Rolls-royce Corporation

Anthony G Gale

Wilfred H Wilkinson

Edwin Pateman

John Slinger

Alec George Dodd

Derek A Roberts

Barry W Lings

Andrew G Wood

A blade or vane structure for a gas turbine engine comprises a hollow aerofoil member and a cooling air entry tube within the hollow aerofoil member, the aerofoil and the tube comprising a unitary cast structure. To make this structure it is proposed that a lost wax casting process should be utilized, with the internal cavities formed using ceramic cores formed with the aid of temporary, disposable pieces which define the space eventually occupied by the tube.

Method of making an aerofoil member for a gas turbine engine

A method of casting a blade or vane for a gas turbine engine which enables the production of more complex internal shapes than those which may be made by prior art methods. The method of the invention includes the steps of:

Method of manufacturing a blade or vane for a gas turbine engine

A blade or vane structure for a gas turbine engine comprises a hollow aerofoil member and a cooling air entry tube within the hollow aerofoil member, the aerofoil member and the tube comprising a unitary cast structure. To make this structure it is proposed that a lost wax casting process should be utilized, with the internal cavities formed using ceramic cores formed with the aid of temporary, disposable pieces which define the space eventually occupied by the tube.

Aerofoil member for a gas turbine engine

An aerofoil blade or vane for a gas turbine engine comprises an aerofoil which includes one only of the two flanks of the trailing edge of the aerofoil and which is an integrally cast structure. The other flank of the trailing edge is formed as a separate piece which is metallurgically bonded to the remainder of the aerofoil through a joint face. The aerofoil is adapted for the supply of cooling fluid to its interior and the joint face is cut away to form an exit passage or passages for cooling fluid which leaves the interior of the aerofoil.

Rotor blade or stator vane for a gas turbine engine

A cooled rotor blade for a gas turbine has an aerofoil in which there are longitudinally extending cooling fluid passages. At the tip of the aerofoil is located a separate, chordwise extending tube. The tube has apertures in its wall which correspond with at least some of the cooling fluid passages, whereby the spent cooling fluid from these passages may pass through the tube to rejoin the gas flow of the engine.

Cooled rotor blade for a gas turbine engine

A gas turbine rotor blade has a root portion and a hollow aerofoil supported from the root. Within the hollow aerofoil is mounted an air entry tube which has a closed end at or adjacent the tip of the aerofoil, the tube being sealed to the hollow blade interior at or adjacent the closed end so as to close off the otherwise open tip of the hollow aerofoil.

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Wollaton, United Kingdom

Anthony G Gale