Rolls-royce Corporation

Jonathan P Towill

David Stroud

Arthur G Corfe

Brian G Cooper

A variety of configurations for convergent-divergent film cooling holes are disclosed, together with the hole drilling methods necessary to achieve the configurations.

Film cooled components

An apparatus for drilling a shaped hole in a workpiece by means of a laser beam emanating from a laser source, includes (a) means for directing the beam onto the workpiece, (b) means for controlling the angle of the beam striking the workpiece relative to the axis of the hole, and, (c) means for controlling the distance between the intersection of the beam with the surface of the workpiece and the axis of the hole, so that the combination of the means for controlling the angle and the means for controlling the distance enables a shaped hole to be drilled in the workpiece by the laser beam. The apparatus also includes means for rotating the direction of the beam about the axis of the hole so as to describe at least part of the curved surface of a one that has its vertex on or within the body of the workpiece.

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Cardiff, United Kingdom

Jonathan P Towill