be generally rectangular, except for a curved or hooked portion 392 that terminates at second end 391B. The curved portion 392 may provide a gripping surface for a user to push, pull, or otherwise manipulate the insert 380. In other examples of the embodiments, flat spring 390 may be devoid of the curved portion 392 or may be formed in other regular or irregular shapes.
A stop 394 may extend away from second end 384D above flat spring 390. Stop 394 may have a first end 395A (see
First portion 396A of stop 394 may include an aperture 397. As discussed herein, aperture 397 may be sized so as to allow the shank 360, and specifically the second portion 365 (see
The main body 302 may have a retention slot 313 (see
In more detail, main body 302 may have a first wall 502 (see
In some examples of the embodiments, first wall 502 may have a first side 506 and a second side 508 that each extend within main body 302 along at least part of the length thereof. First side 506 of first wall 502 may be adjacent and spaced apart from the inner surface of first sidewall 314 of main body 302. Second side 508 of first wall 502 may include tangs 510A. Tangs 510A of first wall 502 within main body 302 may be configured to receive, such as matingly receive, each of serrations 386A (
Second wall 504 may likewise have a first side 516 and a second side 518 that each extend within main body 302 along at least part of the length thereof. First side 516 of second wall 504 may be adjacent and spaced apart from the inner surface of second sidewall 316 of main body 302. Second side 518 of second wall 504 may include tangs 510B. Tangs 510B may face tangs 510A. Tangs 510B of second wall 504 within main body 302 may be configured to receive, such as matingly receive, each of serrations 386B (
As noted above, one difference between system 300 and system 100 may be that system 300 may include insert 380 not present in system 100. Another difference between system 300 and system 100 may be that main body 302, unlike main body 102, may include a channel 520 (
Main body 302 may have a first socket 530A and a second socket 530B (see
Once the insert 380 has been inserted in channel 520 as illustrated in
As the gas turbine component 400 is being inserted in direction C into retention slot 313, the bottom wall 414 (see
Once insert 380 has been inserted in channel 520 and gas turbine component 400 has been inserted in retention slot 313, cover plate 320 may be removably coupled to main body 302. Specifically, first locking tab 324A (
Once the cover plate 320 has been removably secured to main body 302, shank 360, and specifically, first end 362 (see
Once the insert 380, gas turbine component 400, and cover plate 320 are inserted into main body 302 as discussed herein, and the shank 360 contacts flat spring 390 which in-turn contacts gas turbine component 400, gas turbine component 400 may be ready to be electroplated. As discussed with respect to system 100 and gas turbine component 200, portions of gas turbine component 400 (such as dovetail 412 and bottom wall 414) may be masked by system 300 and other portions of gas turbine component 400 (such as airfoil 406 and at least a portion of blade shank 410) may be exposed. Exposed portions of gas turbine component 400 may therefore be electroplated while gas turbine component 400 is retained within main body 302 and at least a portion of gas turbine component 400 is masked by main body 302.
As embodied by the disclosure, gas turbine component 400 may be electroplated by lowering at least a portion of gas turbine component 400 (such as airfoil 406) into an electrolytic solution. Shank 360 may be in direct contact with insert 380, such as flat spring 390 thereof, and flat spring 390 may be in direct contact with gas turbine component 400, such as bottom wall 414 thereof. Shank 360 and insert 380 may each be fabricated from conductive material, such as titanium. System 300 and gas turbine component 400 retained therein may act as the cathode. An anode, generally a metal that will form the plating, may also be lowered into the solution. A source of electric current may be electrically coupled to the cathode (such as shank 360) and the anode. The current may cause the anode to oxidize and metal atoms may dissolve in the electrolytic solution as positive ions. The current may cause the positive metal ions to move towards the cathode and deposit onto the exposed portions of gas turbine component 400.
In some examples, and as discussed above with respect to system 100 and illustrated in
System 300 may be fabricated through a variety of processes and from a variety of materials. In some examples of the embodiments, one or more of main body 302, cover plate 320, and fastener 340 of system 300 may be manufactured and assembled using conventional machining and assembly techniques. In other examples of the embodiments, one or more of main body 302, cover plate 320, and fastener 340 of system 300 may be additively manufactured. There are several known additive printing methods such as a material extrusion method, a material jetting method, a binder jetting method, a sheet lamination method, a vat photo-polymerization method, a powder bed fusion method, a directed energy deposition (DED) method, et cetera. Any one or more of these methods, or any other additive manufacturing method, now known or hereinafter developed, may be employed to manufacture one or more of main body 302, cover plate 320, and fastener 340.
In some examples, each of the main body 302, cover plate 320 and fastener 340 may be additively manufactured together from a rigid polymer material having suitable strength to retain gas engine component 400 and a softening temperature above about 360K. One such acceptable material is Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). Another such acceptable material is Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA). Other suitable materials may also be used to fabricate, such as using additive manufacturing, one or more of main body 302, cover plate 320, and fastener 340. As described above, shank 360 and insert 380 may be fabricated, e.g., additively manufactured, from one or more conductive materials, such as titanium, stainless steel, aluminum, or other metals or metal alloys.
As discussed above for system 100 and gas turbine component 200, electroplating of the gas turbine component 400 in the electrolytic solution may cause the electrolytic solution to reach extremely high temperatures, such as a temperature of about 373K or more. The electrolytic solution may continuously evaporate at this temperature and the resultant steam may contact the system 300, including main body 302 thereof. This high-temperature steam may cause main body 302, which may be made of polymer, to expand. Expansion of main body 302 may cause retention slot 313 to also expand, and consequently, gas turbine component 400 may move in a downward direction within the retention slot 113. The shank 360, however, may be threadingly coupled to fastener 340, and as such, may not move with the gas turbine component 400. Without the insert 380, this relative motion between shank 360 and gas turbine component 400 may sever the electrical contact between first end 362 of shank and bottom wall 414 of gas turbine component 400. The insert 380, and particularly the flat spring 390 thereof, may ensure that electrical contact between shank 360 and gas turbine component 400 is maintained notwithstanding expansion of main body 302 that causes gas turbine component 400 to move relative to shank 360. Physical contact between end 416B of dovetail 412 and protrusion 388 of insert 380 may further reduce the likelihood of loss of electrical contact between shank 360 and gas turbine component 400.
Focus is directed to
Various other gas turbine engine components, such as turbine vanes, shroud duct segments, or other components may also be fixtured utilizing the present disclosure. While the system 300 is illustrated with reference to gas turbine component 400, system 300 may likewise be used to retain other components undergoing an electroplating process, such as a rim of a vehicle tire or another suitable component. Moreover, while the system 300 is illustrated in connection with gas turbine component 400 undergoing an electroplating process, the system 300 may likewise be used to secure a component undergoing any suitable electrically-driven process, such as immersion plating or another electrically-driven process now known or subsequently developed. The system 300 may be reusable to fixture a plurality of components undergoing one or more electrically-driven processes.
Although a preferred embodiment of this disclosure has been provided, one of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this disclosure. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this disclosure. Since many possible embodiments may be made of the disclosure without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that this disclosure is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious, and which are inherent to the structure.
It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/155,187, filed Jan. 17, 2023, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/897,857, filed Jun. 10, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,629,424. The disclosure of each of these applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16897857 | Jun 2020 | US |
Child | 18155187 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 18155187 | Jan 2023 | US |
Child | 18443250 | US |