# US 12,110,807 B1 · Altering structural response of two-piece hollow-vane assembly by changing the cover composition > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,110,807 B1 - Document ID: US12110807B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/121,146 - Filed: 2023-03-14 - Published: 2024-09-19 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2023-03-14 - Assignees: Rtx Corporation - Applicants: Raytheon Technologies Corporation - Inventors: David E. Bitter; S Bret Bonarrigo; William John Oldach; William C. Sheridan; Matthew Michael Massaro - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110807B1 ## 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)} - F01D 5/18: Hollow blades, {i.e. blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities (structure of hollow blades in general F01D5/147)}; Heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades - B23P 15/04: turbine or like blades from several pieces - F01D 5/16: for counteracting blade vibration - F01D 9/065: {Fluid supply or removal conduits traversing the working fluid flow, e.g. for lubrication-, cooling-, or sealing fluids (see also F01D25/16, F01D25/24 and F01D25/26)} - F01D 17/162: {for axial flow, i.e. the vanes turning around axes which are essentially perpendicular to the rotor centre line (F01D17/167 takes precedence)} - F05D 2230/211: by precision casting, e.g. microfusing or investment casting - F05D 2230/237: Brazing - F05D 2230/54: by sheet metal manufacturing - F05D 2300/437: Silicon polymers - F05D 2300/505: Shape memory behaviour - 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) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract A hollow vane assembly including an open body including an interior; at least one cover support structure formed in said open body proximate the interior; a cover brazed to the open body to form at least one flow passage; and at least one ply formed in the cover. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process of tailoring vibratory characteristics of a cover for an open body hollow vane assembly comprising: forming the open body, the open body including an interior; forming at least one cover support structure in said open body proximate the interior; forming a cover, the cover being configured to attach to the open body to form at least one flow passage; forming at least one ply in the cover; disposing a dampener material between an outer layer and an inner layer of the cover to form the at least one ply in the cover; and brazing the cover to the open body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, further comprising: forming the at least one ply integral with the surface of the cover. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the dampener material includes an elastomer material between an outer metal layer and an inner metal layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, further comprising: forming an airfoil from the combination of the open body brazed together with the cover; wherein the dampener material comprises at least one of a viscoelastic material, a super-elastic memory alloy and combinations thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, further comprising: forming a dual walled structure having contoured surfaces including the at least ply formed by additive and/or subtractive processes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, further comprising: modifying a vibratory characteristic of the cover with the at least one ply. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, further comprising: changing a modal shape of the cover to enhance the stiffness of the cover locally responsive to aerodynamic forces created by a working fluid flowing over the hollow vane assembly. ### Claim 8 A hollow vane assembly comprising: an open body including an interior; at least one cover support structure formed in said open body proximate the interior; a cover brazed to the open body to form at least one flow passage; and at least one ply formed in the cover, wherein the at least one ply includes a dampener material between an outer layer and an inner layer of the cover. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The hollow vane assembly according to claim 8, wherein the dampener material comprises a thickness in a range from 10 mils to 50 mils. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The hollow vane assembly according to claim 9, wherein a dual walled structure having contoured surfaces and the at least one ply is formed by the open body together with the cover. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The hollow vane assembly according to claim 8, wherein the at least one ply includes material attached to the surface of the cover. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The hollow vane assembly according to claim 8, wherein the at least one ply is configured to modify a vibratory characteristic of the cover. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The hollow vane assembly according to claim 8, wherein the at least one ply includes layers of material that are distributed across the surface of the cover. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The hollow vane assembly according to claim 8, wherein the at least one ply is formed by layering material on the surface of the cover. ### Claim 15 A process for modifying a vibratory characteristic of a cover to an open body comprising: forming an open body, the open body includes a leading edge opposite a trailing edge, the open body includes a pressure side and suction side opposite the pressure side, the open body including an interior; forming a cover, the cover being configured to couple with the open body proximate the pressure side to form at least one flow passage; forming at least one ply in the cover; layering a dampener material between an outer layer and an inner layer of the cover; and attaching the cover to the open body. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The process of claim 15, wherein the dampener material is formed from an elastomer material between the outer layer and the inner layer of the cover, wherein the outer layer and the inner layer are metal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The process of claim 15, further comprising: modifying a vibratory characteristic of the cover with the at least one ply formed in the cover. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The process of claim 15, further comprising: changing a modal shape of the cover to enhance the stiffness of the cover locally responsive to aerodynamic forces created by a working fluid flowing over the hollow vane assembly. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The process of claim 15, further comprising: forming an airfoil from the combination of the open body together with the cover having the at least one ply, the airfoil being responsive to the at least one ply. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The process of claim 15, further comprising: adding layers of mass at a predetermined location on the surface of the cover.