# US 10,370,975 B2 · Additively manufactured rotor blades and components

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- Number: US 10,370,975 B2
- Document ID: US10370975B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/887,509
- Filed: 2015-10-20
- Published: 2017-04-20
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-10-20
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Herbert Chidsey Roberts; Richard William Albrecht, Jr.; Michael John McCarren; Peter Andrew Flynn; Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti, Jr.; Eric Alan Estill
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10370975B2

## CPC

- 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)}
- B22F 5/04: of turbine blades
- B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
- B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing
- F01D 5/16: for counteracting blade vibration
- F01D 5/187: {Convection cooling}
- F01D 5/22: Blade-to-blade connections, {e.g. for damping vibrations}
- F01D 5/288: {Protective coatings for blades}
- F01D 25/06: for preventing blade vibration (means on blade-carrying members or blades F01D5/00)
- F05D 2220/30: in turbines
- F05D 2230/31: Layer deposition
- F05D 2230/60: Assembly methods
- F05D 2230/90: Coating; Surface treatment
- F05D 2240/303: related to the leading edge of a rotor blade
- F05D 2240/307: related to the tip of a rotor blade
- F05D 2240/81: Cooled platforms
- F05D 2260/231: Preventing heat transfer
- F05D 2260/30: Retaining components in desired mutual position
- Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency
- Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
- B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A rotor blade formed via additive manufacturing is provided. The rotor blade includes an airfoil and a coupled component. The airfoil includes a plurality of fused layers of a first material formed via additive manufacturing and defines a leading edge and a tip at a distal end. The coupled component includes a plurality of fused layers of a second material formed via additive manufacturing. An interlocking transition zone includes a plurality of projections alternately extending from the airfoil and the coupled component, respectively, to undetachably couple the airfoil and the coupled component.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A rotor blade, comprising:
an airfoil comprising a plurality of fused layers of a first material formed via additive manufacturing, wherein the airfoil defines a leading edge and a tip at a distal end;
a coupled component comprising a plurality of fused layers of a second material formed via additive manufacturing; and
an interlocking transition zone comprising a plurality of projections alternately extending from the airfoil and the coupled component, respectively, to undetachably couple the airfoil and the coupled component, wherein the interlocking transition zone allows for relative motion between the airfoil and the coupled component.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The rotor blade of claim 1, wherein the coupled component is a protective rotor blade tip, and wherein the interlocking transition zone is disposed at the tip of the airfoil.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The rotor blade of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of projections allows relative motion between the airfoil and the protective rotor blade tip, such that the protective rotor blade tip is retractable when the rotor blade contacts an object.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The rotor blade of claim 1, wherein the coupled component is a protective leading edge component, and wherein the interlocking transition zone is disposed at the leading edge of the airfoil.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The rotor blade of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of adjacent projections between the airfoil and the protective leading edge component prevent relative motion between the airfoil and the protective leading edge component.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The rotor blade of claim 1, wherein the airfoil further defines a platform defining an inner radial boundary for the flow path, and wherein the coupled component is a damper component, and wherein the interlocking transition zone is disposed at an inner surface of the platform.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The rotor blade of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of adjacent projections between the platform and the damper component prevent relative motion between the platform and the damper component.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The rotor blade of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of projections allows relative motion between the platform and the damper component, such that the damper component may move in a radial direction relative to the platform.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The rotor blade of claim 6, wherein the interlocking transition zone defines a fluid channel, the fluid channel being configured to provide fluid communication between the platform and the damper component.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The rotor blade of claim 1, wherein the airfoil comprises a metal alloy, and wherein the coupled component comprises a thermal barrier coating.

### Claim 11

A method of forming a rotor blade using additive manufacturing, the method comprising:
fusing a plurality of layers of a first material via additive manufacturing to form an airfoil, wherein the airfoil defines a leading edge and a tip at a distal end;
fusing a plurality of layers of a second material via additive manufacturing to form a coupled component; and
undetachably coupling the airfoil and the coupled component by forming an interlocking transition zone comprising a plurality of projections alternately extending from the airfoil and the coupled component, respectively, wherein the interlocking transition zone allows for relative motion between the airfoil and the coupled component.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the coupled component is a protective rotor blade tip, and wherein the interlocking transition zone is disposed at the tip of the airfoil.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of projections allows relative motion between the airfoil and the protective rotor blade tip, such that the protective rotor blade tip is retractable when the rotor blade contacts an object.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the coupled component is a protective leading edge component, and wherein the interlocking transition zone is disposed at the leading edge of the airfoil.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of adjacent projections between the airfoil and the protective leading edge component prevent relative motion between the airfoil and the protective leading edge component.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the airfoil further defines a platform defining an inner radial boundary for the flow path, and wherein the coupled component is a damper component, and wherein the interlocking transition zone is disposed at an inner surface of the platform.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of adjacent projections between the platform and the damper component prevent relative motion between the platform and the damper component.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of projections allows relative motion between the platform and the damper component, such that the damper component may move in a radial direction relative to the platform.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the interlocking transition zone defines a fluid channel, the fluid channel being configured to provide fluid communication between the platform and the damper component.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the first component and the second component are made of a powdered metal, and fusing is a melting process.