Process and refractory metal core for creating varying thickness microcircuits for turbine engine components
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsBryan P. Dube, Ryan Shepard Levy, Richard H. Page
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Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to a refractory metal core for use in forming varying thickness microcircuits in turbine engine components, a process for forming the refractory metal core, and a process for forming the turbine engine components. The refractory metal core is used in the casting of a turbine engine component. The core is formed by a sheet of refractory metal material having a curved trailing edge portion integrally formed with a leading edge portion.
Claims10
A process of forming a turbine engine component comprising the steps of:
- providing only one non-ceramic core formed from a single sheet of refractory metal material;
- said non-ceramic core providing step comprising providing the single sheet of refractory metal material core having at least one portion for forming at least one as-cast cooling circuit within said turbine engine component;
- said refractory metal material core providing step comprising machining the single sheet of refractory metal material core into a first portion for forming a serpentine cooling circuit in said turbine engine component and machining a second portion for forming a trailing edge cooling circuit in said turbine engine component, machining said sheet of refractory metal material core into a third portion for forming a leading edge cooling circuit in said turbine engine component, machining said sheet of refractory metal material core into a fourth portion for forming at least one internal cooling passage for said turbine engine component, wherein said first portion is integral to said second, third, and fourth portions;
- providing a mold having a shape of said turbine engine component;
- positioning only said non-ceramic core within said mold;
- introducing a molten metal material into said mold and allowing said molten metal material to solidify and form said turbine engine component;
- and
- removing said non-ceramic core from said solidified turbine engine component.
A process of forming a refractory metal core for use in a turbine engine component casting system comprising the steps of:
- providing a single sheet of refractory metal material having a substantially flat side;
- subjecting said single sheet of refractory metal material to an operation to alter a curvature in said single sheet of refractory metal material and form a curved trailing edge portion;
- and
- fabricating said single sheet of refractory metal material to have different thicknesses in different portions,
- wherein said fabricating step comprises removing material so as to form a first portion with a serpentine configuration and removing material from a trailing edge portion of said single sheet of refractory metal material so as to form a second portion in a shape of a trailing edge cooling circuit;
- wherein said fabricating step further comprises removing material from said single sheet to form a third portion for forming a leading edge cooling microcircuit and a fourth portion for forming an integral cooling microcircuit located between said third portion and said first portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.