The invention relates to a turbomachine rotor constituted by a plurality of disks assembled side by side on a common axis, each disk carrying a series of blades that are regularly distributed circumferentially, at least one of the disks being provided with a ring of composite material mounted at its radially innermost portion. The invention relates more particularly to an improvement seeking to integrate such a ring.
US patent application No. 2003/0233822 describes a rotor of the above-mentioned kind including at least one disk provided at its radially innermost portion with a composite ring. Such a ring may be constituted, for example, by a winding of a strong yarn (e.g. of silicon carbide) embedded in a metal matrix. For example, it is known to fabricate such a ring by continuously coating a silicon carbide yarn in a titanium coating and forming a winding from such a coated yarn.
According to the above-mentioned document, various types of assembly can be envisaged between the ring and the disk. Some require giving a special shape to the radially innermost portion of the disk in order to serve as a base for the ring that is secured laterally. Under all circumstances, assembly implies that the metal of the disk and the metal of the ring matrix are identical.
The invention relates to an improvement enabling the ring to be better integrated in the structure of the disk.
More particularly, the invention provides a turbomachine rotor provided with at least one disk including a composite ring arranged at the radially innermost portion of the disk, wherein said ring is housed in a closed annular cavity formed in an enlarged portion of said disk, in the form of a hub, and in that said annular cavity is formed by an annular groove machined in said enlarged portion and closed by an annular metal plate after said ring has been put into place. Such a “hub” is conventionally to be found at the radially innermost portion of the disk.
The invention also provides a rotor disk, as such, presenting those characteristics.
This integration of the ring inside the “hub” of the disk is advantageous since it is no longer necessary for the metal matrix of the ring to be of the same metal as the disk.
For high temperatures, it is necessary for the disk to be made of a nickel-based alloy. However, it is not possible at present to envisage making the composite ring with a nickel-based alloy. The invention serves in particular to overcome this difficulty since it suffices to insert the ring in the annular cavity provided to receive it, and then to close the cavity.
The invention also provides a method of making a metal rotor disk presenting an enlarged portion in the form of a hub, the method consisting:
It is also possible to proceed with brazing the ring inside the groove using an appropriate brazing material that is compatible with the two metals, and that is presented in the form of a powder, for example. The powder is introduced into the cavity together with the ring and brazing can occur automatically during a subsequent operation of hot isostatic compacting of said disk.
Concerning assembling the annular plate, it is preferable for this plate to be welded to said enlarged portion. The welding may advantageously be of the type making use of an electron beam in a vacuum.
Concerning the ring itself, it may be made in the form of a winding of silicon carbide yarn coated in a metal base. By way of example the metal base may be a titanium alloy. It is also possible to replace the silicon carbide yarn by an alumina yarn.
After the annular plate has been secured, a hot isostatic compacting operation may be applied to said disk. Amongst other advantages, this treatment serves to distribute stresses in the welding between said enlarged portion and the annular plate, thereby improving closure of the groove.
The part is finished off by conventional finishing machining.
By way of example, the ring of composite material may be winding a silicon carbide yarn, by embedding said yarn in a titanium-based alloy. The TI6242 alloy is suitable for operating temperatures of about 450° C.
The composite portion made in this way presents mechanical characteristics that are significantly better than those of the metal base material. The ring may be integrated in the annular cavity formed in said enlarged portion in the form of a hub. The disk may be made of a nickel-based alloy (e.g. INCO718).
The invention enables the composite ring to be placed as close as possible to the axis of rotation in order to optimize its effectiveness. Since the ring is placed at a small radius, the maximum temperature it reaches is less than 300° C., whereas the temperature of the rim (level with the hot gas stream) is greater than 600° C.
For example, a comparison has been made between the characteristics obtained with the invention for designing a stage 5 disk of a low pressure compressor in a turbojet, having a composite ring of the kind described above integrated in an enlarged portion made of “INCO718”. The weight of the disk with a composite ring was 75 kilograms (kg) instead of 137 kg for a disk that is made entirely out of metal.
More generally, it is possible to install a composite ring of matrix X in the cavity of the disk of material Y providing the materials are compatible with each other. Where necessary, a covering of material Z, different from X and Y, may be interposed around the composite ring in order to ensure compatibility between the material pairs X-Z and Z-Y, respectively.
The invention can be better understood and other advantages thereof appear more clearly in the light of the following description given purely by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGS. 3 to 5 show three successive steps in implementing the method of the invention.
Stationary vanes 40a-40d are mounted between the stages of moving blades, in the passage 42 for passing the stream of hot gas.
The above-described arrangement is conventional. The improvement of the invention can be applied to any of the disks, but it is preferably applied to the disks of the later stages, e.g. d and e, as shown.
In the conventional technique, such a rotor disk carrying a moving blade stage is made out of a single metal, e.g. a titanium alloy, or a nickel alloy if the temperature reached by this level of the rotor makes that justified.
It is this conventional structure that is modified in accordance with the invention in order to insert a composite ring therein, e.g. a ring of SiC/Ti. To do this, a closed annular cavity is defined in the enlarged portion 14.
In a first step (
An annular plate 20 is also cut out; it is made of the same metal as the disk. Its dimensions are selected so that it is suitable for closing the groove 16, fitting along the inside and outside edges thereof.
The composite ring 18 is placed (
Thereafter (
The operations may be finished off by hot isostatic compacting and final machining.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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05 06629 | Jun 2005 | FR | national |