# US 11,306,595 B2 · Wrought root blade manufacture methods

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- Number: US 11,306,595 B2
- Document ID: US11306595B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/131,451
- Filed: 2018-09-14
- Published: 2020-03-19
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-14
- Assignees: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
- Applicants: United Technologies Corporation
- Inventors: Dilip M. Shah; Alan D. Cetel; Venkatarama K. Seetharaman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306595B2

## 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)}
- B21J 1/06: Heating or cooling methods or arrangements specially adapted for performing forging or pressing operations {(B21J5/063 takes precedence)}
- B21J 5/002: {Hybrid process, e.g. forging following casting}
- B21J 5/008: {Incremental forging}
- B21J 5/02: Die forging; Trimming by making use of special dies {; Punching during forging}
- B21K 3/04: blades, e.g. for turbines; Upsetting of blade roots
- B23P 15/02: turbine or like blades from one piece
- C21D 9/0068: {for particular articles not mentioned below}
- C22F 1/002: {by rapid cooling or quenching; cooling agents used therefor}
- C22F 1/10: of nickel or cobalt or alloys based thereon
- C30B 11/00: Single-crystal growth by normal freezing or freezing under temperature gradient, e.g. Bridgman-Stockbarger method (C30B13/00, C30B15/00, C30B17/00, C30B19/00 take precedence; under a protective fluid C30B27/00)
- C30B 29/52: Alloys
- C30B 33/02: Heat treatment (C30B33/04, C30B33/06 take precedence)
- F01D 5/3007: {of axial insertion type}
- B23H 9/10: Working turbine blades or nozzles
- C21D 2221/00: Treating localised areas of an article
- C21D 2261/00: Machining or cutting being involved
- F01D 5/34: Rotor-blade aggregates of unitary construction {, e.g. formed of sheet laminae; (discs formed of sheet laminae F01D5/028; ceramic materials F01D5/284, composite materials F01D5/282)}
- F05D 2230/11: by electrochemical methods
- F05D 2230/12: by spark erosion methods
- F05D 2230/21: by casting
- F05D 2230/211: by precision casting, e.g. microfusing or investment casting
- F05D 2230/25: by forging
- F05D 2230/40: Heat treatment
- F05D 2230/90: Coating; Surface treatment
- F05D 2240/30: Characteristics of rotor blades, i.e. of any element transforming dynamic fluid energy to or from rotational energy and being attached to a rotor
- F05D 2300/175: Superalloys
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- B21J: FORGING; HAMMERING; PRESSING METAL; RIVETING; FORGE FURNACES (rolling of metal B21B; making particular products by forging or pressing B21K; cladding or plating B23K; finishing surfaces by hammering B23P9/04; compacting surfaces by blasting with particulate material B24C1/10; general features of presses, presses for consolidating scrap B30B; furnaces in general F27)
- B21K: MAKING FORGED OR PRESSED METAL PRODUCTS, e.g. HORSE-SHOES, RIVETS, BOLTS OR WHEELS (making particular articles by working sheet metal without essentially removing material B21D; processing wire B21F; making pins, needles or nails B21G; making particular articles by rolling B21H; forging machines, pressing machines, hammering machines, in general B21J; making chains B21L; plating B23K)
- B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q)
- C21D: MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass C23F17/00; unidirectional solidification of eutectic materials or unidirectional demixing of eutectoid materials C30B)
- C22F: CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass, C23F17/00)
- C30B: SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH (by using ultra-high pressure, e.g. for the formation of diamonds, B01J3/06); UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL (zone-refining of metals or alloys C22B); PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices B22D; working of plastics B29; modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys C21D, C22F); SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (for producing semiconductor devices or parts thereof H10); APPARATUS THEREFOR
- B23H: WORKING OF METAL BY THE ACTION OF A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF ELECTRIC CURRENT ON A WORKPIECE USING AN ELECTRODE WHICH TAKES THE PLACE OF A TOOL; SUCH WORKING COMBINED WITH OTHER FORMS OF WORKING OF METAL (processes for the electrolytic or electrophoretic production of coatings, electroforming, or apparatus therefor C25D; processes for the electrolytic removal of material from objects C25F; manufacturing printed circuits using precipitation techniques to apply the conductive material to form the desired conductive pattern H05K3/18)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

A method for manufacturing a blade, the method includes casting a nickel alloy blade precursor having an airfoil and a root. The airfoil and the root are solution heat treating differently from each other. After the solution heat treating, the root is wrought processed. After the wrought processing, an exterior of the root is machined.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for manufacturing a blade, the method comprising:
casting a nickel alloy blade precursor having:
an airfoil; and
a root;
solution heat treating the airfoil and the root differently from each other;
after the solution heat treating, wrought processing of the root; and
after the wrought processing, machining an exterior of the root,
wherein the solution heat treating provides the root with larger average gamma prime size than the average gamma prime size of the airfoil.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the casting forms cooling passageways in the airfoil.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 further comprising machining feed passageways in the root to join the cooling passageways in the airfoil.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein:
the machining the exterior comprises mechanical grinding and electro-chemical machining; and
the machining feed passageways comprises electro-discharge machining.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the larger average gamma prime size is at least 2.0 times the average gamma prime size of the airfoil.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the solution heat treating comprises:
fully solutioning and cooling the airfoil and root; and
resolutioning the root while isolating the airfoil from the resolution heating.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the solution heat treating comprises:
heating and cooling the airfoil and root; and
heating the root while isolating the airfoil from the heating.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the solution heat treating comprises:
heating the airfoil and root; and
cooling the airfoil while isolating the root from the cooling so as to cool more slowly.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein:
the wrought processing comprises at least 10 swagings.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the wrought processing comprises:
a sequence of individual transverse cross-sectional area reductions of at least 4%.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
the wrought processing comprises alternating transverse compactions and heatings.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
the wrought processing comprises at least 10 swagings.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
the solution heat treating the airfoil and the root differently from each other comprises active cooling.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
the wrought processing is effective to provide 10%-75% reduction in cross-sectional area.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
the machining leaves the root as a firtree root.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 wherein:
the machining comprises grinding.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
the machining leaves the root as having a firtree portion and a spoke portion of greater radial span than the firtree portion.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17 wherein:
the machining comprises grinding.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

A method for manufacturing a bladed disk, the method comprising:
manufacturing according to claim 1 a plurality of blades; and
mounting the plurality of blades in a powder metallurgical (PM) disk.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19 wherein:
the mounting comprises at least one of transient liquid phase bonding (TLP), inertial friction welding, and mechanical attachments via fir-tree type or dovetail type attachment.