Air metering baffle assembly

• US 10,450,880 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2016
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Banks, Anton G., Collins, Leah M., Larson, Gary J., Dziuba, Thomas P., Kovach, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shanske, Jason D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Htay, Aye S
• Application Number:
  US15/228,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20180038237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/005 Selecting particular materials
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/188 with an insert in the blade cavity to guide the cooling fluid, e.g. forming a separation wall
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/189 the insert having a tubular cross-section, e.g. airfoil shape
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/02 Nozzles; Nozzle boxes; Stator blades; Guide conduits , e.g. individual nozzles nozzle boxes F01D9/047
• CPC Class Codes: 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
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/06 with front fan
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/232 by welding
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/233 Electron beam welding
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/234 Laser welding
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/235 TIG or MIG welding
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/50 Building or constructing in particular ways
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/54 by sheet metal manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/60 Assembly methods
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/11 Shroud seal segments
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/126 Baffles or ribs
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/81 Cooled platforms
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A baffle assembly includes a collar with a port and a baffle positioned in the port. The baffle includes two ends, a hollow body, and a weld connecting the baffle to the collar, and the collar continuously surrounds the body of the baffle.

Claims

1. A baffle assembly comprising:

a collar with a port, the collar having an inner side and an outer side, and a flared out raised portion;

a baffle positioned in the port comprising;

a first flared end proximate to the collar and larger than the port, such that a portion of the first flared end extends from the outer side of the collar wherein the first flared end of the baffle includes a dilated portion that is further flared from the first flared end and that interfaces with the flared out raised portion of the collar;

a second end distal from the collar and positioned on the inner side of the collar; and

an elongate, hollow body extending from the first end to the second end; and

a weld connecting the baffle to the collar at the first flared end, wherein the collar continuously surrounds the body of the baffle.

2. The baffle assembly of claim 1, wherein the first flared end extends outward from the outer side of the collar.

3. The baffle assembly of claim 1, wherein the collar is integral with a coverplate, the coverplate comprising a tab that extends from the collar.

4. The baffle assembly of claim 1, wherein the collar is flat.

5. The baffle assembly of claim 1, wherein the weld extends from the outer side to the inner side of the collar.

6. The baffle assembly of claim 1, wherein the collar and the baffle are each formed from sheet material of the same thickness.

7. A method of assembling a cooled component, the method comprising:

positioning a baffle having a flared end in a port in a collar, wherein the collar continuously surrounds the baffle and wherein the flared end is positioned proximate to the collar and is larger than the port, such that a portion of the flared end extends from an outer side of the collar;

welding the flared end of the baffle to the collar by a first automated machine to form a first baffle assembly;

positioning the first baffle assembly in the cooled component, the component comprising;

an inner end;

an outer end; and

a cavity extending into at least one of the inner and outer ends, wherein the first baffle assembly is positioned in the cavity;

welding the collar of the first baffle assembly to the cooled component at one of the inner and outer ends by a second automated machine,

connecting a second baffle assembly to the opposite one of the inner and outer ends from the first baffle assembly.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein welding the first baffle assembly to the cooled component comprises moving a welding target area of the second automated machine continuously around an entire perimeter of the collar at a consistent pace.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first automated machine employs a welding process selected from the group consisting of laser welding, tungsten inert gas welding, electron beam welding, and plasma welding.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the second automated machine employs a welding process selected from the group consisting of laser welding and electron beam welding.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the first automated machine is the same as the second automated machine.

12. A cooled component comprising:

an inner end;

an outer end;

a cavity extending into at least one of the inner and outer ends;

a first baffle assembly comprising;

a first hollow baffle positioned in the cavity and having a flared end; and

a collar that continuously surrounds the first hollow baffle such that the flared end extends from an outer side of the collar, the collar being welded to the flared end and connected to the cooled component at one of the inner and outer ends; and

a second baffle assembly that is connected to the opposite one of the inner and outer ends from the first baffle assembly.

13. The cooled component of claim 12, wherein the cooled component is a stator vane of a gas turbine engine.

14. The cooled component of claim 12, wherein the collar is integral with a coverplate, the coverplate comprising a tab that extends from the collar.

15. The cooled component of claim 12, wherein the collar is integral with a coverplate, wherein the coverplate is welded to the cooled component, and wherein the coverplate extends over a majority of the surface of one of the inner and outer ends.

16. The cooled component of claim 12, wherein the first hollow baffle is cantilevered from the collar.

17. The cooled component of claim 12, wherein the collar and the first hollow baffle are each formed from sheet material of the same thickness.