Patents by Inventor Boyd A. Mueller
Boyd A. Mueller has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 9835035Abstract: A method is provided for making a mold for casting advanced turbine airfoils (e.g. gas turbine blade and vane castings) which can include complex internal and external air cooling features to improve efficiency of airfoil cooling during operation in the gas turbine hot gas stream. The method steps involve incorporating at least one fugitive insert in a ceramic material in a manner to form a core and at least a portion of an integral, cooperating mold wall wherein the core defines an internal cooling feature to be imparted to the cast airfoil and the at least portion of the mold wall has an inner surface that defines an external cooling feature to be imparted to the cast airfoil, selectively removing the fugitive insert, and incorporating the core and the at least portion of the integral, cooperating mold wall in a mold for receiving molten metal or alloy cast in the mold.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2013Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Assignee: Howmet CorporationInventors: Boyd A. Mueller, Michael A. Pepper, Darren K. Rogers, Gail R. Cole
-
Patent number: 8997836Abstract: A multi-wall ceramic core for casting an airfoil with one or more internal cooling passages is made by preforming at least one fugitive core insert to have a joint-forming surface with a male and/or female joint feature and then forming at least one fugitive core insert in-situ adjacent and integrally connected and fused to the at least one preformed core insert at the joint-forming surface to form an interlocked, fused joint to form a composite core insert that includes features to form internal passage surfaces in the core when the composite core insert is removed. Another aspect involves preforming first and second fugitive core inserts to have respective joint-forming surfaces with respective snap-fittable joint features and assembling the first and second fugitive core inserts to form a composite core insert by snap fitting the snap-fittable joint features together to form an interlocked joint.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2014Date of Patent: April 7, 2015Assignee: Howmet CorporationInventors: Boyd A. Mueller, Darren K. Rogers, Timothy J. Molamphy
-
Publication number: 20150053365Abstract: A multi-wall ceramic core for casting an airfoil with one or more internal cooling passages is made by preforming at least one fugitive core insert to have a joint-forming surface with a male and/or female joint feature and then forming at least one fugitive core insert in-situ adjacent and integrally connected and fused to the at least one preformed core insert at the joint-forming surface to form an interlocked, fused joint to form a composite core insert that includes features to form internal passage surfaces in the core when the composite core insert is removed. Another aspect involves preforming first and second fugitive core inserts to have respective joint-forming surfaces with respective snap-fittable joint features and assembling the first and second fugitive core inserts to form a composite core insert by snap fitting the snap-fittable joint features together to form an interlocked joint.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2014Publication date: February 26, 2015Inventors: Boyd A. Mueller, Darren K. Rogers, Timothy J. Molamphy
-
Patent number: 8915289Abstract: A multi-wall ceramic core for casting an airfoil with one or more internal cooling passages is made by preforming at least one fugitive core insert to have a joint-forming surface with a male and/or female joint feature and then forming at least one fugitive core insert in-situ adjacent and integrally connected and fused to the at least one preformed core insert at the joint-forming surface to form an interlocked, fused joint to form a composite core insert that includes features to form internal passage surfaces in the core when the composite core insert is removed. Another aspect involves preforming first and second fugitive core inserts to have respective joint-forming surfaces with respective snap-fittable joint features and assembling the first and second fugitive core inserts to form a composite core insert by snap fitting the snap-fittable joint features together to form an interlocked joint.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2013Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignee: Howmet CorporationInventors: Boyd A. Mueller, Darren K. Rogers, Timothy J. Molamphy
-
Patent number: 8899303Abstract: A multi-wall ceramic core for casting an airfoil with one or more internal cooling passages is made by preforming at least one fugitive core insert, then forming at least one core insert in-situ adjacent and fused to the at least one preformed core insert by introducing fluid fugitive pattern material into a composite core insert mold whereby the fugitive core inserts are integrally connected as a single composite core insert that includes features to form internal passage surfaces in the core when the composite core insert is removed. The composite core insert is placed in a core molding die cavity, and a fluid ceramic material is introduced into the die cavity to form the ceramic core body incorporating the fugitive composite core insert therein.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2011Date of Patent: December 2, 2014Assignee: Howmet CorporationInventors: Boyd Mueller, Darren Rogers, Timothy J. Molamphy
-
Patent number: 8893767Abstract: A multi-wall ceramic core for casting an airfoil with one or more internal cooling passages is made by preforming at least one fugitive core insert, then forming at least one core insert in-situ adjacent and fused to the at least one preformed core insert by introducing fluid fugitive pattern material into a composite core insert mold whereby the fugitive core inserts are integrally connected as a single composite core insert that includes features to form internal passage surfaces in the core when the composite core insert is removed. The composite core insert is placed in a core molding die cavity, and a fluid ceramic material is introduced into the die cavity to form the ceramic core body incorporating the fugitive composite core insert therein.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2012Date of Patent: November 25, 2014Assignee: Howmet CorporationInventors: Boyd Mueller, Darren Rogers, Timothy J. Molamphy
-
Publication number: 20140271129Abstract: A method is provided for making a mold for casting advanced turbine airfoils (e.g. gas turbine blade and vane castings) which can include complex internal and external air cooling features to improve efficiency of airfoil cooling during operation in the gas turbine hot gas stream. The method steps involve incorporating at least one fugitive insert in a ceramic material in a manner to form a core and at least a portion of an integral, cooperating mold wall wherein the core defines an internal cooling feature to be imparted to the cast airfoil and the at least portion of the mold wall has an inner surface that defines an external cooling feature to be imparted to the cast airfoil, selectively removing the fugitive insert, and incorporating the core and the at least portion of the integral, cooperating mold wall in a mold for receiving molten metal or alloy cast in the mold.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2013Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: Howmet CorporationInventors: Boyd A. Mueller, Michael A. Pepper, Daren K. Rogers, Gail R. Cole
-
Publication number: 20130220571Abstract: A multi-wall ceramic core for casting an airfoil with one or more internal cooling passages is made by preforming at least one fugitive core insert to have a joint-forming surface with a male and/or female joint feature and then forming at least one fugitive core insert in-situ adjacent and integrally connected and fused to the at least one preformed core insert at the joint-forming surface to form an interlocked, fused joint to form a composite core insert that includes features to form internal passage surfaces in the core when the composite core insert is removed. Another aspect involves preforming first and second fugitive core inserts to have respective joint-forming surfaces with respective snap-fittable joint features and assembling the first and second fugitive core inserts to form a composite core insert by snap fitting the snap-fittable joint features together to form an interlocked joint.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2013Publication date: August 29, 2013Applicant: Howment CorporationInventors: Boyd A. Mueller, Darren K. Rogers, Timothy J. Molamphy
-
Publication number: 20130081774Abstract: A multi-wall ceramic core for casting an airfoil with one or more internal cooling passages is made by preforming at least one fugitive core insert, then forming at least one core insert in-situ adjacent and fused to the at least one preformed core insert by introducing fluid fugitive pattern material into a composite core insert mold whereby the fugitive core inserts are integrally connected as a single composite core insert that includes features to form internal passage surfaces in the core when the composite core insert is removed. The composite core insert is placed in a core molding die cavity, and a fluid ceramic material is introduced into the die cavity to form the ceramic core body incorporating the fugitive composite core insert therein.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2012Publication date: April 4, 2013Inventors: Boyd Mueller, Darren Rogers, Timothy J. Molamphy
-
Publication number: 20120285648Abstract: A multi-wall ceramic core for casting an airfoil with one or more internal cooling passages is made by preforming at least one fugitive core insert, then forming at least one core insert in-situ adjacent and fused to the at least one preformed core insert by introducing fluid fugitive pattern material into a composite core insert mold whereby the fugitive core inserts are integrally connected as a single composite core insert that includes features to form internal passage surfaces in the core when the composite core insert is removed. The composite core insert is placed in a core molding die cavity, and a fluid ceramic material is introduced into the die cavity to form the ceramic core body incorporating the fugitive composite core insert therein.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2011Publication date: November 15, 2012Inventors: Boyd Mueller, Darren Rogers, Timothy J. Molamphy
-
Patent number: 6845811Abstract: A method of making a ceramic shell mold comprises repeatedly coating a fugitive pattern of an article to be cast with a ceramic slurry layer and applying on the ceramic slurry layer a refractory stucco to form a plurality of ceramic slurry layers and stucco layers on the pattern wherein at least one of the stucco layers is formed by applying discontinuous stucco fiber bundles held together in the bundles by a fugitive binder, which is removed during subsequent firing of the shell mold at elevated temperature.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2003Date of Patent: January 25, 2005Assignee: Howmet Research CorporationInventors: Xi Yang, Boyd A. Mueller
-
Publication number: 20040134634Abstract: A method of making a ceramic shell mold comprises repeatedly coating a fugitive pattern of an article to be cast with a ceramic slurry layer and applying on the ceramic slurry layer a refractory stucco to form a plurality of ceramic slurry layers and stucco layers on the pattern wherein at least one of the stucco layers is formed by applying discontinuous stucco fiber bundles held together in the bundles by a fugitive binder, which is removed during subsequent firing of the shell mold at elevated temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2003Publication date: July 15, 2004Inventors: Xi Yang, Boyd A. Mueller
-
Patent number: 5131957Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving properties of a solid material in a target (11) by providing shock waves therein. There are directed to the surface of the material (11) pulses of coherent radiation (12) having average energy fluence of at least about 10 Joules per square centimeter and rise time of not longer than about 5 nanoseconds within a fluorescence envelope lasting about 0.5 to 5 milliseconds, at a rate of about 1 radiation pulse per 100 to 200 microseconds.The leading edge of each pulse (12) is sharpened by providing in its path an aluminum film (18) about 150 to 5000 angstroms thick that is vaporized by the pulse and then is moved across the path so that a later pulse (12) strikes an area of the film (18) not already vaporized by an earlier pulse (12).The radiation (12) is amplified by an amplifier (23) comprising a rod of phosphate laser glass that was strengthened by an ion exchange process.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 1991Date of Patent: July 21, 1992Assignee: Battelle Memorial InstituteInventors: Harold M. Epstein, Allan H. Clauer, Boyd A. Mueller, Jeffrey L. Dulaney, Bernerd E. Campbell, Craig T. Walters