CA1214926A - Apparatus and process for producing a new edge on an airfoil blade particularly the fan blade for a gas turbine engine - Google Patents

Apparatus and process for producing a new edge on an airfoil blade particularly the fan blade for a gas turbine engine

Info

Publication number
CA1214926A
CA1214926A CA000413329A CA413329A CA1214926A CA 1214926 A CA1214926 A CA 1214926A CA 000413329 A CA000413329 A CA 000413329A CA 413329 A CA413329 A CA 413329A CA 1214926 A CA1214926 A CA 1214926A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
blade
edge
cutting
tool
angle
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000413329A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Harold M. Sharon
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Raytheon Technologies Corp
Original Assignee
United Technologies Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by United Technologies Corp filed Critical United Technologies Corp
Priority to CA000497696A priority Critical patent/CA1220019A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1214926A publication Critical patent/CA1214926A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23PMETAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS
    • B23P6/00Restoring or reconditioning objects
    • B23P6/002Repairing turbine components, e.g. moving or stationary blades, rotors
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F01MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
    • F01DNON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES
    • F01D5/00Blades; Blade-carrying members; Heating, heat-insulating, cooling or antivibration means on the blades or the members
    • F01D5/005Repairing methods or devices

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Knives (AREA)
  • Structures Of Non-Positive Displacement Pumps (AREA)
  • Milling, Broaching, Filing, Reaming, And Others (AREA)

Abstract

Apparatus And Process For Producing A New Edge On An Airfoil Blade Particularly The Fan Blade For A Gas Turbine Engine Abstract Cutting tools for shaping or reshaping the air-foil edge of a blade of a gas turbine engine to produce a uniform blade leading edge shape on the operative portion of the blade.

Description

This invention relates to cuttiny tools for reshaping the airfoil ed~e of a blade or vane particularly the fan blade for a gas turbine engine.
It has become well known that the fan efficiency is dependent to a great extent on tne airfoil shape of the fan and particularly on the shape of the leading edge of the airfoil. Recent studies have indicated that a thinner and well rounded leading edge will significantly improve the 10 fan performance and efficiency. Routinely this would be accomplished by reworking the fan in an overhaul shop or by returning the fan to the manufacturer for establishing a desired new configuration. I-t is desirable to form this leading edge without the need 15 for returning the blade to the manufacturer for a complete reshaping. Instead it is hoped that the leading edge can be reshaped in the field without any significant downtime Eor the engine.
Also in the manufacture of new blades no 2Q two blades are precisely alike in shape and it is thus impossible to machine the ]eading edges of the blades to the precise dimensions and contours desired by cams or computer controlled machines. They must be handcrafted to the precision desired and sui-table 25 tools for hand forming this edge are needed. Such tools would also have use in refurbishing the blade after a period of use in which the normal wear and tear erosion spoils the shape of the leading edge.
A feature of the invention is a set of 30 cutting tools with which to manually rework the edge of the blade to the desired new thinness and to establish an aerodynamically rounded contour for the edge.

Another feature is the process by which the edge may be worked in two steps to produce the new thin contour desired.
Another feature is the inclusion of limiting means in the cutting tools to ensure the reshaping of the edge to the desired contour within acceptable limits.
In accordance with the invention there is provided a method for the formation of a thinner edge on a fan blade. The method includes the step of cutting back one side surface of the blade a distance back from the leading edge to form the desired angle and thickness between the opposed blade surfaces.
It also includes the step of cutting the opposite surfaces at and near the leading edge of the blade to form an aerodynamically efficient contour by guiding the cutter in its movement by a part of the blade surface cut by -the first operation and the opposed blade surface.
A cutting tool for producing the new leading edge on the blade includes a mounting block and a handle extending from the mounting block.
A tool bit is secured in the block and has an exposed cutting edge for engagement with the edge of a fan blade. The block is positioned so that the cutting edge of the tool bit when the tool is in use makes an angle of about 120 with the blade edge.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in the light of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof as shown in the accompanying drawing.
Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing the original contour of the leading edge.

~

Fig. 2 is a sectional view as in Fig. l showing the new thinner contour after the completion of the first cutting operation.
Fig. 3 is a side view of the first tool and holder used in position on the blade.
Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the location of the cutting tool in this holder.
Fig. 5 is a side view of the second tool holder.
Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the location of the cutting tool in the second holder.
Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the completed blade edge after the second cutting operation.
Referring first to Fig. 1 the original leading edge of the fan blade l is relatively thick and has a leading edge curvature 2 that blends with the opposite surfaces 4 and 6 of the blade adjacent to the leading edge. The leading edge thickness may be about .050 inch at the point 8 on the blade. A
preferred leading edge contour is shown in Fig. 2 where the leading edge 2' has a curvature necessarily on a smaller radius, and the thickness between the opposite surfaces 4' and 6' at the point 8' may be about .030 inch.
The present invention is directed to tools for reshaping the leading edge to such a contour as that o~ Fig, 2 and to a process that makes it possible to do this shaping in the field.

To accomplish this the leading edge of the airfoil l is worked on successively by two tools, the first one cutting only one surface of the blade adjacent to the leading edge and the second tool cutting the leading edge to the desired contour and possibly either or both surfaces closely adjacent thereto to blend with the ]eading edge curvature.
The first tool as shown in Fig. 3 has a handle 12 to the end of which is fastened a moun-ting block 14 in which is supported a carbide tool bit 16 having a cutting edge 18 (Fig. 4). A pin 20 is also supported in the block. The pin and the cutting edge make an angle of about 140 to the handle as shown and also make an ang]e of about 14 to one another in the mounting block. The cutting edge of the tool and the centerline of the pin are in the same plane as shown. Although the angle 14 is given for a particular tool it will be understood that this angle is in fact set to conform to the desired angle between the opposed fan blade surfaces adja-cent the leading edge. This angle may vary depending upon the particular blade being operated on. One fan blade for example that has been treated by a device of this character had an angle of 14 between the opposed surfaces and thus the tool angle is set at 10 when viewed normal to the cutting face~ The tool angle is less than the hlade angle since the tool is used at an angle to the blade edge as shown in Fig. 3. At the upper end of the notch 22 formed between the tool bit and the pin is a second or limiting pin 24 substantially at right angle to the pin 20 and in a position to limit the edge of the fan blade as it enters the slot and is operated on by the tool. Set screw 34 retains the pin 24 in position.

- s ~ -The tool bit is removable by releasing a clamping screw 26 ex~ending through a clamping bl~ck 28. This block has a recess 32 to acc{~pt the tool bit. In use the tool is held against the edge of the blade with the handle at an angle c,f about 5 to the edge and with the blade edge in the tool notch as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This allows the user to hold the handle without hitting his hancls against the blade. This in effect makes a cutting angle for 10 the tool bit of about 135 to the blade edge or about 45 perpendicular to this edge and this is enough to permit good cutting action on the side of the blade being cut and also to allow the tool to ride over portions of the blade edge that may be slightly 15 thicker. The trailing pin 35 is in a positicn to engage the leading edge of the blade if the handle is raised to fo~m too high an angle with the leading edge. This limits the cuttiny action to the desired angle. Cutting with this tool is continued until 20 the leading edge is in contact with the pin 24 during cutting action on the entire length of the fan blade.
The result is a fan blade shape as shown in Fig. 7 with the flat surface 36 formed on the side of the blade and with a thinner profile at this edge.
25 The purpose of this first cut is to produce the desired leading edge thickness for the newly shaped blade, the angle at the leading edge being deter-mined by the angle between the cutting edge 18 and the pin 20, as modified by the angle at which the 30 handle is held. The result is for example a blade with an ang]e of 12 and a thlckness at the point 38 of .022".
The edge of the blade is then further shaped by the second cutting tool. This t(~ol as shown in ~igs. 5 and 6 has a handle 40 to the end of which is attached a mounting block 42. Th:is block has a cover-plate 43 defining with the block a slot to receive therein a tool bit 44 which is clamped by bolts 47 acting against a set screw 46 to hold the plate against the tool bit. The block and plate have notches 48 therein to expose the cutting edge of the tool bit as shown. The mounting block in this arrangement is at about 130 to the axis of the handle 1~ for the same purpose as in the first tool. This tool is found to cut best at this angle.
The cutting tool bit in this case is differently shaped. It has a V notch 50 therein terminating in the curvature 52 desired for the edge of the blade and this portion of the tool bit is sharpened to produce this shape on the blade edge.
The opposite sides 54 and 56 of the notch extendin~
from the base curvature are not formed as cutting surfaces but are ground so as not to perform a cutting action but only to ride on the opposite sides of the blade to locate the tool bit properly with respect to the chord of the blade. The angle between the sides 54 and 56 is slightly greater than the angle of the blade so as to provide a small clearance so that the tool will not bind~ The opposite sides 54 and 56 may have cutting edges for a very short dis-tance from the leading edge curvature to assure blending of the curvature to the side surfaces.
The handle is divided near the mounting block to form two legs 58 to straddle the edge OL the workpiece during use of the tool. As shown, these legs are attached to the mounting block at opposite sides of the tool bit and thus do no-t interfere with the cutting action of the tool bit when the tool is in use.

When the tool is in use it functions in -the same manner as the first tool. The cutting edges produce the desired leading edge curvature 2' on the blade and blend this curvature to the desired angle of the opposed blade surfaces 4' and 6' closely adjacent to the leading edge. The edges of the tool bit ride on the sides of the blade and assure the proper relation of the curvature on the leading edge of the blade to the chord of the blade. The portion of the cutting edge 5~ that is below the point 62 rides on the surface 36 of the blade and guides the cutting action of the tool.
These tools are utilized in carxying out the process of the invention which essentially includes cutting back one side surface of the blade for a distance back from the leading edge to form the desired angle and thickness between the opposed blade surfaces and subsequently with the second tool cutting the leading edge itself to form the desired contour. It has been found that by practicing this process it is possible to reshape the blade so that it will have the desired curvature on the leading edge and the desired thickness of the blade adjacent to the leading edge that will provide significantly better performance of the blade in use.
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a preferred embodiment thexeof, it should be ~nderstood by those skilled in the art that other various changes and omissions in the form and detail thereof may be made therein without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

Claims (9)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:-
1. In the formation of a thinner edge on a fan blade the steps of:
cutting back one side surface of the blade a distance back from the leading edge to form the desired angle and thickness between the opposed blade surfaces and then;
cutting the opposite surfaces at and near the leading edge of the blade to form an aerodynamically efficient contour by guiding the cutter in its move-ment by a part of the blade surface cut by the first operation and the opposed blade surface.
2. The process of claim 1 in which the first cutting operation cuts a surface wider from the leading edge than the second cutting operation.
3. The process of claim 1 in which the first cutting operation is performed by a cutter making the desired blade angle with a guide pin that engages the blade surface opposite to the cutter.
4. The process of claim 3 in which the position of the blade between the pin and cutter is limited by a stop engaging with the edge of the blade.
5. A cutting tool for use in producing a new leading edge angle on a blade including:
a mounting block;
a handle extending from said mounting block;
a tool bit secured in said block and having an exposed cutting edge;
a pin in said block forming a notch with said cutting edge and making the desired blade edge angle with the cutting edge with the blade edge positioned between said cutting edge and pin; and means adjacent the base of the notch for limiting the depth of movement of the blade edge into said notch.
6. A cutting tool as in claim 5 in which the block has clamping means for releasably holding the tool bit in position.
7. A cutting tool as in claim 5 in which the limiting means is a second pin at a substantial angle to the first pin and located at the base of the notch.
8. A cutting tool as in claim 5 in which the angle of the handle with the mounting block is such as to position the cutting edge of the tool at an angle of about 135° to the blade edge.
9. A cutting tool for use in producing a new leading edge on a blade including:
a mounting block;
a handle extending from said mounting block;
and a tool bit secured in said block and having an exposed cutting edge for engagement with the edge of a fan blade, said block being so positioned that the cutting edge of the tool bit when the tool is in use makes an angle of about 120° with the blade edge.
CA000413329A 1981-11-16 1982-10-13 Apparatus and process for producing a new edge on an airfoil blade particularly the fan blade for a gas turbine engine Expired CA1214926A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000497696A CA1220019A (en) 1981-11-16 1985-12-13 Apparatus and process for producing a new edge on an airfoil blade particulary the fan blade for a gas turbine engine

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US32209781A 1981-11-16 1981-11-16
US322,097 1981-11-16

Related Child Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000497696A Division CA1220019A (en) 1981-11-16 1985-12-13 Apparatus and process for producing a new edge on an airfoil blade particulary the fan blade for a gas turbine engine

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1214926A true CA1214926A (en) 1986-12-09

Family

ID=23253399

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000413329A Expired CA1214926A (en) 1981-11-16 1982-10-13 Apparatus and process for producing a new edge on an airfoil blade particularly the fan blade for a gas turbine engine

Country Status (7)

Country Link
JP (2) JPS5890420A (en)
BR (1) BR8206595A (en)
CA (1) CA1214926A (en)
DE (1) DE3241948A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2516417B1 (en)
GB (1) GB2109726B (en)
MX (1) MX159380A (en)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE29509567U1 (en) * 1995-06-10 1995-08-31 Vargus Ltd Deburring tool
DE102010036042B3 (en) * 2010-08-31 2012-02-16 Lufthansa Technik Ag Method for recontouring a compressor or turbine blade for a gas turbine

Family Cites Families (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE142110C (en) *
NL94166C (en) * 1939-07-03
CH281518A (en) * 1948-10-08 1952-03-15 Power Jets Res & Dev Ltd Method and device for the manufacture of blades for directing flows.
FR1056969A (en) * 1951-02-20 1954-03-04 Rolls Royce Process and equipment for working materials, more particularly for machining edges
US2905062A (en) * 1956-03-19 1959-09-22 Nat Broach & Mach Machine for producing blended curved surfaces on the longitudinally tapered, curved leading edges of blades used in jet engines and the like
DE1922311U (en) * 1965-03-24 1965-08-26 Vinzenz Paeckert & Sohn K G DEBURRING TOOL.
US3555679A (en) * 1968-09-12 1971-01-19 George Edward Sheridan Scraper tool
DE2250265C3 (en) * 1972-10-13 1980-11-13 Neumo Armaturenfabrik - Apparatebau - Metallgiesserei Gmbh, 7134 Knittlingen Hand tools for deburring and scraping
US4164061A (en) * 1977-08-24 1979-08-14 Bronovsky Grigory A Method of making rotor blades of radial-axial hydraulic machines
JPS5914571Y2 (en) * 1978-09-11 1984-04-28 株式会社クボタ 楝 yakumono

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
MX159380A (en) 1989-05-22
FR2516417A1 (en) 1983-05-20
DE3241948A1 (en) 1983-06-23
DE3241948C2 (en) 1988-07-07
GB2109726A (en) 1983-06-08
FR2516417B1 (en) 1987-11-13
GB2109726B (en) 1985-09-11
BR8206595A (en) 1983-10-04
JPH029504A (en) 1990-01-12
JPS5890420A (en) 1983-05-30

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US4639991A (en) Process for producing a new edge on an airfoil blade particularly the fan blade for a gas turbine engine
US4589175A (en) Method for restoring a face on the shroud of a rotor blade
US4400915A (en) Fixture for restoring a face on the shroud of a rotor blade
US9718154B2 (en) Slot machining
SE434607B (en) CUTTER SHEETS INCLUDING A BODY WITH TENDERS AND PROCEDURE FOR PREPARING THIS
US2286874A (en) Method of making pinking shears
US4608756A (en) Tool to produce a new leading edge on a fan blade
EP1955812B1 (en) Blade feature machining
CA1214926A (en) Apparatus and process for producing a new edge on an airfoil blade particularly the fan blade for a gas turbine engine
US4550497A (en) Tool to produce a new angle on a fan blade
US3792524A (en) Metal cutting and finishing tool
US2741164A (en) Methods of and apparatus for working materials
CA1220019A (en) Apparatus and process for producing a new edge on an airfoil blade particulary the fan blade for a gas turbine engine
US4164102A (en) Process for the manufacture of a ceramic axial turbine wheel
CN111113208A (en) Method for machining radial arc groove of guide blade of complex hollow turbine
US2855656A (en) External or surface broaching machines and tools therefor
CN110221371A (en) A method of mechanical scratching diffraction grating is carried out using hilted broadsword multiple-cutting-edge
CA2407002A1 (en) A process for contour control machining of metal blocks
JP2001212711A (en) Formed milling cutter for rough cutting
EP0343983B1 (en) Apparatus and methods for grinding tool cutter teeth
GB2205513A (en) Manufacture of form cutting tool tip
US1480627A (en) Method of making hack saws
US4754667A (en) Machining cutter tools
CA1247349A (en) Indexing means for cutting tools
CN114083033B (en) Blade tenon rounding method

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
MKEX Expiry