Method of fabricating integrally bladed rotor using surface positioning in relation to surface priority

• US 8,904,636 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• 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: Blais, Mario, Bellerose, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryant, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOO, JUN S
• Application Number:
  US13/188,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20130019476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 298/892.1, 294/070.9, 294/071, 29/235.1, 700/186, 700/193, 702/155
• US Class Current: 29/889.21
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 53/78 propeller blades; turbine blades
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/04 turbine or like blades from several pieces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49316 Impeller 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 29/49764 with testing or indicating

Abstract

A method of fabricating an integrally bladed rotor for gas turbine engines according to one aspect includes a step of positioning a blade on a hub in a joining procedure by using a priority surface of the blade as a reference surface. The priority surface is determined in relation to importance of surface functionality of the blades during engine operation.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an integrally bladed rotor of a gas turbine engine, the integrally bladed rotor including a hub with an array of airfoil blades welded to the hub, each of the airfoil blades having respective positions of nominal aerodynamic-functional surfaces of each blade with respect to the hub, aerodynamic-functional surfaces of the blades directing a fluid flow during engine operation, the method comprising:

a) selecting an entire finished aerodynamic-functional surface of the respective blades as a reference surface for positioning the respective blades in a welding process;

b) positioning the respective blades onto the hub based on one requirement in which a position of the selected reference surface of the respective blades on the hub is defined in accordance with design data of only one corresponding entire nominal aerodynamic-functional surface of the integrally bladed rotor; and

c) welding the respectively positioned blades to the hub.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein step (a) is conducted by determining a priority aerodynamic-functional surface of the respective blades with respect to importance of surface functionality of the blades during engine operation, an entire finished surface of the determined priority aerodynamic-functional surface being selected as the reference surface.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein an entire finished surface on a suction side of the respective blades is selected as the reference surface.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein an entire finished surface on a pressure side of the respective blades is selected as the reference surface.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein an entire finished surface on a leading edge of the respective blades is selected as the reference surface.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein an entire finished surface on a trailing edge of the respective blades is selected as the reference surface.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein step (b) is conducted using a set-up system to adjust a position of the respective blades with respect to the hub, the set-up system being capable of adjusting the position of each of the blades in 6 dimensional degrees.