Coating, Specific Composition Or Characteristic Patents (Class 416/241R)
  • Patent number: 6165628
    Abstract: An article is described, which includes a metal-based substrate, such as a superalloy; a dense, primary bond layer; and a spongy secondary bond layer. A thermal barrier coating is applied over the secondary bond layer. The spongy layer has a microstructure which includes an open network of interconnected pores. A process is also described. It includes the step of applying a spongy, metallic bond layer over the substrate, followed by the application of a thermal barrier coating. A dense, primary bond layer may optionally be applied before the application of the spongy layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Marcus Preston Borom, Dennis Michael Gray, Yuk-Chiu Lau, Surinder Singh Pabla
  • Patent number: 6164916
    Abstract: A method of applying a wear-resistant hardface material (alloy) to a portion of a turbine blade, typically a wear surface on a shrouded turbine blade. A thin foil of brazing alloy (which in the preferred embodiment is a nickel-based alloy) is placed over said wear surface, and a hardface alloy of a greater than desired thickness (which in the preferred embodiment is a cobalt-based alloy) is placed thereover, thereby sandwiching the foil therebetween. The wear surface, foil, and hardface material are heated for a period sufficient to melt the foil and cause bonding of the hardface alloy to the wear surface. The hardface material is thereafter machined to bring the wear surface to design tolerances. A turbine blade, and a method of rebuilding a portion of a turbine blade, are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Aaron Todd Frost, Andrew Jones, Jr., Rosalia Marie Martinez-Brandon, Raymond Alan White
  • Patent number: 6158957
    Abstract: The invention is a process for removing ceramic thermal barrier layers from gas turbine engine hardware. A combination of chemical and mechanical steps are used to remove the thermal barrier coating from the substrate without removing the bond coat from the substrate. The process leaves the bond coat on the substrate in condition to receive a repair ceramic thermal barrier coating. The process includes a caustic solution treatment in an autoclave under controlled conditions followed by a mechanical abrasion process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: John J. Marcin, Stephen D. Murray, Keith D. Sheffler
  • Patent number: 6155789
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine airfoil assembly for damping airfoil vibrations includes a metallic airfoil having an outer surface and a chordwise extending cavity beneath the outer surface of the airfoil. A damper is trapped within the cavity and a region in the airfoil surrounding the cavity has compressive residual stresses imparted by laser shock peening. The damper is preferably a chordwise extending linear wire having a distal end tacked down within the cavity. The invention includes a method for constructing the assembly for damping airfoil vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Seetharamaiah Mannava, William D. Cowie, Robert L. Yeaton
  • Patent number: 6153313
    Abstract: A coating system (20) for articles used in hostile thermal environments, such as turbine, combustor and augmentor components (10) of a gas turbine engine. The coating system (20) of this invention employs a NiAl-based intermetallic coating (24) containing 30 to 60 atomic percent aluminum so as to be predominantly of the .beta.-NiAl phase, but also contains alloying additions intended to increase the creep strength of the coating (24), and optionally contains alloying additions to getter impurities, increase fracture resistance, and promote oxidation resistance. For this purpose, the coating (24) preferably includes additions of chromium, titanium, tantalum, silicon, hafnium and/or gallium, and optionally contains additions of calcium, zirconium, yttrium, and/or iron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joseph D. Rigney, Ramgopal Darolia, William S. Walston, Reed R. Corderman
  • Patent number: 6149389
    Abstract: On a turbine blade a protective corrosion resistant surface layer consisting of a MCrAlY alloy is generated by melting the surface of the turbine blade with the MCrAlY alloy uniformly distributed over the surface of the turbine blade by a pulsed electron beam to a depth of 5-50 .mu.m whereby a smooth surface is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Henning Hennies, Gunther Kessler, Gerd Krafft, Georg Muller, Gustav Schumacher
  • Patent number: 6145787
    Abstract: The invention relates to heatable wind energy turbine blades and to a method of heating and deicing the turbine blades using conductive fabrics to displace and/or cease the buildup of ice on the turbine blades by electrothermal fabric heater disposed or integrated on the turbines for effectively deicing the blades. Multiple turbine blade design methods are explored as well as heater materials and the application of such materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: Thermion Systems International
    Inventor: John A. Rolls
  • Patent number: 6139976
    Abstract: The invention relates to an article of manufacture comprising: a substrate composed of a superalloy containing chromium and a base element selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, and nickel; and an enrichment layer containing chromium and placed on the substrate. Therein, the enrichment layer comprises a continuous matrix composed of a gamma-phase solid solution of chromium in the base element. The invention also relates to the manufacture of such an article. The article may in particular be a gas turbine component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Norbert Czech, Knut Halberstadt, John Smith, Adrian Kempster
  • Patent number: 6129514
    Abstract: A compact steam turbine power-generation plant has a compact steam turbine that operates at a high temperature in a range of 600 to 660.degree. C. Ferrite based heat resisting steels provide for thermal efficiency. The main steam temperature and the reheated steam temperature can be set in a range of 600 to 660.degree. C. by making the main parts exposed to the high temperature atmosphere, such as the rotor shaft, from ferrite based forged steels and cast steels and by making a final stage blade of a low pressure turbine from a martensite steel. The final stage blade is made from a ferrite based forged steel having a tensile strength of 120 kgf/mm.sup.2 or more; the rotor shaft is made from a ferrite based forged steel having a 10.sup.5 h creep rupture strength of 11 kgf/mm.sup.2 or more; and the inner casing is made from a ferrite based cast steel having a 10.sup.5 h creep rupture strength of 10 kgf/mm.sup.2 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Shiga, Takeshi Onoda, Shigeyoshi Nakamura, Yutaka Fukui
  • Patent number: 6129991
    Abstract: High temperature oxidation resistance of an aluminide diffusion overcoated MCrAlY coating system is substantially improved by CVD over-aluminizing the MCrAlY type overlay coating under CVD conditions that result in reduced concentrations of such tramp impurities as S and P in the aluminized MCrAlY overlay coating region of the coating system. The CVD aluminizing conditions yield an outwardly grown aluminide over-coat on the underlying MCrAlY type coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: Howmet Research Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce M. Warnes, William J. Shriver, Ronald J. Honick, Jr., Nick S. DuShane
  • Patent number: 6126400
    Abstract: An airfoil having extended life due to reduction in stresses. The stresses are reduced by extending the thermal barrier coating below the radius between the outer band perimeter and the inner flow path surfaces and tapering the coating thickness. This additional tapered thermal barrier coating reduces the temperature gradient across a region already having high mechanical stresses resulting from geometric considerations thereby lowering thermally-induced stresses so that low cycle fatigue life is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Glenn H. Nichols, Judd D. Tressler
  • Patent number: 6127044
    Abstract: A method for producing titanium alloy turbine blades comprising the steps of (a) forming turbine blades of titanium alloy through hot forging or machining, (b) cooling leading edges on tip portions of the turbine blades including covers thereof formed through hot forging or machining faster than blade main body after final hot forging or solid solution treatment, and (c) heat treating the cooled turbine blades. With this method, it is possible to manufacture titanium turbine blades in an economical fashion and obtain titanium alloy turbine blades superior in reliability by preventing erosion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Boehler Schmiedetechnik Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung & Company Kommandit Gesellschaft
    Inventors: Masaru Yamamoto, Hironobu Yamamoto, Herbert Puschnik, Manfred Koren
  • Patent number: 6123504
    Abstract: A steam turbine includes a rotor shaft, movable blades assembled on the rotor shaft, fixed blades for guiding inflow of steam to the moving blades, and an inner casing for holding the fixed blades. The rotor shaft and at least a first stage of the movable blades are made of high-strength martensitic steel comprising 0.05-0.20(%) of C, at most 0.15(%) of Si, 0.3-0.7(%) of Mn, 9.5-13(%) of Cr, 0.3-0.7(%) of Ni, 0.05-0.35(%) of V, 0.02-0.15(%) of Nb, 0.01-0.06(%) of N, 0.05-0.5(%) of Mo, 1.0-3.5(%) of W, 2-10(%) of Co and 0.0005-0.03(%) of B and at least 78(%) of Fe (the percentages being given in terms of weight). The inner casings is made of martensitic cast steel comprising 0.06-0.16(%) of C, at most 0.5(%) of Si, at most 1(%) of Mn, 0.2-1.0(%) of Ni, 8-12(%) of Cr, 0.05-0.35(%) of V, 0.01-0.15(%) of Nb, 0.01-0.1(%) of N, at most 1.5% of Mo, 1-4(%) of W and 0.0005-0.03(%) of B and at least 85(%) of Fe (the percentages being given in terms of weight).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Shiga, Ryo Hiraga, Takeshi Onoda, Nobuo Shimizu, Norio Yamada, Mitsuo Kuriyama, Kishio Hidaka, Shigeyoshi Nakamura, Yutaka Fukui, Toshio Fujita
  • Patent number: 6110604
    Abstract: A metallic article includes a bond coating and a ceramic thermal barrier coating on the bond coating. The ceramic thermal barrier coating includes a plurality of columnar grains extending substantially perpendicularly to the surface of the metallic article. Each columnar gain has a plurality of first layers, a plurality of second layers and a plurality of third layers. The first layers have a different structure from the second layers and the third layers. The second layers have a different structure from the third layers. The first layers have the same composition as the third layers. The second layers have a greater proportion of voids than the first layers and the third layers. The voids reduce the thermal conductivity of the thermal barrier coating. The second layers may also have a different composition from the first layers and the third layers to reduce the thermal conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce, PLC
    Inventor: David S Rickerby
  • Patent number: 6106231
    Abstract: An article comprising an airfoil surface is provided with a thermal insulating outer layer on at least one region, but not all, of the airfoil surface. The region is selected from the airfoil surface which has been observed to experience more strenuous environmental operating conditions during service operation than the airfoil surface outside of the region. In one form, the thermal insulating outer layer is applied to at least one region of each of a plurality of airfoil surfaces. Each airfoil surface is disposed about an axis of rotation with the region of each airfoil surface facing generally outwardly from the axis of rotation and from each other. The airfoil surfaces are rotated about the axis of rotation while a thermal insulating material contacts at least the regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gulcharan S. Brainch, Michael J. Danowski, Roger D. Wustman, Jonathan P. Clarke
  • Patent number: 6099257
    Abstract: A plain blank is sized to produce an airfoil. The blank is plastically formed to include a pocket blending smoothly in one side thereof. Leading and trailing edges of the airfoil are benched. And, filler is placed into the pocket to effect an aerodynamic profile for the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jan C. Schilling
  • Patent number: 6095756
    Abstract: This invention relates to high-Cr precision casting materials containing carbon, silicon, manganese, chromium, nickel, vanadium, niobium, nitrogen, molybdenum, tungsten, cobalt and optionally boron in specific weight proportions, the balance being iron and incidental impurities, as well as turbine blades made by a precision casting process using these materials. Thus, the present invention provides high-Cr precision casting materials which are capable of precision casting and, moreover, have excellent high-temperature strength, as well as inexpensive and highly reliable turbine blades made by using these casting materials and such turbine blades also having lighter weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akitsugu Fujita, Masatomo Kamada, Hiroshi Yokota, Mitsuyoshi Tsuchiya, Yoshinori Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6095755
    Abstract: An airfoil having improved fatigue strength is disclosed. The airfoil comprises a tip, a root section, a platform, and an airfoil section located between the tip and the platform. The airfoil section has a leading edge and a trailing edge. A metallic coating is located along the leading edge and the trailing edge excluding a portion of the leading edge and the trailing edge located near the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: David Paul Houston
  • Patent number: 6092989
    Abstract: A compressor for a gas turbine, comprises a rotor including a plurality of rotor parts, and blades for a plurality of stages implanted in the rotor parts, the rotor part in which the blades for at least two of the stages are implanted is made of a Ni--Cr--Mo--V low alloy steel, and the Ni--Cr--Mo--V low alloy steel has substantially an entire bainite microstructure comprising, in weight percent, C of 0.15-0.40%, Si not more than 0.1%, Mn not more than 0.5%, Ni of 1.5-2.5%, Cr of 0.8-2.5%, Mo of 0.8-2.0%, V of 0.1-0.35% and the balance being substantially Fe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Siga, Hajime Toriya, Yutaka Fukui
  • Patent number: 6089828
    Abstract: A pair of mating titanium alloy substrates for use in a gas turbine engine are provided, one of which comprises an aluminum bronze alloy wear resistant coating. The coating consists essentially of 9.0-11.0% aluminum (Al), 0.0-1.50% iron (Fe), and a remainder of copper (Cu). The wear resistant coating is disposed between the mating substrates and inhibits frictional wear between the mating substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Terry L. Hollis, Thomas J. Rising, John G. Dorrance, Bruce I. Beeman, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6082890
    Abstract: A glass coated high axial flow impeller, including a hub and attached blades. The hub has a centrally located hole, where the hole has a central axis. The impeller has a plurality of angles and edges, all of which have a rounded configuration to permit glassing. The impeller further includes at least two variable pitch blades. Each blade has front and rear surfaces both defined by an inside edge having a leading end and a trailing end, an outside edge having a leading end and a trailing end, a leading edge connecting the leading end of the inside edge to the leading end of the outside edge and a trailing edge that connects the trailing end of the inside edge to the trailing end of the outside edge. The outside edge of each blade is from about 1.5 to 2.5 times the length of the inside edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Pfaudler, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthias Georg Heinzmann, Wayne N. Rickman, Philip E. McGrath
  • Patent number: 6077036
    Abstract: A turbine nozzle includes outer and inner bands between which extend a plurality of vanes for channeling combustion gases. Each of the vanes includes leading and trailing edges, and pressure and suction sides extending therebetween, and also a bow along the trailing edge to increase pressure in the gases adjacent the inner band. The vanes also include a thermal barrier coating (TBC) selectively disposed solely along the suction side between the leading and trailing edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Todd S. Heffron, John P. Heyward, John H. Starkweather, Scott M. Carson
  • Patent number: 6074169
    Abstract: A high and low pressure sides integrating steam turbine having high and low pressure sides integrating steam turbine blades, each made of a martensite steel including 8-13 wt % Cr, and having a blade length of 33 inches or more for 60 Hz power generation and 40 inches for 50 Hz power generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Siga, Takeshi Onoda, Shigeyoshi Nakamura, Ryo Hiraga
  • Patent number: 6065936
    Abstract: This invention provides a compact, flat axial fan which is not limited by the shape of an incorporated rotor magnet and ensures a sufficiently large air flow and wind pressure, wherein the slide (under) piece of a mold that forms the under-molding portions of the vanes of the impeller of the axial fan is pulled out while being twisted (while performing a helical motion) in the direction of central axis of the base portion of the impeller, so that the mold can be formed simple to realize a multi-cavity mold, and the vanes can be formed into an ideal form by setting vane angles depending on different rotating peripheral velocities of the vanes, so that air can be supplied form the under-molding portions of the vanes to the vanes on the outer circumferential side during rotation of the impeller and a method of manufacturing an impeller for the axial fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Copal
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Shingai, Yukihide Umeda
  • Patent number: 6066405
    Abstract: A nickel-base superalloy substrate includes a surface region having an integrated aluminum content of from about 18 to about 24 percent by weight and an integrated platinum content of from about 18 to about 45 percent by weight, with the balance components of the substrate. The substrate is preferably a single-crystal advanced superalloy selected for use at high temperatures. The substrate may optionally have a ceramic layer deposited over the platinum-aluminide region, to produce a thermal barrier coating system. The platinum-aluminide region is produced by diffusing platinum into the substrate surface, and thereafter diffusing aluminum into the substrate surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jon C. Schaeffer
  • Patent number: 6062811
    Abstract: A monitor for detecting overheating of a critical component in a combustion turbine is provided. The monitor, when used in conjunction with a closed-loop cooling system, comprises a coating comprising an indicator material having an activation temperature. The coating is situated on the internal cooling passages of the critical component. The monitor further comprises a sensor connected to an outlet conduit of the cooling system for determining the amount of degradation of indicator material by monitoring the cooling fluid flowing through the outlet conduit. Embodiments further comprising "sniffer" tubes for use with open-loop air cooling systems also are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventors: Paul J. Zombo, Brij B. Seth, Kent G. Hultgren, Michael A. Burke
  • Patent number: 6062817
    Abstract: An airfoil core die includes a tab for forming a continuous and smooth contour and extension of a first trailing edge slot recessed wall to a bottom of the airfoil. The contour is formed on each airfoil core at injection and is maintained through to finish casting of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Danowski, Gulcharan S. Brainch, Jonathan P. Clarke
  • Patent number: 6060174
    Abstract: A substrate (12) such as a superalloy turbine component is coated with a basecoat (14) of the type MCrAlY which also contains boron, where the amount of boron in the basecoat is in a concentration gradient where more boron is present near the top (16) than the bottom (20) of the basecoat (14) and boron is present in an average amount of over 0.50 wt. % throughout the basecoat cross-section (14) of the composite (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen M. Sabol, John G. Goedjen
  • Patent number: 6059533
    Abstract: A vibration damped turbo-machine blade includes a shot peened metallic substrate which provides a shape for the blade. Carried on the metallic substrate and bonded to an outer surface of this substrate is a singular ceramic coating of a damping material. The substrate may be made of forged titanium, and the coating may be made of a ceramic material including cobalt at a weight percentage of from about 13% to about 21%, with the balance of the ceramic material being substantially all tungsten carbide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Stoker, Stan Pollitt, Terry Morris, Bob Chen, Ramish Doshi
  • Patent number: 6056507
    Abstract: A method for preparing a Ni base superalloy inner wall surface of a body open end, such as an end of a turbomachinery blade, and an end plate, such as a blade tip cap, for brazing together at a rim of the end plate includes electrochemically removing oxides from the inner wall surface. The end plate is prepared, at least at its rim, by first removing surface and subsurface oxides, for example by mechanical abrading or a combination of such abrading and acid cleaning. Then at least the rim is electroplated with Ni which is heated to diffuse the Ni into the rim substrate. This provides an improved combination of surfaces for brazing, for example with a Ni base brazing alloy. After brazing the rim to the inner wall, there is provided an article with an improved relatively low oxide brazed joint, including less than about 20 volume % oxides, and a plate rim of substantially Ni along with elements diffused from the brazing alloy and the rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gary E. Wheat, Robert E. Mc Cracken, Nicholas C. Palmer
  • Patent number: 6056856
    Abstract: A paper-making machine includes a wet end associated with a wet fiber web, a headbox having an outlet gap, and a forming fabric positioned adjacent to the outlet gap and moving in a direction of web travel. An air/water separator is positioned in association with the forming fabric and downstream from the headbox relative to the direction of web travel. The air/water separator is configured for receiving liquid from the fiber web. A blower having a housing and an impeller is fluidly connected with the air/water separator. The impeller is rotatably carried by and within the housing and has a rotating hub with a periphery. The impeller also has a plurality of vanes attached to and extending from the hub and substantially equally spaced around the periphery. The vanes are formed of a non-metallic, composite material and have a coating of a layer of hydrophobic material substantially covering the composite material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: Voith Sulzer Paper Technology North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Edwin X. Graf
  • Patent number: 6048174
    Abstract: A hollow airfoil (34) for a gas turbine engine having a leading edge (50), a trailing edge (52), a pressure side (54), and a suction side (56) includes a solid region of enhanced chordal thickness (78), and buttresses (82, 84, 86, 88). The present invention airfoil is preferentially strengthened so as to reduce the risk of airfoil fracture due to impact of airfoil with successive airfoils during an airfoil loss condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Marc Samit, Douglas A. Welch, Paul W. Duesler, Patrick D. Markham, Allan R. Penda
  • Patent number: 6042951
    Abstract: A ceramic-coated blade of a gas turbine and a method of producing the same, in which the thickening of an Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 layer at the interface between a ceramic layer and a primary layer is sufficiently prevented for a long period of time, thereby positively suppressing the separation of the ceramic layer. Using powder of MCrAlY alloy (Co-32% Ni-21% Cr-8% Al-0.5% Y), a primary layer (alloy coating layer) is formed on a surface of a substrate made of a heat-resistant Ni base alloy (Rene'-80). Further, a heat-resistant ceramic layer, comprising a mixture of ion-conductive ZrO.sub.2 -8 wt. % Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 ceramic and insulative ceramic (e.g. Al.sub.2 O.sub.3), is formed on the alloy coating layer. This mixture has a columnar structure in which columnar crystals are grown by a gas phase in a direction of a thickness of the coating, or a porous structure in which flattened particles brought about from molten particles caused to fly at high velocity are laminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., The Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Kojima, Hideyuki Arikawa, Mitsuo Haginoya, Katsuo Wada, Ryuta Watanabe, Yoshiaki Matsushita, Shin Yoshino
  • Patent number: 6039537
    Abstract: A turbine blade which can be subjected to a hot gas flow includes a substrate, at least one interior space and a plurality of bores leading from the interior space out of the substrate. The substrate is at least partly covered by a heat-insulating-layer system at a suction side and/or a pressure side. At least one of the bores is closed by the heat-insulating-layer system and at least one further bore is open for developing film cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Michael Scheurlen
  • Patent number: 6022194
    Abstract: The invention provides a blade-rotating device for rotating a plurality of radially-oriented blades having a blade base with two grooved base sides. The device has a portion, such as a disc or a rotor disc of a turbine, for rotating the blades with the portion having an outer cylindrical surface. The device also has a plurality of steel steeples each having a steeple base and two opposite grooved steeple sides extending therefrom. Each of the opposite steeple sides complements at least one of the grooved sides of at least one of the blade bases. The steeple bases are linear friction welded to the outer cylindrical surface in an approximately longitudinal direction such that the blade bases are engagable with the steel steeples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis Ray Amos, Sallie Ann Bachman
  • Patent number: 6019580
    Abstract: A turbine or compressor disk assembly comprises a plurality of blades attached to a central hub by means of the blade root of each blade engaging a corresponding slot in the hub. According to the principles of the present invention, a turbine or compressor disk assembly includes one or more locally bulging regions extending axially away from the surface of the disk in the vicinity of the bottom contact plane of the disk attachment firtree. The locally bulging regions reduce the peak Macke stress in the disk bottom fillet and blade attachment root. In an illustrative embodiment, two locally bulging regions are incorporated into the disk and the corresponding blades, one of which extends forward from the leading edge of the disk and the other of which extends rearward from the trailing edge of the disk. The rearward locally bulging region has an exaggerated extension which allows the stress reduction ring to form an aft flow discourager as well as functioning to reduce peak stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Barr, Frederick G. Borns, Mark C. Johnson
  • Patent number: 6007301
    Abstract: A turbine rotor consisting of a wheel made of a TiAl alloy of good heat resistance and a rotor shaft made of a steel with good bonding strength is disclosed. As the shaft material a structural steel or a martensitic heat resistant steel is used. A TiAl turbine wheel made by precision casting is butted to the shaft with insertion of a brazing filler in the butted interfaces and stress of 0.01 kgf/mm.sup.2 or higher but lower than yield stress of the shaft is applied on the butted interfaces under heating by high frequency induction heating in atmosphere of an inert gas or a reducing gas to a temperature higher than the liquidus temperature of the brazing metal but not exceeding 100.degree. C. above the liquidus temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Diado Steel Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiharu Noda, Michio Okabe, Takao Shimizu
  • Patent number: 6004102
    Abstract: A turbine blade which is provided for use in a wet steam region of penultimate and ultimate stages of turbines and is subject to erosive wear caused by impinging water droplets, is treated in a region of leading edges and parts of a blade leaf in such a way as to reduce the erosive wear. In order to reduce the erosive effect of the water droplets, the blade leaf has a surface roughness in the region of its leading edge and its blade back or in at least a partial region thereof. The surface roughness is markedly increased in comparison with the surface roughness of a front side of the blade leaf.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Gustav Kuefner, Horst Mueller, Martin Breindl, Bernd Sokol, Walter Zeisler
  • Patent number: 5997248
    Abstract: A granular composition is applied to tips of rotor blades utilized in a gas turbine engine wherein the blade tips rub against an abradable ceramic layer. Individual grains each have a core of silicon carbide and a layer of aluminum nitride on the core. A layer of a cladding metal may be bonded to the aluminum nitride. The composition also may include particles of cubic boron nitride and/or particles of metal alloy blended with the grains of silicon carbide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Sulzer Metco (US) Inc.
    Inventors: Farshad Ghasripoor, Richard K. Schmid, Mitchell R. Dorfman
  • Patent number: 5993980
    Abstract: A protective coating for protecting a component from corrosion and oxidation at a high temperature and from excessive thermal stress, has a heat insulation layer including a ceramic material and an adhesion-promoting layer including a rhenium containing metal alloy. The metal alloy belongs to the alloys covered by the general term MCrAlY, where M represents cobalt and/or nickel and Y represents yttrium and/or at least one equivalent metal from the group including scandium and the rare earth elements. The protective coating is distinguished by high oxidation resistance and corrosion resistance of the alloy, by outstanding thermal fatigue properties and an effective and permanent bond between the alloy and the ceramic heat insulation layer. As a result of the heat insulation, the temperature at the outer surface of the protective coating can be considerably higher than with purely metallic protective coatings, without an increased thermal load being exerted on the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Friedheim Schmitz, Norbert Czech
  • Patent number: 5993161
    Abstract: A method for designing a mistuned rotor with improved stability and forced response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventor: Benjamin Shapiro
  • Patent number: 5988982
    Abstract: A method of modifying the vibration resonance characteristics of a workpiece includes the steps of determining a vibratory resonance condition frequency of the workpiece, determining the mode shape of said vibratory resonance condition, locating an area on the workpiece that includes a maximum curvature for the determined mode shape and vibratory resonance condition frequency; then laser shock peening the located area to create residual compressive stresses within the workpiece to shift the determined vibratory resonance condition frequency. A workpiece such as a gas turbine engine blade is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: LSP Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Allan H. Clauer
  • Patent number: 5980209
    Abstract: A first-stage turbine blade includes an airfoil having a profile according to Table I. The airfoil has a plurality of cooling air passages extending linearly from the root portion to the tip portion of the airfoil. The blade includes a shank having a pair of cavities in communication through the blade dovetail with a plenum in the wheel space for supplying cooling air to the passages in the airfoil. The cooling passages in the airfoil terminate in a recess at the tip portion which has an opening adjacent the trailing edge of the airfoil and along the suction side to enable egress of cooling air into the hot gas stream on the low pressure side of the airfoil. The majority of the cooling passages are turbulated. Certain of those passages are arranged in rows lying adjacent to the pressure and suction sides of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: Vincent Anthony Barry, Brent A. Gregory, Nesim Abuaf
  • Patent number: 5975852
    Abstract: A thermal barrier coating and a method for forming the coating on an article designed for use in a hostile thermal environment, such as turbine, combustor and augmentor components of a gas turbine engine. The method is particularly directed to increasing the spallation resistance of a thermal barrier coating system that includes a thermal insulating ceramic layer. The coating system of this invention generally includes a nickel aluminide alloy on which an aluminum oxide layer is formed, over which a ceramic layer is deposited so as to overlie and contact the aluminum oxide layer. The coating system does not include a bond coat, such as a diffusion aluminide or MCrAlY coating known in the prior art. The nickel aluminide alloy may be a binary NiAl alloy consisting essentially of nickel and aluminum in stoichiometric amounts, or may contain one or more oxygen-active elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Banalore A. Nagaraj, Jon C. Schaeffer, Mark A. Rosenzweig
  • Patent number: 5967755
    Abstract: A product and a method for manufacturing the product include a metallic basic body with at least one longitudinal duct disposed therein and with a number of transverse ducts branching off from the longitudinal duct. A covering layer lies on the outside of the basic body. The covering layer serves as a protective or adhesive layer. An enrichment layer covers walls of the longitudinal duct and of the transverse ducts and parts of the covering layer. A ceramic heat-insulating layer can also be provided on the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Norbert Czech, Knut Halberstadt
  • Patent number: 5965240
    Abstract: A composite article comprising of a non-metallic composite core, a fluoroelastomer adhesive layer which has a curing temperature substantially similar to the composite core, and a metallic structure which overlays the fluoroelastomer adhesive layer, wherein the composite article can be formed by co-curing the core and the fluoroelastomer adhesive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Louis Blackburn, Christopher J. Hertel, John J. Klein, Joseph J. Parkos, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5961284
    Abstract: A steam turbine has main components such as rotor shaft exposed to high temperature and intermediate pressure, which are made of a ferritic steel and the main steam temperature and the re-heat steam temperature are 610.degree. C. to 660.degree. C., and a steam turbine power plant employs the turbine. Further, the rotating blades are made of only a martensitic steel or a combination of the martensitic steel and a Ni base alloy, the turbine rotor is made of a ferritic forged steel having a creep rupture strength at the operating temperature for 100 thousands hours of above 15 kg/mm.sup.2, and the casing is made of a ferritic cast steel having a creep rupture strength at the operating temperature for 100 thousands hours of above 10 kg/mm.sup.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Kuriyama, Masao Shiga, Kishio Hidaka, Shigeyoshi Nakamura, Yutaka Fukui, Ryo Hiraga, Nobuo Shimizu, Masao Kawakami
  • Patent number: 5951254
    Abstract: A blade for a fluid flow machine such as a jet turbine engine includes a blade body (2) that is to be exposed to the fluid flow and therefore is subject to damage by erosion due to abrasive particle entrained in the fluid flow and due to thermal loading. The blade body (2) is a layered body including base layers (6) of a fiber reinforced synthetic material and a metallic cover layer (7) applied as an erosion protective layer onto at least a portion or the entirety of the surface of the base layers (6). The cover layer (7) includes metallic fibers or threads (9A, 9B) which are bonded with the fiber reinforced synthetic material of the adjacent base layers (6) by the same synthetic resin binder material permeating through and forming a matrix for all the layers (6 and 7). The metallic fibers or threads (9A, 9B) embedded in a synthetic resin matrix are characterized by a high degree of erosion resistance and a good tolerance for defects in the case of local impact or erosion damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: MTU Motoren- und Turbinen- Union Muenchen GmbH
    Inventors: Siegfried Sikorski, Michael Schober, Reinhold Schoenacher
  • Patent number: 5951256
    Abstract: The internally air cooled turbine cast blade is molded with a ceramic core for defining the interior cavity with coolant passages where the ceramic core is configured to fair radially inwardly at the attachment portion of the blade until they form a single wall, parallel to and centered in the blade attachment. The blade is cast in the mold by pouring molten metal into the mold, curing and the core is leached once the metal is cured and the mold removed. Another embodiment includes a metering plate attached to the root of the blade for metering coolant to provide a coolant to gas flow ratio at the film cooling holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Douglas James Dietrich
  • Patent number: 5941686
    Abstract: A fluid cooled article having a protective coating on a surface, for example an air cooled gas turbine engine article having a Thermal Barrier Coating, includes through an article wall a fluid cooling passage, and typically a plurality of passages, having openings sized to maintain desired fluid flow, unobstructed by coating within the passage at an exit opening. The passage has a first or inlet opening, which establishes the amount of fluid flow through the passage, and a second opening through which the flow exits the passage through a wall surface on which the coating is deposited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bhupendra K. Gupta, Robert P. Ziegler, Wilbur D. Scheidt