Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
232 words
A method for manufacturing a composite turbine wheel having a disc hub of a first material and including a plurality of airfoils on the outside diameter comprising the steps of preforming a hub ring of expendable material to have a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots therein; forming a plurality of airfoil elements each having a base thereon, inserting said airfoil bases into said slots for locating said airfoils around the outer perimeter of said expendable ring and to expose the bases at the inner surface of said ring, preforming a disc hub having a controlled O.D. thereon, fitting the expendable ring on said controlled O.D. to mate the bases with said controlled O.D., sealing exterior joints between each of said airfoil elements and said expendable ring, sealing exterior joints between said ring and said disc hub, thereafter applying a hot isostatic environment to the full exposed exterior surfaces of said airfoils, expendable ring and hub disc to produce a resultant force acting inwardly on each of said airfoil elements which maintain the hub disc at an elevated temperature to produce metallurgical diffusion at the interface of the mating bases and controlled O.D. to produce a diffusion bond between the airfoils and the disc hub, thereafter dissolving all of the ring of expendable material from the joined airfoil elements and the disc hub to form controlled flow passages between each of said airfoils.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
232 words
A method for manufacturing a composite turbine wheel having a disc hub of a first material and including a plurality of airfoils on the outside diameter comprising the steps of preforming a hub ring of expendable material to have a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots therein; forming a plurality of airfoil elements each having a base thereon, inserting said airfoil bases into said slots for locating said airfoils around the outer perimeter of said expendable ring and to expose the bases at the inner surface of said ring, preforming a disc hub having a controlled O.D. thereon, fitting the expendable ring on said controlled O.D. to mate the bases with said controlled O.D., sealing exterior joints between each of said airfoil elements and said expendable ring, sealing exterior joints between said ring and said disc hub, thereafter applying a hot isostatic environment to the full exposed exterior surfaces of said airfoils, expendable ring and hub disc to produce a resultant force acting inwardly on each of said airfoil elements which maintain the hub disc at an elevated temperature to produce metallurgical diffusion at the interface of the mating bases and controlled O.D. to produce a diffusion bond between the airfoils and the disc hub, thereafter dissolving all of the ring of expendable material from the joined airfoil elements and the disc hub to form controlled flow passages between each of said airfoils.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
221 words
A method for manufacturing a composite turbine wheel having a disc hub of a first material and including a plurality of airfoils on the outside diameter comprising the steps of preforming a hub ring of expendable material to have a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots therein; forming a plurality of airfoil elements each having a base thereon, inserting said airfoil bases into said slots for locating said airfoils around the outer perimeter of said expendable ring, removing the inside diameter of said expendable ring to expose said airfoil bases, preforming a disc hub having a controlled O.D. thereon, shrink fitting the expendable ring on said controlled O.D. to mate the bases with said controlled O.D., sealing the exterior joints between each of said airfoils, said expendable ring and said hub disc, thereafter pressurizing the full exposed exterior surfaces of said airfoils and said expendable ring to produce a resultant force acting inwardly on each of said airfoil elements and maintaining the disc hub ring and airfoils at an elevated temperature to produce metallurgical diffusion at the interface of the bases and controlled O.D. to produce a diffusion bond between the airfoils and the disc hub, thereafter dissolving all of the ring of expendable material from the joined airfoils and disc hub to form controlled flow passages between each of said airfoils.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
221 words
A method for manufacturing a composite turbine wheel having a disc hub of a first material and including a plurality of airfoils on the outside diameter comprising the steps of preforming a hub ring of expendable material to have a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots therein; forming a plurality of airfoil elements each having a base thereon, inserting said airfoil bases into said slots for locating said airfoils around the outer perimeter of said expendable ring, removing the inside diameter of said expendable ring to expose said airfoil bases, preforming a disc hub having a controlled O.D. thereon, shrink fitting the expendable ring on said controlled O.D. to mate the bases with said controlled O.D., sealing the exterior joints between each of said airfoils, said expendable ring and said hub disc, thereafter pressurizing the full exposed exterior surfaces of said airfoils and said expendable ring to produce a resultant force acting inwardly on each of said airfoil elements and maintaining the disc hub ring and airfoils at an elevated temperature to produce metallurgical diffusion at the interface of the bases and controlled O.D. to produce a diffusion bond between the airfoils and the disc hub, thereafter dissolving all of the ring of expendable material from the joined airfoils and disc hub to form controlled flow passages between each of said airfoils.