Method of manufacturing a fluid cooled blade or vane

Claim 1

A method of making a fluid cooled blade or vane for use in a gas turbine or like apparatus, said blade or vane having an elongated spaced, open ended skin of predetermined cross-sectional configuration including open top and bottom ends, a plurality of spaced, open ended cooling tubes located within and extending in the elongated direction of said skin between the open ends of the latter and solid material filling said elongated skin around said tubes, said method comprising the steps of: initially providing said elongated skin as a preform; temporarily closing the bottom end of said preform; disposing said cooling tubes in their intended positions within said preform at lengths greater than the elongated length of the latter such that a top section of each tube extends beyond the opened top end of said preform whereby to prevent molten material from entering said tubes through their open top ends as said preform is filled with said material; initially providing said solid filling material in a molten liquid state; filling said preform around said tubes with said molten material while, at the same time, preventing said molten material from entering said tubes; causing said molten material to solidify; severing at least most of each top end section of said tubes after said preform has been filled with said material; providing an alignment plate having an array of through holes corresponding to the positional arrangement of the said tubes; placing the end sections of said tubes into aligned ones of said through holes before said preform is filled with said material whereby to hold said tubes in place; and removing said plate after said preform has been filled with said material.

Claim 2

A method of making a fluid cooled blade or vane for use in a gas turbine or like apparatus, said blade or vane having an elongated spaced, open ended skin of predetermined cross-sectional configuration including open top and bottom ends, a plurality of spaced, open ended cooling tubes located within and extending in the elongated direction of said skin between the open ends of the latter and solid material filling said elongated skin around said tubes, said method comprising the steps of: initially providing said elongated skin as a preform; temporarily closing the bottom end of said preform; disposing said cooling tubes in their intended positions within said preform at lengths greater than the elongated length of the latter such that a top section of each tube extends beyond the opened top end of said preform whereby to prevent molten material from entering said tubes through their open top ends as said preform is filled with said material; initially providing said solid filling material in a molten liquid state; filling said preform around said tubes with said molten material while, at the same time, preventing said molten material from entering said tubes; causing said molten material to solidify; severing at least most of each top end section of said tubes after said preform has been filled with said material; providing an alignment plate having an array of through holes corresponding to the positional arrangement of the said tubes; placing the end sections of said tubes into aligned ones of said through holes before said preform is filled with said material whereby to hold said tubes in place; and removing said plate after said preform has been filled with said material.

Claim 10

A method of making a fluid cooled blade or vane for use in a gas turbine or like apparatus, said blade or vane having an elongated nickel skin displaying predetermined aerodynamic cross-sectional configuration including an opened top end and opposite opened bottom end, a plurality of spaced, open ended cooling tubes located within and extending in the elongated direction of said skin between the open ends of the latter, a reinforcement spar disposed within and extending the length of said skin between the opened ends of the latter and solid copper material filling said elongated skin around said tubes and spar, said method comprising the steps of: initially providing said elongated skin as a preform; placing said preform within a cooperating support cavity of a mold such that the bottom open end of said preform rests against and is closed by the bottom end of said cavity while the top open end of said preform is readily accessible; thereafter placing said cooling tubes in their intended positions within said preform, said tubes being initially provided in lengths greater than the elongated length of said preform such that a top end section of each tube extends beyond the open end of such preform; filling each of said tubes with a solid material whereby to improve the crush strength of said tubes; placing said spar within said preform; thereafter filling said preform around said tubes and spar with said copper material while the latter is in a molten liquid state; causing said molten copper material within said preform to solidify; removing said solid material from said tubes; thereafter severing at least most of each top end section of each of said tubes; providing an alignment plate having an array of through holes displaying the same configuration as said tubes when the latter are in their intended positions; placing the end sections of said tubes into aligned ones of said through holes before said preform is filled with said copper material whereby to hold said tubes in place; and thereafter removing said plate after the preform has been filled with said material and the latter soldified.

Claim 11

A method of making a fluid cooled blade or vane for use in a gas turbine or like apparatus, said blade or vane having an elongated nickel skin displaying predetermined aerodynamic cross-sectional configuration including an opened top end and opposite opened bottom end, a plurality of spaced, open ended cooling tubes located within and extending in the elongated direction of said skin between the open ends of the latter, a reinforcement spar disposed within and extending the length of said skin between the opened ends of the latter and solid copper material filling said elongated skin around said tubes and spar, said method comprising the steps of: initially providing said elongated skin as a preform; placing said preform within a cooperating support cavity of a mold such that the bottom open end of said preform rests against and is closed by the bottom end of said cavity while the top open end of said preform is readily accessible; thereafter placing said cooling tubes in their intended positions within said preform, said tubes being initially provided in lengths greater than the elongated length of said preform such that a top end section of each tube extends beyond the open end of such preform; filling each of said tubes with a solid material whereby to improve the crush strength of said tubes; placing said spar within said preform; thereafter filling said preform around said tubes and spar with said copper material while the latter is in a molten liquid state; causing said molten copper material within said preform to solidify; removing said solid material from said tubes; thereafter severing at least most of each top end section of each of said tubes; providing an alignment plate having an array of through holes displaying the same configuration as said tubes when the latter are in their intended positions; placing the end sections of said tubes into aligned ones of said through holes before said preform is filled with said copper material whereby to hold said tubes in place; and thereafter removing said plate after the preform has been filled with said material and the latter soldified.

Claim 15

A method of making a fluid cooled blade or vane for use in a gas turbine or like apparatus, said blade or vane having an elongated spaced, open ended skin of predetermined cross-sectional configuration including open top and bottom ends, a plurality of spaced, open ended cooling tubes located within and extending in the elongated direction of said skin between the open ends of the latter and solid material filling said elongated skin around said tubes, said method comprising the steps of: initially providing said elongated skin as a preform; temporarily closing the bottom end of said preform; disposing said cooling tubes in their intended positions within said preform at lengths greater than the elongated length of the latter such that a top section of each tube extends beyond the opened top end of said preform whereby to prevent molten material from entering said tubes through their open top ends as said preform is filled with said material; initially providing said solid filling material in a molten liquid state; filling said preform around said tubes with said molten material while, at the same time, preventing said molten material from entering said tubes; and causing said molten material to solidify; severing most but not all of each top end section of said tubes after said preform has been filled with said material such that a substantially smaller top segment thereof remains; providing an end cap having an array of openings arranged in accordance with the same pattern as said tubes; and attaching said cap onto the top end of said preform such that said openings receive respective ones of said small tube end segments.

Claim 16

A method of making a fluid cooled blade or vane for use in a gas turbine or like apparatus, said blade or vane having an elongated spaced, open ended skin of predetermined cross-sectional configuration including open top and bottom ends, a plurality of spaced, open ended cooling tubes located within and extending in the elongated direction of said skin between the open ends of the latter and solid material filling said elongated skin around said tubes, said method comprising the steps of: initially providing said elongated skin as a preform; temporarily closing the bottom end of said preform; disposing said cooling tubes in their intended positions within said preform at lengths greater than the elongated length of the latter such that a top section of each tube extends beyond the opened top end of said preform whereby to prevent molten material from entering said tubes through their open top ends as said preform is filled with said material; initially providing said solid filling material in a molten liquid state; filling said preform around said tubes with said molten material while, at the same time, preventing said molten material from entering said tubes; and causing said molten material to solidify; severing most but not all of each top end section of said tubes after said preform has been filled with said material such that a substantially smaller top segment thereof remains; providing an end cap having an array of openings arranged in accordance with the same pattern as said tubes; and attaching said cap onto the top end of said preform such that said openings receive respective ones of said small tube end segments.

Claim 17

A method of making a fluid cooled blade or vane for use in a gas turbine or like apparatus, said blade or vane having an elongated nickel skin displaying a predetermined aerodynamic cross-sectional configuration including an opened top end and opposite opened bottom end, a plurality of spaced, open ended cooling tubes located within and extending in the elongated direction of said skin between the open ends of the latter, a reinforcement spar disposed within and extending the length of said skin between the opened ends of the latter and solid copper material filling said elongated skin around said tubes and spar, said method comprising the steps of: initially providing said elongated skin as a preform; placing said preform within a cooperating support cavity of a mold such that the bottom open end of said preform rests against and is closed by the bottom end of said cavity while the top open end of said preform is readily accessible; thereafter placing said cooling tubes in their intended positions within said preform, said tubes being initially provided in lengths greater than the elongated length of said preform such that a top end section of each tube extends beyond the open end of such preform; filling each of said tubes with a solid material whereby to improve the crush strength of said tubes; placing said spar within said preform; thereafter filling said preform around said tubes and spar with said copper material while the latter is in a molten liquid state; causing said molten copper material within said preform to solify; removing said solid material from said tubes; and thereafter severing at most but not all of each top end section of each of said tubes such that a substantially smaller top segment thereof remains; providing an end cap having an array of openings arranged in accordance with the same pattern as said tubes; and attaching said end cap onto the top end of said preform such that said openings receive respective ones of said small end segments.

Claim 18

A method of making a fluid cooled blade or vane for use in a gas turbine or like apparatus, said blade or vane having an elongated nickel skin displaying a predetermined aerodynamic cross-sectional configuration including an opened top end and opposite opened bottom end, a plurality of spaced, open ended cooling tubes located within and extending in the elongated direction of said skin between the open ends of the latter, a reinforcement spar disposed within and extending the length of said skin between the opened ends of the latter and solid copper material filling said elongated skin around said tubes and spar, said method comprising the steps of: initially providing said elongated skin as a preform; placing said preform within a cooperating support cavity of a mold such that the bottom open end of said preform rests against and is closed by the bottom end of said cavity while the top open end of said preform is readily accessible; thereafter placing said cooling tubes in their intended positions within said preform, said tubes being initially provided in lengths greater than the elongated length of said preform such that a top end section of each tube extends beyond the open end of such preform; filling each of said tubes with a solid material whereby to improve the crush strength of said tubes; placing said spar within said preform; thereafter filling said preform around said tubes and spar with said copper material while the latter is in a molten liquid state; causing said molten copper material within said preform to solify; removing said solid material from said tubes; and thereafter severing at most but not all of each top end section of each of said tubes such that a substantially smaller top segment thereof remains; providing an end cap having an array of openings arranged in accordance with the same pattern as said tubes; and attaching said end cap onto the top end of said preform such that said openings receive respective ones of said small end segments.