Fatigue-resistant components and method therefor
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsThomas Broderick, Andrew Woodfield
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A metallic component, which may be an airfoil, includes at least one treated patch, wherein the entire thickness of the component within the treated patch is in a state of residual compressive stress. A surface-treated area overlaps at least a boundary between the treated patch and the remainder of the component. The surface of the component within the surface-treated area is in a state of residual compressive stress, so as to resist crack initiation at the boundary between the treated patch and the remainder of the component. A method is also provided for making such a component.
Claims12
A metallic component, comprising:
- at least one treated patch, wherein the entire thickness of said component within said treated patch is in a state of residual compressive stress;
- and
- a surface-treated area, said surface-treated area overlapping at least a boundary between said treated patch and the remainder of said component, wherein the surface of said component within said surface-treated area is in a state of residual compressive stress, so as to resist crack initiation at said boundary between said treated patch and the remainder of said component.
A metallic airfoil for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a root spaced apart from a tip, spaced-apart leading and trailing edges, a suction side extending from said leading edge to said trailing edge, and an opposed pressure side extending from said leading edge and said trailing edge, wherein a thickness of said airfoil is defined between said pressure side and said suction side;
- at least one treated patch, within which the entire thickness of said airfoil is under residual compressive stress;
- and
- a surfaced-treated area within which the surface of said airfoil is under residual compressive stress, said surface-treated area overlapping at least a boundary between said treated patch and the remainder of said airfoil.
A method of reducing crack propagation in metallic components, comprising:
- providing a metallic component having an external surface, said component including at least one crack-prone area;
- creating at least one treated patch which covers said crack-prone area, wherein the entire thickness of said component within said treated patch is left a state of residual compressive stress;
- and
- creating a surface-treated area on said external surface of said component which overlaps at least a boundary between said treated patch and the remainder of said component;
- whereby crack initiation at the boundary between said treated patch and the remainder of said component is resisted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.