JP2010110795A - Method for producing gas turbine component using integrated type disposable core and shell die - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing a gas turbine component using an integrated type disposable core and shell die. <P>SOLUTION: The method comprises: a step where the integrated type disposable core and shell die (34) of an authentic gas turbine component (10) is prepared; a step where the integrated type disposable core and shell die (34) is passed through, so as to insert at least one through rod (43); a step where an integrated type core and shell mold (44) is cast into the integrated type disposable core and shell die (34); a step where the integrated type disposable core and shell die (34) is removed, so as to obtain the integrated type core and shell cast mold (44) with at least one through rod (43) arranged therein; a step where, using the integrated core and shell cast mold (44), an authentic gas turbine component duplication (46) is cast; and a step where the integrated type core and shell cast mold (44) and at least one penetrating rod (43) are removed, so as to obtain the authentic gas turbine component duplication (46). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  Embodiments herein relate generally to a method of manufacturing a component using a disposable die. More specifically, the embodiments herein generally use an integral disposable core and shell die having a through rod disposed therein, such as blades, nozzles and shrouds. The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a gas turbine component.

  Investment casting or lost wax processes are used to form complex three-dimensional or 3D components of suitable materials such as metals.

  The turbine blade includes an airfoil integrally joined at its root to the blade platform, and a multilobe support dovetail is integrally joined below the blade platform. The airfoil is hollow and includes one or more radial channels that begin within the blade dovetail and extend along the span of the airfoil, and these channels receive pressurized cooling air during engine operation. Has one or more inlets for receiving.

  The airfoil now coordinates cooling of different parts of the opposing pressure and suction sides of the airfoil between its leading and trailing edges and from the base of the platform to the radially outer tip. Various forms of complex cooling circuits can be included therein.

  With current airfoil designs, complex cooling circuits can include dedicated channels along the leading edge within the airfoil that are adapted to provide internal impingement cooling of the leading edge. A dedicated channel along the thin trailing edge of the airfoil provides dedicated cooling of the trailing edge. Also, a multi-pass serpentine channel can be placed in the middle of the airfoil between the leading and trailing edges. The three cooling circuits of the airfoil have corresponding inlets that extend through the blade dovetail and receive the pressurized cooling air separately.

  The cooling channel within the airfoil includes local features such as short turbulator ribs or pins that are adapted to increase heat transfer between the heated sidewall of the airfoil and the internal cooling air. be able to. The bulkhead or bridge separating the radial channels of the airfoil is like a typical impingement cooling hole that extends through the forward bridge of the airfoil to impingely cool the interior of the leading edge during operation. A small bypass hole can be included through the bridge.

  Such turbine blades are typically manufactured from high strength superalloy metal materials by conventional casting methods. In a typical investment casting or lost wax casting process, a precision ceramic core is first fabricated to accommodate the complex cooling passages desired within the turbine blade. A precision die or mold is also fabricated that forms the precise 3D external surface of the turbine blade including its airfoil, platform, and integral dovetail.

  The ceramic core is assembled inside the two die halves, which form a space or void between them, which forms the metal part of the resulting blade. Wax is injected into the assembled die to fill the void and surround the ceramic core enclosed therein. The two die halves are separated and removed from the molding wax. The molded wax has the precise shape of the desired blade and is then coated with a ceramic material to form a surrounding ceramic shell.

  The wax is melted and removed from the shell, leaving a corresponding gap or space between the ceramic shell and the inner ceramic core. Next, molten metal is injected into the shell to fill the voids therein, and the ceramic core housed in the shell is re-encapsulated.

  The molten metal is cooled and allowed to solidify, and then the outer shell and inner core are suitably removed, leaving behind the desired metal turbine blade with the internal cooling passages therein.

  The cast turbine blade is then subjected to subsequent manufacturing operations such as drilling an appropriate row of film cooling holes through the airfoil sidewalls as desired, and an outlet for cooling air flowing therethrough. These film cooling holes can then form a protective cooling air film or blanket on the outer surface of the airfoil during operation of the gas turbine engine.

  Gas turbine engine efficiency is generally increased by raising the temperature of the hot combustion gases that occur during operation and from which the turbine blades extract energy. Turbine blades are formed of a superalloy metal, such as a nickel-base superalloy, that enhances their strength at high temperatures to increase the durability and useful life of the turbine blade.

  A complex cooling circuit provided inside the airfoil helps to protect the blades from the hot combustion gases in order to obtain the desired blade longevity in the operating turbine engine.

  Cooling circuits inside turbine blades are becoming increasingly complex and intricate in order to coordinate the limited use of pressurized cooling air and maximize its cooling effect. Any such cooling air extracted from the compressor during operation to cool the turbine blades is not used in the combustion process and correspondingly reduces the overall efficiency of the engine.

  Recent developments in improving turbine airfoil cooling include the introduction of double walls within the airfoil to enhance local cooling at the desired location of the airfoil. A typical airfoil includes a main channel such as a dedicated leading and trailing edge channel and multipath serpentine channel that provides primary cooling of the airfoil. These channels are typically formed between the thin pressure and suction sidewalls of the airfoil, and these pressure and suction sidewalls may be about 40-50 mils (about 1.2 mm) thick. it can.

  When introducing a double wall structure of an airfoil, a thin inner wall is provided between the main side wall of the airfoil and the main channel in the airfoil to form a relatively narrow auxiliary or secondary channel. To do. The secondary wall may include an impingement hole adapted to route impingement cooling air therethrough from the main flow channel toward the inner surface of the main sidewall.

  The introduction of a double wall structure and a narrow secondary flow channel adds additional complexity to the already complex ceramic cores used in typical investment casting of turbine blades. See, for example, US Pat. Nos. 5,484,258, 5,660,524, 6,126,396, and 6,174,133. Ceramic cores perfectly match the various cooling channels and the various internal voids in the airfoil corresponding to the features of those channels, so that as the cooling circuit increases in complexity, the ceramic cores respond to it. And it gets more and more complicated.

  Each radial channel of the airfoil requires a corresponding radial leg in the ceramic core, which is suitably interconnected within the two dies during the casting process, or It must be supported in other ways. When the leg of the ceramic core becomes thinner, as in the case of the secondary channel, the strength of the leg decreases correspondingly, which causes brittle fracture during handling in the production of the core. A decrease in effective yield occurs.

  Since the ceramic cores are fabricated individually and then assembled within the two die halves, their relative positioning is subject to corresponding assembly tolerances. The airfoil walls are relatively thin in the first place, and the features of the ceramic core are also small and precise. Therefore, the relative position of the ceramic core inside the die half is affected by assembly tolerances, which affect the finished dimensions and relative position of the complex cooling circuit inside the thin wall of the resulting airfoil. give.

  In addition, current methods of manufacturing turbine components generally address only the steps required to make the inner core. See, for example, US Patent Application No. 2005/00000007. Such methods still require the use of a wax die, wax injection and / or external ceramic shell coating to form a casting mold for final casting of the component.

US Pat. No. 5,484,258 US Pat. No. 5,660,524 US Pat. No. 6,126,396 US Pat. No. 6,174,133 US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/00000007 US Pat. No. 6,626,230 US Pat. No. 5,824,250 U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,010 US Pat. No. 5,868,194 US Pat. No. 6,588,484 US Pat. No. 6,255,000 US Pat. No. 6,375,880 US Pat. No. 6,609,043 US Pat. No. 6,368,525 US Pat. No. 6,571,484 US Pat. No. 5,136,515 US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0156361 US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0205232 US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0258577 US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0284598 US Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0065383

  Accordingly, there remains a need for a simplified method of manufacturing gas turbine components, particularly airfoils, with complex internal designs.

  Embodiments described herein generally relate to a method of manufacturing a gas turbine component, the method comprising providing an integral disposable core and shell die of a genuine gas turbine component; Inserting the at least one penetrating rod through the disposable core and shell die, casting the integral core and shell mold inside the integral disposable core and shell die, and integral disposable Removing the core and shell die to obtain an integral core and shell casting mold having at least one through rod disposed therein, and using the integral core and shell casting mold; Casting a replica of the authentic gas turbine component, an integral core and shell casting mold and at least one It was removed through rods, and obtaining a true gas turbine components reproductions.

  Embodiments herein relate generally to a method of manufacturing a gas turbine component, the method generating a numerical model of a true gas turbine component having an outer shell die disposed thereabout. Manufacturing an integral disposable core and shell die of a genuine gas turbine component; inserting at least one penetrating rod through the integral disposable core and shell die; and an integral disposable core And casting the integral core and shell mold within the shell die, and removing the integral disposable core and shell die and having at least one through rod disposed therein And obtaining a shell casting mold, and using an integral core and shell casting mold, A step of casting the turbine components reproductions, by removing a core and a shell casting mold and at least one through-rods integral, and obtaining a true gas turbine components reproductions.

  Embodiments herein relate generally to a method of manufacturing a gas turbine airfoil, the method comprising a plurality of interiors having an outer shell generated and disposed about using a computer-aided design. Steps to prepare a numerical model of a true airfoil with channels, micropen deposition, selective laser sintering, laser wire deposition, melt deposition, inkjet deposition, electron beam melting, laser engineering net shaping Fabricate an integrated disposable core and shell die of a numerical model of a true airfoil using an additional layer manufacturing method selected from the group consisting of a method, a direct metal laser sintering method, a direct metal deposition method and combinations thereof Inserting a plurality of through-rods through the integrated disposable core and shell die, and the integrated disposable core and A step of casting an integral core and shell mold including a ceramic slurry inside the elbow, a step of curing the ceramic slurry to produce an integral core and shell casting mold including a solidified ceramic, and Removing the body-shaped disposable core and shell die to obtain an integral core and shell casting mold having a plurality of through rods disposed therein, and using the integral core and shell casting mold Casting the authentic airfoil replica and removing the integral core and shell casting mold and the plurality of through rods to obtain the authentic airfoil replica.

1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of an authentic turbine blade according to the description herein; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the turbine blade of FIG. 1 taken along line AA. 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a method of using a true turbine blade to create a numerical model of the blade and the corresponding integral disposable core and shell die of the blade. FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a 2D numerical model of the turbine blade of FIG. 2 with an additional outer shell die around it. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the integrated disposable core and shell die embodiment of FIG. 3 with additional through rods extending through it taken along line XX. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the integrated disposable core and shell die of FIG. 5 after injection with a mold material to fill the void and form an integral core and shell casting mold. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an integral core and shell casting mold after the disposable core and shell die are removed. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an integral casting mold after injection with an alloy to form a true turbine blade replica. FIG. The schematic sectional drawing of the genuine blade replication product after the removal of the shell part of an integral casting mold. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a true blade replica after removal of the core portion of the integral casting mold and the through rod.

  While the specification concludes with claims, which particularly point out and distinctly claim the invention, the embodiments described herein indicate like elements with like reference numerals. It will be better understood by reading the following description, which is described either in terms of authentic components as described below or in terms of their models in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

  Embodiments herein relate generally to methods of manufacturing gas turbine components using an integral disposable core and shell die. More specifically, the embodiments herein generally provide for the provision of an integral disposable core and shell die for authentic gas turbine components, and through the integral disposable core and shell die. Inserting at least one penetrating rod; casting an integral core and shell mold within an integral disposable core and shell die having at least one penetrating rod therein; and integral disposable Removing the core and shell die to obtain an integral core and shell casting mold; casting the authentic gas turbine component replica using the integral core and shell casting mold; The integral core and shell casting mold and at least one through rod are removed to provide a true gas turbine component composite. It said method comprising the steps of obtaining a goods.

  Although the embodiments herein describe generally the manufacture of turbine blades, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the description should not be limited to such. Embodiments of the present invention are applicable to the manufacture of any component having a core such as, but not limited to, turbine blades and portions thereof, turbine nozzles including vanes and bands, and shrouds.

  Turning to the figures, FIG. 1 illustrates an authentic turbine blade 10 (hereinafter “turbine blade”) that is one embodiment of a gas turbine component 11 that may be manufactured using the methods described herein. Or “blade”). By the term “authentic” is meant a component that can be installed and used within a gas turbine engine. The turbine blade 10 can include an airfoil 12 that can have a generally concave pressure side 14 and a generally convex suction side 16 opposite the pressure side. it can. The airfoil 12 may be integrally coupled to the platform 18 at the root 20 of the airfoil 12. The platform 18 may form an inner interface for hot combustion gases that pass over the airfoil 12 during engine operation. A multilobe mounting dovetail 22 may also be integrally formed below the platform 18 for mounting the turbine blade 10 in a corresponding dovetail slot at the periphery of the turbine rotor disk.

  The blade 10 can be single-walled or multi-walled and can have a complex three-dimensional or 3D shape, depending on the need for its proper use in a gas turbine engine. As noted above, the airfoil portion of the blade 10 can include a substantially hollow interior 21 (shown in FIG. 1) that is at least within the hollow interior 21 as shown in FIG. A suitable internal cooling circuit with at least one internal channel 24 occupying a portion can be included. As used throughout this specification, “at least one” means that one can be present or more than one can be present. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the hollow interior can include a plurality of internal channels 24. The channel 24 can be disposed between the sides of the airfoil and can extend the entire length of the blade 10 to form inlets (not shown) that extend through the platform and dovetail. It can extend to receive pressurized cooling air during engine operation. Several channels 24 can be connected to each other by openings 39 that allow fluid communication between the channels. The opening 39 can be, for example, a crossover collision hole or a trailing edge slot.

  Turning to FIG. 3, the numerical model of the turbine blade 10 is designed in any conventional manner, including computer-aided design (CAD) using appropriate software programmed in a conventional computer 26 and Can be formed. “Numerical model” means a computerized model of components. Forming a numerical model of a highly complex part such as a turbine blade by using 3D numerical coordinates of the overall shape of the component, including both the outer and inner surfaces of the component, is a common method It is. Thus, the turbine blade 10 can be represented by its two-dimensional or 2D numerical model 28 as generated by the computer 26. The numerical model 28 may include an accurate definition of the entire outer surface of the blade 10 including the airfoil, platform and dovetail and its internal channels and openings. In one embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the numerical model 28 may include a computer-generated outer shell die 30 attached around it, as described below in this specification. Helps in later making the child and shell die.

  Turning to FIG. 3, once a numerical model 28 (as shown in FIG. 4) with an outer shell die 30 is generated, any rapid prototyping method or additional layer manufacturing method known to those skilled in the art can be used. An integrated disposable core and shell die can be made. Some examples of acceptable additional layer manufacturing methods include, but are not limited to, micro-pen deposition methods that accurately supply and then cure the liquid medium at the pen tip, precise control positions using a laser. Selective laser sintering method to sinter powder media, laser wire deposition method in which the wire raw material is melted by laser and then deposited and solidified in the correct position to build the product, multiple layers of thin ABS plastic wire Melt deposition method by extruding as a product, ink jet deposition method, electron beam melting method, laser engineering with multiple ink jet nozzles, depositing die material and support material as needed according to the shape and dimensions defined by numerical model Net shaping method (LENS (registered trademark)), direct metal laser sintering method, and direct metal It includes product method.

  As an example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a stereolithography (SLA) machine 32 can be used to form an integral disposable core and shell die 34 (or “disposable die”), which is then The die can be used to produce authentic turbine blade replicas, as described herein below. The SLA machine 32 can have any conventional configuration and can include a laser 36 attached to the end of a robot arm 38 that is digitally controlled to control its various functions. It can be controlled and positioned in 3D space by a numerical controller of the SLA machine, which can be programmed into a formula.

  Any suitable SLA material 40, such as a liquid resin, can be contained in the pool, and the laser beam 42 emitted from the laser 36 is used to locally cure the material 40, thereby solidifying the SLA material 41. And a disposable die 34 can be formed. The disposable die 34 can be supported on any suitable fixture in the pool, and the laser beam 42 is accurately guided over the entire configuration of the die 34 according to the dimensions of the numerical model 28 stored in the computer 26. As you go, you can build it layer by layer.

  If desired, a support material (not shown), including, for example, wax or thermoplastic material, can be deposited simultaneously or alternately with the SLA material to provide support to the disposable die during fabrication. Once the fabrication of the disposable die is complete, the support material can be removed, for example, by melting or melting.

  Using the numerical model 28 of the blade 10, a SLA machine 32 is used to form the disposable die 34 so that the disposable die 34 and the authentic blade 10 are substantially identical except for the material composition. it can. The blade 10 can be formed of any suitable alloy or superalloy metal as is common in most gas turbine engine applications, but the disposable die 34 is cured by, for example, a laser 36 to cause the solidified SLA material 41 to be cured. It can be made of any suitable SLA material 40 that can be produced. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the material used to make the disposable die 34 can vary depending on the fabrication method.

  The unitary disposable die 34 can be formed, for example, by solidified SLA material 41 and includes an accurate external cooling circuit within the blade including the exact external shape and surface of the entire blade and any desired channels and openings. Can do. As used throughout this specification, “integral” means that the core and shell are joined together as a unitary structure rather than as separate pieces. 3 shows a cross-sectional perspective view of the disposable die 34, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disposable die 34 corresponds to the entire blade as represented by the dashed line. The dimensions of the disposable core and shell die 34 can be varied as needed to reproduce the various features of the blade with the desired accuracy. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the higher accuracy of the disposable die 34 requires more data points in the numerical model 28, which is limited only by the practical use of the numerical model in the control of the SLA machine 32.

  FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the resulting disposable core and shell die 34 made of solidified SLA material 41. Since the solidified SLA material 41 is a low strength non-metallic material lacking the strength of a metal, it may be desirable to contain the disposable core and shell die 34 to provide additional support to the disposable core and shell die 34. . Any suitable containment method known to those skilled in the art is acceptable for use herein. Conversely, if the solidified SLA material is strong enough to withstand the casting pressure of the casting process, additional support may be unnecessary.

  In addition, at least one penetrating rod 43 and a plurality of penetrating rods 43 as shown in FIG. 5 are utilized to provide support for the disposable die 34 during casting and to ensure proper alignment between the core and shell. be able to. The through rod 43 can be made of any composition that is compatible with conventional casting methods, including but not limited to quartz or alumina. However, unlike conventional rods used in the art, which generally only contact the outer surface of the die, the through rod 43 herein will span at least the width W of the disposable die. Should be long enough, and this length can vary from place to place (see FIG. 5). By allowing the through rod to penetrate the disposable die, the die can be supported and the alignment between the core and shell of the disposable die must be maintained throughout the manufacturing process of the authentic component replica. Can do.

  The diameter of the through rod 43 can also be changed. However, in one embodiment, the through rod 43 can have a diameter in the range of about 0.025 inches to about 0.065 inches (about 0.064 cm to about 0.17 cm), and one implementation. Forms can have a diameter in the range of about 0.040 inches to about 0.060 inches (about 0.10 cm to about 0.15 cm). Further, all through rods 43 can have the same diameter or different diameters, or each through rod can have a variable diameter along its length.

  The through rod 43 can be inserted into the disposable die 34 by, for example, pushing the through rod through the hole 47 and / or the opening 39. As previously mentioned, the opening 39 can be included in a disposable die to aid in air flow within the authentic blade replica. The holes 47 can be drilled into the disposable die after manufacture using any conventional drilling tool, or alternatively, the holes 47 can be included in the disposable die during manufacture, as well as the openings 39. it can. As shown in FIG. 5, in one embodiment, the hole 47 may be aligned with the opening 39 to allow a single through rod 43 to pass through the opening 39 and the hole 47. it can. This arrangement avoids providing an extra hole in the authentic blade replica that may need to be plugged or padded prior to use as described herein below. Is desirable.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the integral core and shell mold 44 can be cast inside the disposable die 34 by filling the gap. The core and shell mold 44 can be cast by injecting any suitable mold material under pressure, and in one embodiment, the mold material can be a ceramic slurry. The through rod 43 can help the disposable die 34 withstand the injection pressure of the mold material and help ensure that the integral mold 44 retains the desired shape. After injecting the mold material into the disposable die 34, the mold material can be cured and solidified using techniques known in the art such as, for example, drying and heating. The result is an integral core and shell casting mold 44 (or “integral mold”) having a core portion 49 and a shell portion 50 as shown in FIG. In one embodiment, the integral mold 44 can include a solidified ceramic.

  The disposable core and shell die 34 can then be removed, leaving behind an integral core and shell casting mold 44 with a through rod 43 disposed therein, as shown in FIG. The disposable core and shell die can be removed from the integral mold 44 by any suitable method, and this suitable method can be varied depending on the material of the disposable die and the integral mold. Some acceptable removal methods may include melting, incinerating or melting the disposable die from the unitary mold 44. After removing the disposable die, a corresponding gap 45 remains in the integral mold 44, which matches the exact shape of the metal part forming the turbine blade 10 shown in FIG.

  Accordingly, authentic gas turbine component replicas, including blade replicas in one embodiment, can then be cast into integral core and shell molds using conventional investment casting methods. As used herein, a “replica” means a substantially identical copy product of an authentic component made using the methods described herein. Similar to the authentic component, the replica can be installed and used in a gas turbine engine. During casting, molten metal can be injected into the integral mold 44 to fill the voids 45 (shown in FIG. 7) present in the integral mold 44 by gravity. The through rod 43 can remain in place to help maintain proper spacing and alignment between the mold core portion 49 and the mold shell portion 50. The molten metal can be any material such as an alloy or superalloy suitable for manufacturing gas turbine components. The molten metal can then be cooled and solidified in an integral mold 44 to form a true gas turbine component replica, as shown in FIG. In form, a true gas turbine blade replica 48.

  The integral mold 44 can then be appropriately removed from the authentic blade replica 48 by crushing or dissolving generally fragile structural material. Alternatively, if the integral mold 44 is made of ceramic, the mold 44 can be properly removed from the blade replica 48 by chemical leaching. More specifically, in one embodiment, the core portion 49, the shell portion 50, and the through rod 43 can be removed simultaneously, leaving behind a true blade replica 48 as shown in FIG.

  In another embodiment, the mold shell portion 50 can be removed first with any segment of the through rod 43 extending through the mold shell portion. The mold shell portion 50 can be removed by any acceptable means such as a mechanical device. For example, in one embodiment, a hammer can be used to break up and remove the shell portion 50 along with the segments of the through rod 43 contained therein. As shown in FIG. 9, once the shell portion 50 and the penetrating rod segment 43 contained therein are removed from the authentic blade replica 48, the mold core portion 49 becomes the penetrating rod 43 contained therein. Can be removed along with any remaining segments to leave behind a true blade replica 48. As with the shell portion, the core portion 49 and the remaining through rod 43 can be removed by a number of methods including melting or chemical leaching.

  The resulting blade replica 48 is then commonly used to drill rows of cooling holes through its side walls or to patch any unnecessary holes remaining after removal of the through rods. Can be processed after casting. The end result is a true gas turbine component replica 46, such as a true blade replica 48 shown in FIG. As described above, the authentic blade replica 48 may be substantially the same as the authentic blade 10 shown in FIG.

  In the above method, the use of a wax die and the corresponding wax injection and removal operations can be reduced. This allows for both time and expense savings. In addition, and as previously described, the integral core and shell molds produce a number of component designs including single wall and multi-wall airfoils that are often too complex for current casting methods. Can be used for. In addition, the integral core and shell mold provides the manufacturer with a higher degree of wall thickness control, thereby enabling the manufacture of more accurately manufactured components. The use of a through rod also allows multiple wall thicknesses to be controlled simultaneously with a single rod. Other advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing detailed description.

  This written description uses examples, including the best mode, to disclose the invention and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other embodiments may have structural elements that do not differ from the language of the claims, or they contain equivalent structural elements that have non-essential differences from the language of the claims. Is intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

10 True Turbine Blade 11 Gas Turbine Component 12 Airfoil 14 Pressure Side 16 Vacuum Side 18 Platform 20 Root 21 Hollow Interior 22 Dovetail 24 Internal Channel 26 Computer 28 2D Numerical Model 30 Outer Shell Die 32 Stereolithography (SLA) Machine 34 Integral disposable core and shell die 36 Laser 38 Robot arm 39 Opening 40 SLA material 41 Solidified SLA material 42 Laser beam 43 Through rod 44 Integral core and shell mold 45 Air gap 46 True gas turbine component replica 47 Hole 48 Authentic gas turbine blade replica 49 Core part 50 Shell part

Claims (10)

Providing an integral disposable core and shell die (34) of the authentic gas turbine component (10);
Inserting at least one penetrating rod (43) through the integral disposable core and shell die (34);
Casting an integral core and shell mold (44) within the integral disposable core and shell die (34);
Removing the unitary disposable core and shell die (34) to obtain the unitary core and shell casting mold (44) having the at least one through rod (43) disposed therein; When,
Casting the authentic gas turbine component replica (46) using the integral core and shell casting mold (44);
Removing said integral core and shell casting mold (44) and at least one through rod (43) to obtain said authentic gas turbine component replica (46);
Including methods. Generating a numerical model (28) of the authentic gas turbine component (10) having an outer shell die (30) disposed therearound;
Producing an integral disposable core and shell die (34) of the authentic gas turbine component (10);
Inserting at least one penetrating rod (43) through the integral disposable core and shell die (34);
Casting an integral core and shell mold (44) within the integral disposable core and shell die (34);
Removing the unitary disposable core and shell die (34) to obtain the unitary core and shell casting mold (44) having the at least one through rod (43) disposed therein; When,
Casting the authentic gas turbine component replica (46) using the integral core and shell casting mold (44);
Removing said integral core and shell casting mold (44) and at least one through rod (43) to obtain said authentic gas turbine component replica (46);
Including methods.   The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one through rod (43) comprises quartz or alumina.   The one of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the at least one penetrating rod (43) passes through at least one opening (39) in the integral disposable core and shell die (34). The method according to claim 1.   5. The method according to claim 1, comprising inserting a plurality of through rods (43) through the integral disposable core and shell die (34). The method described.   Stereolithography, micropen deposition, selective laser sintering, laser wire deposition, melt deposition, inkjet deposition, electron beam melting, laser engineering net shaping, direct metal laser sintering, direct metal deposition The method of claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, comprising manufacturing an integral disposable core and shell die (34) using an additional layer manufacturing method selected from the group consisting of a method and combinations thereof. 6. The method according to any one of claims 4 and 5. Producing the integral core and shell casting mold (44) with ceramic slurry;
Curing the ceramic slurry to produce an integral solidified ceramic core and shell casting mold (44);
A method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6.   Removing the integrated core and shell casting mold (44) or the integrated solidified ceramic core and shell casting mold (44) from around the replica of the authentic gas turbine component comprises crushing and melting. The method of any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, comprising a method selected from the group consisting of: leaching and combinations thereof. the method of.   The said authentic gas turbine component (10) is a component having a substantially hollow interior selected from the group consisting of turbine blades, turbine nozzles and shrouds. 9. The method of any one of claims 4, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8. Providing a numerical model (28) of a true airfoil (12) having a plurality of internal channels (24) having an outer shell (30) generated using and disposed about the computer-aided design; ,
Stereolithography, micropen deposition, selective laser sintering, laser wire deposition, melt deposition, inkjet deposition, electron beam melting, laser engineering net shaping, direct metal laser sintering, direct metal deposition Manufacturing an integral disposable core and shell die (34) of the numerical model (28) of the authentic airfoil (12) using an additional layer manufacturing method selected from the group consisting of a method and combinations thereof; ,
Inserting a plurality of through rods (43) through the integral disposable core and shell die (34);
Casting an integral core and shell mold (44) including a ceramic slurry inside the integral disposable core and shell die (34);
Curing the ceramic slurry to produce an integral core and shell casting mold (44) comprising solidified ceramic;
Removing the integral disposable core and shell die (34) to obtain the integral core and shell casting mold (44) having the plurality of through rods (43) disposed therein; ,
Casting a true airfoil replica (46) using the integral core and shell casting mold (44);
Removing the integral core and shell casting mold (44) and the plurality of through rods (43) to obtain the authentic airfoil replica (46);
Including methods.

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