General Electric Company

Barry T Malone

Ching-Pang Lee

Gary Eugene Wheat

Nicholas Charles Palmer

Terri Kay Brown

Mark Joseph Gleason

Robert C Simmons

Edwin D Tyler

Michael D Simcox

Jason S Mogle

Darrin L Smith

Brian K Howell

In the electrochemical drilling of a hole completely through a workpiece, the present invention proposes operating the power supply in a current regulating mode. Initially, a hollow cathode is positioned adjacent to a workpiece in which one or more holes are to be drilled. An electrolyte is flowed through the cathode and against the workpiece. A constant electrical current is applied between the cathode and the workpiece across the electrolyte. Then the cathode is advanced at a constant rate toward the workpiece for the drilling of the hole(s), while maintaining the electrolyte flow and current substantially constant.

Method for controlling electrochemical drilling

A gas turbine engine airfoil includes a tip corner disposed at the juncture of the airfoil tip and trailing edge, and a cooling hole extends therethrough in direct flow communication with an internal cooling passage thereof. A cross-hole extends perpendicularly into the tip corner and into the cooling hole for discharging from the airfoil a portion of cooling air channeled into the cooling hole. The airfoil tip corner is therefore cooled by the air channeled through the cross-hole received from the intersecting cooling hole.

Cooled airfoil tip corner

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Dawson Springs, KY, United States of America

Barry T Malone