Method of fabricating integrally bladed rotor and stator vane assembly

• US 8,631,577 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Ing, Visal
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Richard
• Application Number:
  US13/188,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20130019475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 29889-889722, 335/03, 335/04, 335/54, 335/49, 335/02, 250/559.23, 250/208.1, 250/559.08, 382/108, 382/286, 382/288
• US Class Current: 29/889.21
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 53/78 propeller blades; turbine blades
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49316 Impeller making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4932 Turbomachine making
• 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 29/49336 Blade making

Abstract

A method of fabricating an integrally bladed rotor of a gas turbine engine according to one aspect, includes a 3-dimensional scanning process to generate a 3-dimensional profile of individual blades before being welded to the disc of the rotor. A blade distribution pattern on the disc is then determined in a computing process using data of the 3-dimensional profile of the individual blades such that the fabricated integrally bladed rotor is balanced.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an integrally bladed rotor of a gas turbine engine, the integrally bladed rotor including a disc with an array of airfoil blades weldingly affixed to the disc, the method comprising:

a) scanning each of the blades and disc to capture geometric data representative of a 3-dimensional profile of each of the blades;

b) using the geometric data to calculate a weight and center of gravity of each of the blades;

c) using the calculated weight and center of gravity to determine a blade array pattern on the disc; and

d) positioning and welding the blades onto the disc in accordance with the determined blade array pattern.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein step (a) is conducted with a non-contact 3-dimensional scanning system.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the blades combined in the blade array pattern have a center of gravity within an acceptable range with respect to a reference point of the integrally bladed rotor to be fabricated, the reference point being on a rotating axis of the integrally bladed rotor.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein step (c) is performed in a computing process using the geometric data of both the disc and blades such that a center of gravity of the integrally bladed rotor to be fabricated, is within an acceptable range with respect to a reference point of the integrally bladed rotor to be fabricated, the reference point being on a rotating axis of the integrally bladed rotor.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the welding in step (d) is conducted in a linear friction welding procedure.