Friction stir welded hollow airfoils and method therefor
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsEarl Claude Helder, Timothy Joseph Trapp, John Robert Kelley, Vicky S. Budinger, Courtney James Tudor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hollow component for gas turbine engine, for example an outlet guide vane, is assembled from a body having at recessed pocket formed therein, and an aerodynamic cover bonded over the pocket. Both the cover and the body are constructed from materials which are not readily fusion weldable. The cover is attached to the body by a solid state bonding process, for example friction stir welding. The hollow component may also be built up from multiple individual components which are bonded to each other by a solid state bonding process such as friction stir welding.
Claims33
A hollow airfoil, comprising:
- a metallic body having opposed pressure and suction sides, a root, a tip, and spaced-apart leading and trailing edges, said body having a recessed first pocket formed in a selected one of said pressure and suction sides;
- a filler material disposed in said first pocket;
- and
- a first metallic cover having an outer peripheral edge, an inner surface, and an outer surface, said outer surface defining at least a portion of said selected one of said pressure or suction sides, wherein said first cover is attached to said body by a solid state bond.
A method of making a hollow airfoil, comprising:
- providing an airfoil-shaped body having spaced-apart leading and trailing edges, spaced-apart pressure and suction sides, a root, and a tip, a selected one of said pressure and suction sides having a first pocket formed therein;
- providing a first cover with a perimeter matching the perimeter of said first pocket, and an outer surface defining at least a portion of said selected one of said pressure or said suction sides;
- placing a filler material in said first pocket;
- placing said cover in said first pocket;
- and
- joining said first cover to said body by friction stir welding such that said first pocket is sealed from a surrounding environment.
The method of 19 further comprising placing a filler material in said second pocket.
A hollow airfoil having opposed pressure and suction sides, a root, a tip, and spaced-apart leading and trailing edges, said airfoil comprising:
- a metallic pressure side wall extending from said leading edge to said trailing edge;
- a metallic suction side wall extending from said leading edge to said trailing edge, said suction side wall disposed in spaced-apart relation to said pressure side wall;
- a metallic leading edge spacer extending from said root to said tip, the leading edge spacer separate from and disposed between said pressure and suction side walls;
- and
- a metallic trailing edge spacer extending from said root to said tip, the trailing edge spacer separate from and disposed between said pressure and suction side walls;
- wherein said pressure side wall and said suction side wall are attached to said leading and trailing edge spacers by a plurality of solid state bonds.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.