General Electric Company

Robert Alan Johnson

Ching-Pang Lee

Nesim Abuaf

Wayne Charles Hasz

Bin Wei

Hsin-Pang Wang

William Randolph Stowell

Ching Pang Lee

John Howard Starkweather

Mark Gerard Rettig

Jon Conrad Schaeffer

John Frederick Ackerman

Andrew Jay Skoog

Jane Ann Murphy

Thomas Walter Rentz

Anthony J Loprinzo

Harmon Lindsay Morton

Joseph Thomas Begovich

Dainel P Ivkovich, Jr

Lawrence Bernard Kool

Sang Yeng Park

Rong-Shi Paul Chiu

Frederick Alan Buck

Soon Jai Khang

Dan Ivkovich

A method of repairing a thermal barrier coating () on a component () designed for use in a hostile thermal environment, such as turbine, combustor and augmentor components of a gas turbine engine. The method more particularly involves repairing a thermal barrier coating () on a component () that has suffered localized spallation () of the thermal barrier coating (). After cleaning the surface area () of the component () exposed by the localized spallation (), a ceramic paste () comprising a ceramic powder in a binder is applied to the surface area () of the component (). The binder is then reacted to yield a ceramic-containing repair coating () that covers the surface area of the component and comprises the ceramic powder in a matrix of a material formed when the binder was reacted. The binder is preferably a ceramic precursor material that can be converted immediately to a ceramic or allowed to thermally decompose over time to form a ceramic, such that the repair coating () has a ceramic matrix. The repair method can be performed while the component () remains installed, e.g., in a gas turbine engine. Immediately after the reaction step, the gas turbine engine can resume operation during which the binder is further reacted/converted and the strength of the repair coating increases.

Component with repaired thermal barrier coating

A method of providing turbulation on the inner surface of a passage hole (e.g., a turbine cooling hole) is described. The turbulation is first applied to a substrate which can eventually be inserted into the passage hole. The substrate is often a bar or tube, formed of a sacrificial material. After the turbulation is applied to the substrate, the substrate is inserted into the passage hole. The turbulation material is then fused to the inner surface, using a conventional heating technique. The sacrificial substrate can then be removed from the hole by various techniques. Related articles are also described.

Method for providing turbulation on the inner surface of holes in an article, and related articles

An article includes turbulation material bonded to a surface of a substrate via a bonding agent, such as a braze alloy. In an embodiment, the turbulation material includes a particulate phase of discrete metal alloy particles having an average particle size within a range of about 125 microns to about 4000 microns. Other embodiments include methods for applying turbulation and articles for forming turbulation.

Article having turbulation and method of providing turbulation on an article

A casting includes a heat transfer surface having a plurality of cavities. The plurality of cavities include a density of at least about 25 cavities per square centimeter to about 1,100 cavities per square centimeter resulting in increased surface area and therefore enhanced heat transfer capability. Also disclosed is a mold for forming a pattern for molding the casting. The mold includes a surface defining a portion of a chamber to which are attached a plurality of particles having an average particle size in a range of about 300 microns to about 2,000 microns.

Casting having an enhanced heat transfer, surface, and mold and pattern for forming same

An electrode for rejuvenating a cooling passage within an airfoil, the electrode including a tip, an end, a conductive core extending between the tip and the end, and an insulating coating disposed on the conductive core. The insulating coating exposes a number of conductive strips of the conductive core extending between the tip and the end. The insulating coating forms a number of insulating portions and further exposes a number of spacer portions of the conductive core longitudinally positioned between the insulating portions. The insulating portions substantially span a distance between the tip and the end and are positioned between the conductive strips.

Apparatus and method for rejuvenating cooling passages within a turbine airfoil

A gas turbine engine wash process that facilitates reducing a formation of particulate matter within a gas turbine engine is described. The engine wash process includes injecting a first liquid into the engine to remove particulate matter formed within the engine and adversely affecting engine operation and performance. A second liquid is then injected into the engine to facilitate reducing a rate of formation of particulate matter within the gas turbine engine as the engine is operated in the future. More specifically, the second liquid is an anti-static liquid that coats compressor blades within the gas turbine engine.

Methods and apparatus for washing gas turbine engines

A turbine engine component is provided that has a surface that contains a plurality of depressions that are effective to increase the surface area of the component. The depressions are generally concave in contour and improve the heat transfer characteristics of the component. Methods for forming the turbine engine components are also disclosed.

Turbine engine component having enhanced heat transfer characteristics and method for forming same

A curved turbulator configuration is in a radial cooling passage of an airfoil, where the radial cooling passage is defined by at least a leading wall and a trailing wall, and the airfoil includes a tip and a root. The curved turbulator configuration includes a number of spaced curved turbulator pairs positioned along a center-line on an inner surface of the leading wall and a number of spaced complementary curved turbulator pairs positioned along a center-line on an inner surface of the trailing wall. An electrode for forming the curved turbulator configuration in the radial cooling passage includes a leading face having a curved turbulator pattern, a trailing face having a complementary curved turbulator pattern, a conductive core, and an insulating coating disposed thereon that is partly removed.

Curved turbulator configuration for airfoils and method and electrode for machining the configuration

A combustor liner is provided on its backside cooling surface with a braze alloy coating and cooling enhancement material, preferably metallic particles to enhance the heat transfer between the liner and the cooling medium. The surface area of the backside coated area is increased substantially by the coating and particles in relation to the uncoated surface areas. Consequently, the life of the liner is extended.

Method and apparatus for enhancing heat transfer in a combustor liner for a gas turbine

Castings for gas turbine parts exposed on one side to a high-temperature fluid medium have cast-in bumps on an opposite cooling surface side to enhance heat transfer. Areas on the cooling surface having defectively cast bumps, i.e., missing or partially formed bumps during casting, are thermally sprayed to provide a metallic cooling enhancement surface layer to salvage the part.

Method of salvaging castings with defective cast cooling bumps

A method of forming a turbine engine component, includes providing a mold having a textured region, pouring a molten alloy into the mold, and cooling the molten alloy to form a turbine engine component, wherein the turbine engine component has an enhanced surface area region corresponding to the textured region of the mold, the enhanced surface area region comprising randomly arranged bumps.

Method for forming a turbine engine component having enhanced heat transfer characteristics

A casting includes a heat tranfer surface having a pluality of cavities. The plurality of cavities includes a density of at least about 25 cavities per square centimeter to about 1,100 cavities per square centimeter resulting in increased surface area and therefore enhanced heat transfer capability. Also disclosed is a mold for forming a pattern for molding the casting. The mold includes a surface defining a portion of a chamber to which are attached a plurality of particles having an average particle size in a range of about 300 microns to about 2,000 microns.

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Robert Alan Johnson