Method for Producing a Shrouded Impeller from Two or More Components

• US 20110318183A1
• Filed: 06/29/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Turbocam, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Turbocam, Inc.
• Inventors: Noronha, Marian B., Noronha, Timothy P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,727,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 416/189
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2009/0808 Mechanical dispersion of melt, e.g. by sieves
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2009/0812 Pulverisation with a moving liquid coolant stream, by centrifugally rotating stream
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2009/0876 by gas
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/006 turbine wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/048 Form or construction
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/34 Rotor-blade aggregates of unitary construction , e.g. formed of sheet laminae; discs formed of sheet laminae F01D5/028; ceramic materials F01D5/284, composite materials F01D5/282
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/023 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/026 especially adapted for liquid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/281 for fans or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/284 for compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/624 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/626 Mounting or removal of fans
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/22 by sintering
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/232 by welding
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/233 Electron beam welding
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/237 Brazing
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/31 Layer deposition
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49321 Assembling individual fluid flow interacting members, e.g., blades, vanes, buckets, on rotary support member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49337 : Composite blade

Abstract

Provided is a two-piece shrouded impeller, and methods for manufacturing and assembling a two-piece shrouded impeller. The two-piece shrouded impeller, in accordance with one embodiment, may have a one-piece partially shrouded impeller having a central hub, a number of blades integrally attached to the hub, and one or more integral partial shroud sections integrally attached to the blades. The two-piece shrouded impeller in this embodiment may also have a separate shroud section that attaches to the one-piece shrouded impeller, so that the separate shroud section and the partial shroud sections combine to form a completed shroud that covers the impeller blades. The separate shroud section may attach to the one-piece shrouded impeller with a snap joint, or with an interference fit, or using a squeeze deformable ring. Once attached, the shroud section may be bonded to the one-piece shrouded impeller by brazing, stick welding, ultrasonic welding, or electron beam welding.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a shrouded impeller, comprising the steps of:

forming a one-piece partially shrouded impeller, said one-piece partially shrouded impeller comprising

a centrally located hub formed around a center bore,

a plurality of blades integrally attached to said hub,

an inner integral shroud integrally attached to said plurality of blades, said inner integral shroud comprising an outer rim with an outer rim radius,

an outer integral shroud integrally attached to said plurality of blades, said outer integral shroud comprising an inner edge with an inner edge radius, said outer integral shroud inner edge radius being larger than said inner integral shroud outer rim radius, thereby defining an annular gap between said inner integral shroud and said outer integral shroud; and

forming an annular shroud section, said annular shroud section comprising

an annular shroud section inner surface,

an annular shroud section inner edge with an annular shroud section inner edge radius being approximately equal to said inner integral shroud outer rim radius, and

an annular shroud section outer rim with an annular shroud section outer rim radius being approximately equal to said outer integral shroud inner edge radius.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming comprises milling.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming comprises selective laser sintering (SLS).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming comprises stereolithography.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said one-piece partially shrouded impeller further comprises a plurality of blade axial extensions; and

said annular shroud section further comprises a plurality of grooves formed in said annular shroud section inner surface, said plurality of grooves configured to receive said plurality of blade axial extensions.

6. A method for assembling a shrouded impeller, comprising:

providing a partially shrouded impeller, said partially shrouded impeller comprising

a centrally located hub,

a plurality of integral blades, and

an integral shroud section;

providing a separate shroud section;

attaching said separate shroud section to said partially shrouded impeller; and

bonding said annular shroud section to said partially shrouded impeller.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein attaching comprises a snap joint.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein attaching comprises an interference fit.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein attaching comprises a squeeze deformable ring.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein bonding comprises brazing.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein bonding comprises stick welding

12. The method of claim 6, wherein bonding comprises ultra sonic welding.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein bonding comprises electron beam welding.

14. A shrouded impeller, comprising:

a one-piece partially shrouded impeller comprising

a centrally located hub formed around a center bore,

a plurality of blades integrally attached to said hub,

an inner integral shroud integrally attached to said plurality of blades, said inner integral shroud comprising an outer rim, and

an outer integral shroud integrally attached to said plurality of blades, said outer integral shroud comprising an inner edge; and

an annular shroud section, said annular shroud section comprising

an annular shroud section inner surface adjacent to said plurality of blades,

an annular shroud section inner edge adjacent to said inner integral shroud outer rim, and

an annular shroud section outer rim adjacent to said outer integral shroud inner edge.

15. The shrouded impeller of claim 14, wherein said annular shroud section comprises 10% to 90% of the area of a shroud comprising said annular shroud section, said inner integral shroud, and said outer integral shroud.

16. The shrouded impeller of claim 14, further comprising:

a plurality of blade axial extensions; and

a plurality of grooves formed in said annular shroud section inner surface, said plurality of grooves configured to receive said plurality of blade axial extensions.

17. The shrouded impeller of claim 14, wherein:

said annular shroud section inner edge is attached to said inner integral shroud outer rim by a snap joint; and

said annular shroud section outer rim is attached to said outer integral shroud inner edge by a snap joint.

18. The shrouded impeller of claim 14, wherein:

said annular shroud section inner edge is attached to said inner integral shroud outer rim by interference fit; and

said annular shroud section outer rim is attached to said outer integral shroud inner edge by interference fit.

19. The shrouded impeller of claim 14, wherein:

said annular shroud section inner edge is attached to said inner integral shroud outer rim by a squeeze deformable ring; and

said annular shroud section outer rim is attached to said outer integral shroud inner edge by a squeeze deformable ring.

20. The shrouded impeller of claim 14, wherein:

said annular shroud section inner surface is bonded to said plurality of blades by brazing;

said annular shroud section inner edge is bonded to said inner integral shroud outer rim by brazing; and

said annular shroud section outer rim is bonded to said outer integral shroud inner edge by brazing.

21. The shrouded impeller of claim 14, wherein:

said annular shroud section inner surface is bonded to said plurality of blades by stick welding;

said annular shroud section inner edge is bonded to said inner integral shroud outer rim by stick welding; and

said annular shroud section outer rim is bonded to said outer integral shroud inner edge by stick welding.

22. The shrouded impeller of claim 14, wherein:

said annular shroud section inner surface is bonded to said plurality of blades by ultra sonic welding;

said annular shroud section inner edge is bonded to said inner integral shroud outer rim by ultra sonic welding; and

said annular shroud section outer rim is bonded to said outer integral shroud inner edge by ultra sonic welding.

23. The shrouded impeller of claim 14, wherein:

said annular shroud section inner surface is bonded to said plurality of blades by electron beam welding;

said annular shroud section inner edge is bonded to said inner integral shroud outer rim by electron beam welding; and

said annular shroud section outer rim is bonded to said outer integral shroud inner edge by electron beam welding.

24. A method for manufacturing a shrouded impeller, comprising the steps of:

forming a one-piece partially shrouded impeller, said one-piece partially shrouded impeller comprising

a centrally located hub formed around a center bore, said hub having a hub bore edge with at hub bore edge radius and a hub rim with a hub rim radius,

a plurality of blades integrally attached to said hub,

an integral partial shroud integrally attached to said plurality of blades, said integral partial shroud comprising an outer rim with an outer rim radius, said integral partial shroud further comprising an inner edge with an inner edge radius, said integral partial shroud inner edge radius being smaller than said integral partial shroud outer rim radius; and

forming a shroud section, said shroud section comprising

a shroud section inner surface, said shroud section inner surface further comprising a plurality of grooves formed in said shroud section inner surface, said plurality of grooves configured to receive said plurality of blades, and

a shroud section connecting edge, said shroud section connecting edge having a connecting edge radius and

a shroud section free edge, said shroud section free edge having a free edge radius.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein:

said shroud section connecting edge radius is approximately equal to said integral partial shroud inner edge radius; and

said shroud section free edge radius is smaller than said integral partial shroud inner edge radius.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein:

said shroud section free edge radius is larger than said hub bore edge radius; and

said integral partial shroud outer rim radius is approximately equal to said hub rim edge radius.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein:

said shroud section connecting edge radius is approximately equal to said integral partial shroud outer rim radius; and

said shroud section free edge radius is larger than said integral partial shroud outer rim radius.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein:

said shroud section free edge radius is approximately equal to said hub rim edge radius; and

said integral partial shroud inner edge radius is larger than said hub bore edge radius.

29. A shrouded impeller, comprising:

a one-piece partially shrouded impeller, said one-piece partially shrouded impeller comprising

a centrally located hub formed around a center bore, said hub having a hub bore edge with a hub bore edge radius and a hub rim with a hub rim radius,

a plurality of blades integrally attached to said hub,

an integral partial shroud integrally attached to said plurality of blades, said integral partial shroud comprising an outer rim with an outer rim radius, said integral partial shroud further comprising an inner edge with an inner edge radius, said integral partial shroud inner edge radius being smaller than said integral partial shroud outer rim radius; and

a shroud section, said shroud section comprising

a shroud section inner surface, said shroud section inner surface further comprising a plurality of grooves formed in said shroud section inner surface, said plurality of grooves configured to receive said plurality of blades, and

a shroud section connecting edge, said shroud section connecting edge having a connecting edge radius and

a shroud section free edge, said shroud section free edge having a free edge radius.