Blade or vane assembly for a gas turbine and method of manufacture thereof

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a blade or vane assembly having at least one hollow airfoil (10) for a gas turbine, profile sections (A, B, C) of this airfoil being configured (S20) on the basis of a predetermined desired torsion of the airfoil, and the airfoil being manufactured (S30) on the basis of the configured profile sections using an additive manufacturing process (S30).

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a blade or vane assembly having a hollow airfoil for a gas turbine, the method comprising: configuring profile sections of the airfoil on the basis of a predetermined desired torsion of the airfoil, wherein the predetermined desired torsion is an elastic twisting of the profile sections of the airfoil about a radial direction during turbine operation relative to an undeformed reference position; and manufacturing the airfoil on the basis of the configured profile sections using an additive manufacturing process.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the blade or vane assembly has a further hollow airfoil, further profile sections of the further airfoil being configured on the basis of a further predetermined desired torsion of the further airfoil, and the additive manufacturing process being used to jointly manufacture the airfoil and the further airfoil on the basis of the configured profile sections and the further profile sections.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the profile sections of the airfoil and the further profile sections of the further airfoil are differently configured, at least in sections, in order to detune the airfoil and the further airfoil relative to each other.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein at least two radially spaced apart profile sections of the airfoil or at least two radially spaced apart further profile sections of the further airfoil are configured and manufactured on the basis of the predetermined desired torsion or the further predetermined torsion with different second moments of area or torsional stiffness or section moduli.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein at least two radially spaced apart profile sections of the airfoil are configured and manufactured on the basis of the predetermined desired torsion with different second moments of area or torsional stiffness or section moduli.

6. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein at least two radially spaced apart profile sections of the airfoil or at least two radially spaced apart further profile sections of the further airfoil are configured and manufactured on the basis of the predetermined desired torsion or the further predetermined torsion with different outer wall thicknesses or internal structures of varying number, wall thickness, or shape.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the internal structures are macroscopic bracings.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein at least two radially spaced apart profile sections of the airfoil are configured and manufactured on the basis of the predetermined desired torsion with different outer wall thicknesses or internal structures of varying number, wall thickness, or shape.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the internal structures are macroscopic bracings.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein a variation from a first profile section of the profile sections to a second profile section of the profile sections differing from the first profile section is continuous.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the first and second profile sections are adjacent.

12. A blade or vane assembly for a gas turbine manufactured in accordance with the method as recited in claim 1.

13. A gas turbine comprising at least one compressor stage or turbine stage having at least one stator vane array or rotor blade array having at least one blade or vane assembly as recited in claim 12.

14. An aircraft engine gas turbine comprising the gas turbine as recited in claim 13.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other advantageous embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and the following description of preferred embodiments. To this end, the drawing shows, partly in schematic form, in:

(2) FIG. 1: a method for manufacturing a blade or vane assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2: a hollow airfoil of the blade or vane assembly in a plan view in the circumferential direction;

(4) FIG. 3 another hollow airfoil of the blade or vane assembly in a plan view in the circumferential direction; and

(5) FIGS. 4, 5 and 6: profile sections of the airfoils.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows a method for manufacturing a blade or vane assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention that is composed of a (first) hollow blade 10 (compare FIG. 2) or also additionally of at least one further hollow blade 20 (compare FIG. 3).

(7) A desired torsion is predetermined (in each case) in a first step S10 for the airfoil or for one or a plurality of the airfoils.

(8) In a second step S20, profile sections of the airfoil(s) are configured in such a way, respectively with the stipulation that it/they feature this desired torsion in the ADP.

(9) In a third step S30, the airfoil(s) is/are (jointly) manufactured on the basis of, respectively with the configured profile section(s) using an additive manufacturing process, in an embodiment, together with a blade root or vane root, and an inner and, if indicated, outer shroud.

(10) FIG. 2 shows airfoil 10 in a plan view in the circumferential direction; FIG. 4-6 three profile sections A, B, respectively, C of the airfoil along lines IV-IV, V-V, respectively VI-VI in FIG. 2.

(11) These three profile sections differ exemplarily in the wall thicknesses of outer walls 12 thereof, as well as in the number, wall thickness and shape of the bracings thereof. Exemplarily indicated to this end in FIG. 5, 6 are outer wall thicknesses S.sub.12 and, in FIGS. 4-6, various bracings 11.

(12) Profile sections of both airfoils 10, 20 are differently configured, at least in sections, in order to detune the two airfoils relative to each other.

(13) Exemplarily shown for this purpose in FIG. 6 is the profile section of first airfoil 10 along lines VI-VI in FIG. 2, and also the profile section of further airfoil 20 along lines VI-VI in FIG. 3, which are identical in the exemplary embodiment merely for the sake of a more compact illustration.

(14) In addition, in FIG. 5, an airfoil angle τ is drawn relative to the axial direction indicated by a dot-dash line, which ensues in the ADP, since airfoil 10 features the predetermined desired torsion therein as the result of the configured profile sections thereof.

(15) Although exemplary embodiments were explained in the preceding description, it should be noted that many modifications are possible.

(16) Thus, in particular as already mentioned, the blade or vane assembly may also feature only one single airfoil, specifically airfoil 10.

(17) It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments are merely examples and are in no way intended to restrict the scope of protection, the uses or the design. Rather, the foregoing description provides one skilled in the art with a guideline for realizing at least one exemplary embodiment; various modifications being possible, particularly with regard to the function and placement of the described components, without departing from the scope of protection as is derived from the claims and the combinations of features equivalent thereto.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(18) 10 first hollow airfoil 11 bracing (internal structure) 12 outer wall 20 second hollow airfoil A, B, C profile section s.sub.12 outer wall thickness τ airfoil angle