# US 10,309,237 B2 · Shield

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- Number: US 10,309,237 B2
- Document ID: US10309237B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/924,006
- Filed: 2015-10-27
- Published: 2016-05-19
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2014-11-19
- Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
- Applicants: Rolls-Royce PLC
- Inventors: Giles Daniel Norton
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309237B2

## CPC

- F01D 9/02: Nozzles; Nozzle boxes; Stator blades; Guide conduits {, e.g. individual nozzles (nozzle boxes F01D9/047)}
- B23P 15/04: turbine or like blades from several pieces
- C25D 1/00: Electroforming
- C25D 1/02: Tubes; Rings; Hollow bodies
- F01D 5/147: {Construction, i.e. structural features, e.g. of weight-saving hollow blades (F01D5/148, F01D5/16 and F01D5/20 take precedence; blade shape F01D5/141; blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities F01D5/18; heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades F01D5/18)}
- F01D 5/282: {Selecting composite materials, e.g. blades with reinforcing filaments}
- F01D 5/286: {Particular treatment of blades, e.g. to increase durability or resistance against corrosion or erosion (F01D5/288 takes precedence)}
- F04D 29/324: {Blades}
- F05D 2220/36: specially adapted for the fan of turbofan engines
- F05D 2230/30: with deposition of material
- F05D 2240/121: related to the leading edge of a stator vane
- F05D 2240/303: related to the leading edge of a rotor blade
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q)
- C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

The present invention provides a method of making a metallic shield for shielding an edge of a component e.g. an aerofoil component such as a gas turbine blade or vane. The method comprises: providing a mandrel with a mandrel edge having a shape conforming to the shape of the component edge, wherein the mandrel edge comprises a surface having a width, W1; providing a metal wire having a substantially triangular radial cross-section with a base surface of width W2, wherein W2 equals W1; aligning and affixing the base surface of the wire on the surface of the mandrel edge; electro-depositing metal onto the mandrel and metal wire to form the metallic shield comprising the deposited metal and the metal wire; and removing the metallic shield from the mandrel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of making a metallic shield for shielding an edge of a component, the method comprising:
providing a mandrel with a mandrel edge having a shape conforming to the shape of the component edge, wherein the mandrel edge comprises a surface having a width, W1;
providing a metal wire having a substantially triangular radial cross-section with a base surface of width W2, wherein W2 equals W1;
aligning and affixing the base surface of the wire on the surface of the mandrel edge;
electro-depositing metal onto the mandrel and metal wire to form the metallic shield comprising the deposited metal and the metal wire; and
removing the metallic shield from the mandrel,
wherein the metallic shield comprises an electroplated shield comprising opposing walls, each wall having an inside surface for abutment with the component and an outside surface, wherein the outside surfaces of the opposing walls meet at and define a shield edge, and
the electroplated shield covers all surfaces of the wire except an internal abutment surface of the wire that is configured for direct abutment with the edge of the component.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein the metal wire has a radial cross-section with a linear or concave base edge and/or two linear or convex side edges.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein the surface of the mandrel edge has a length, L1 and the metal wire has a length L2, wherein L2 is equal to or greater than L1.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein the metal wire comprises an outer surface with a conductive coating.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein the metal wire or the conductive coating is formed of nickel or nickel/cobalt alloy.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A method according to claim 5 wherein the deposited metal is nickel.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A method of forming an aerofoil component, the method comprising forming a metallic shield using the method according to claim 1 and affixing the metallic shield to the edge of the aerofoil component.

### Claim 8

A metallic shield for shielding an edge of a component, the metallic shield comprising:
an electroplated shield comprising opposing walls, each wall having an inside surface for abutment with the component and an outside surface, wherein the outside surfaces of the opposing walls meet at and define a shield edge; and
wherein the electroplated shield covers all surfaces of a wire except an internal abutment surface of the wire that is configured for direct abutment with the edge of the component.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The metallic shield according to claim 8 wherein the base surface of the shield is a planar surface.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

An aerofoil component comprising the metallic shield according to claim 8 at the leading edge of the aerofoil component with the opposing walls at least partly covering pressure and suction surfaces of the aerofoil component.

### Claim 11

An aerofoil component having a pressure surface, a suction surface, and an edge surface, the edge surface extending between the pressure and suction surfaces, wherein the aerofoil component further comprises a unitary metallic shield comprising:
an electroformed shield having opposing walls, each opposing wall having (1) an inside surface in abutment with one of the pressure or suction surfaces and (2) an outside surface, the outside surfaces of the opposing walls of the unitary metallic shield directly contacting each other and defining a shield edge; and
wherein surfaces abutting the opposing walls and longitudinal ends of a wire are covered by the electroformed shield, the wire comprising an internal abutment surface which is configured to abut the edge surface of the aerofoil component.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

A gas turbine engine comprising the aerofoil component according to claim 10.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

A gas turbine engine comprising the aerofoil component according to claim 11.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The metallic shield according to claim 8 wherein the wire has a triangular radial cross-section.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The aerofoil component according to claim 11,
wherein the wire has a triangular radial cross-section.

### Claim 16

A metallic shield for shielding an edge of a component, the metallic shield comprising:
a wire comprising two end surfaces positioned at opposing ends of a longitudinal length of the wire and a base surface; and
an electroformed covering subsuming the wire such that the two end surfaces of the wire are completely covered by the electroformed covering while the base surface is not covered by the electroformed portion, each wall having an inside surface for abutment with the component and an outside surface, wherein the opposing walls have a constant thickness from one end of the metallic shield to a point where the opposing walls meet at and define a shield edge, wherein
the inside surfaces of the opposing walls are separated at the shield edge by the wire, and
the base surface being configured for abutment with the edge of the component.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The metallic shield according to claim 16 wherein each of the opposing walls have a curvature from the shield edge to the one end of the metallic shield.