Transpiration-cooled structure and method for its preparation
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsRichard John Grylls, Curtiss Mitchell Austin, Kevin Swayne O'Hara
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A structure includes a cooled article having an open-cell solid foam of ceramic or metal cell walls with a porous interconnected intracellular volume therebetween. A source of a pressurized gas is in communication with a source region of the cooled article. The source of the pressurized gas includes a gas plenum in gaseous communication with the source region, and a compressor having a compressed gas output in gaseous communication with the gas plenum. Gas flows from the source of the pressurized gas through the porous intracellular volume, to cool the cooled article.
Claims23
A structure comprising
- a cooled article comprising an open-cell solid foam of cell walls having a porous interconnected intracellular volume therebetween, the cell walls being formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a metal and a ceramic, the cooled article having
- an exposed face, and
- a source region oppositely disposed from the exposed face, with the open-cell solid foam therebetween;
- and
- a source of a pressurized gas in communication with the source region of the cooled article, the pressurized gas flowing from the source region, through the open-cell solid foam, and out the exposed face of the cooled article.
A structure comprising
- a cooled article comprising an open-cell solid foam of ceramic cell walls having a porous interconnected intracellular volume therebetween, wherein the cooled article comprises at least about 60 volume percent of ceramic;
- and
- a source of a pressurized gas in communication with a source region of the cooled article, the source of the pressurized gas comprising
- a gas plenum in gaseous communication with the source region, and
- a compressor having a compressed gas output in gaseous communication with the gas plenum.
A structure comprising
- a cooled article comprising an open-cell solid foam of ceramic cell walls having a porous interconnected intracellular volume therebetween, wherein the ceramic comprises an abrasive ceramic mixed with a base ceramic, the abrasive ceramic being more abrasive than the base ceramic;
- and
- a source of a pressurized gas in communication with a source region of the cooled article, the source of the pressurized gas comprising
- a gas plenum in gaseous communication with the source region, and
- a compressor having a compressed gas output in gaseous communication with the gas plenum.
A structure comprising
- a cooled article comprising an open-cell solid foam of ceramic cell walls having a porous interconnected intracellular volume therebetween, wherein the ceramic comprises an abradable ceramic mixed with a base ceramic, the abradable ceramic being more abradable than the base ceramic;
- and
- a source of a pressurized gas in communication with a source region of the cooled article, the source of the pressurized gas comprising
- a gas plenum in gaseous communication with the source region, and
- a compressor having a compressed gas output in gaseous communication with the gas plenum.
A method of preparing a structure including an open-cell solid foam article, the method including the steps of
- providing a piece of a sacrificial ceramic having the shape of a cooled article, and
- contacting the piece of the sacrificial ceramic with a reactive metal which reacts with the sacrificial ceramic to form an open-celled ceramic foam article comprising
- ceramic cell walls of an oxidized ceramic of the reactive metal, and
- a porous interconnected intracellular volume therebetween filled with an intracellular metal;
- removing at least a portion of one of the ceramic cell walls and the intracellular metal of the article to form a transpiration volume;
- and
- placing a source of a pressurized gas in gaseous communication with a source region of the transpiration volume of the cooled article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.