United Technologies Corporation

Raytheon Technologies Corporation

University of Missouri

Thomas J Watson

James Olaf Hansen

Christopher W Strock

John Joseph Marcin

Blair A Smith

Daniel A Bales

Iuliana Cernatescu

Joseph Parkos, Jr

Vincent C Nardone

John A Visoskis

Stuart A Anderson

Mario P Bochiechio

Michael A Weisse

David Ulrich Furrer

Pantcho P Stoyanov

Christopher J Hertel

William R Graves

Wangen Lin

Lee Drozdenko

Thomas J Garosshen

Bradford A Cowles

John J Schirra

James L Deal

Randy P Salva

Rajiv S Mishra

Kelly L Hoover

Stephen E Pasakarnis

Sascha Schwarze

Khoi Dang

Dao-Quynh Dang

Sebastian Carbajales

Yanwen Wang

An airfoil includes a first airfoil piece and a second airfoil piece that is bonded to the first airfoil piece at a joint. The first airfoil piece and the second airfoil piece are formed of aluminum alloys. At least one of the aluminum alloys is an aluminum alloy composition that has greater than 0.8% by weight of zinc. The joint includes a braze element of magnesium, zinc, or combinations thereof in a higher concentration than in other portions of the first airfoil piece and the second airfoil piece.

Aluminum airfoil

An airfoil includes a first airfoil piece and a second airfoil piece bonded to the first airfoil piece at a joint. The first airfoil piece and the second airfoil piece are formed of aluminum alloys. At least one of the aluminum alloys is an aluminum alloy composition that has greater than 0.8% by weight of zinc.

A coated article comprising: a substrate; and a coating on the substrate comprising: a metallic matrix comprising, by weight: Al as a largest constituent; 3.0-6.0 Cr; 1.5-4.0 Mn; 0.1-3.5 Co; and 0.3-2.0 Zr; and a filler and optionally porosity.

Corrosion-resistant aluminum-based abradable coatings

Dispersion strengthened aluminum-cerium-manganese alloys containing from about 0.05 to about 23.0 weight percent cerium and about 0.03 to about 9.5 weight percent manganese exhibit mechanical properties that make them useful alloys as a result of age hardening for extended periods at temperatures between 350&#xb0; C. (662&#xb0; F.) and 450&#xb0; C. (842&#xb0; F.).

Age hardenable dispersion strengthened aluminum alloys

A composition comprises, in weight percent: Al as a largest constituent; 3.0 6.0 Cr; 1.5 4.0 Mn; 0.1 3.5 Co; and 0.3 2.0 Zr.

Aluminum alloys and manufacture methods

An airfoil includes an airfoil body that extends at least between leading and trailing edges, first and second sides, and radially inner and outer ends. The airfoil body includes an aluminum alloy that has a controlled crystallographic texture with respect to a predefined three-dimensional coordinate system. The airfoil can be used in the fan of a gas turbine engine.

Aluminum alloy airfoil with designed crystallographic texture

A dynamic compaction process comprises forming first and second preforms. Forming each preform includes utilizing a container having an interior and an exterior. Filling the interior of the container with a powder material; sealing the container; subjecting the exterior of the container to an instantaneous dynamic compaction, forming a solid powder metallurgy preform encased by the container. The container gets removed from each preform. The process includes inserting the first and second preforms in another container in a predefined pattern; the predefined pattern aligns the first and second preforms creating an interface. The process includes inserting a backstop against the predefined pattern in this container; subjecting the exterior of this container to an instantaneous dynamic compaction. The process includes bonding the first preform and second preform along the interface to form a component precursor; and removing the container from the precursor. Another step includes processing the precursor into components.

Dynamic bonding of powder metallurgy materials

A fan blade comprises an airfoil portion and a sheath portion. The sheath portion has a sheath head section, a first sheath flank, and a second sheath flank, both flanks extending chordwise from the forward sheath section. The sheath portion is bonded to the airfoil portion such that the sheath head section covers the forward airfoil edge, defining a blade leading edge. The first sheath flank covers a portion of the first airfoil surface proximate the airfoil forward edge, jointly defining a blade suction surface. The second sheath flank covers a portion of the second airfoil surface proximate the airfoil forward edge, jointly defining a blade pressure surface. The first metallic material is an aluminum alloy containing between about 0.5 wt % and about 3.0 wt % of lithium.

Hybrid metal fan blade

A rotor has a rotor body with at least one slot receiving a blade. The blade has an outer surface, at least at some areas, formed of a first material and having an airfoil extending from a dovetail. The dovetail is received in the slot. A diode is in contact with a portion of the dovetail formed of a second material that is more electrically conductive than the first material. The diode is in contact with a rotating element that rotates with the rotor. The rotating element is formed of a third material. The first material is less electrically conductive than the third material. The diode and the rotating element together form a ground path from the portion of the dovetail into the rotor. An engine and a fan blade are also disclosed.

Diode electrical ground for fan blades

A method of making an aluminum airfoil includes brazing a first airfoil piece and a second airfoil piece together using a braze material that includes an element selected from magnesium and zinc, to form a braze joint between the first airfoil piece and the second airfoil piece. At least one of the first airfoil piece or the second airfoil piece has an aluminum alloy composition that includes greater than 0.8% by weight of zinc.

A method for protecting a fan blade with an airfoil, a tip, a root and a sheath, the root to be inserted into a hub includes peening the airfoil of the blade; inserting a scrim cloth between the fan blade and the sheath to galvanically isolate the fan blade from the sheath; bonding the sheath to the blade with an epoxy adhesive; peening the blade root; bonding wear pads to the root with epoxy adhesive to galvanically isolate the root from the hub; applying a protective cover to the tip of the blade; and applying a coating to all exposed areas of the blade to inhibit corrosion.

Fan blade protection system

An airfoil component includes an aluminum alloy body having at least an airfoil portion and a root portion. A metallic layer is located on at least a portion of the aluminum alloy body and an electrochemically insulating layer is located between and adjoining the aluminum alloy body and the metallic layer.

Airfoil with galvanically isolated metal coating

A method of extruding a glassy aluminum-based alloy billet, by soaking the billet for sufficient time to heat the billet to an extrusion starting temperature of from about 300&#xb0; F. to about 600&#xb0; F. and extruding the billet in a streamline die having an extrusion ratio to keep the adiabatic temperature below the starting temperature while maintaining the streamline die at a temperature of about 400&#xb0; F. to about 600&#xb0; F. at a ram speed less than that which would raise the streamline die temperature within this range.

Extrusion of glassy aluminum-based alloys

A powder processing method includes degassing a metallic powder in a rotating chamber that is evacuated to a sub-atmospheric pressure. The method may also include storing the metallic powder in a rotating storage chamber that is pressurized to a super-atmospheric pressure with a dry cover gas.

Powder processing method

A hollow airfoil and a method for manufacturing a hollow airfoil is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing a first airfoil portion, which first portion has a wall with an interior surface and an exterior surface, and one or more ribs extending out from the interior surface; providing a second airfoil portion having a wall with an interior surface and an exterior surface; wherein the first airfoil portion and the second airfoil portion have mating geometries in which the one or more ribs extend between the interior surfaces of the walls of the first and second airfoil portion to form at least one internal cavity defined by the interior surface of the first portion wall, one or more of the ribs, and the interior surface of the second portion wall, and wherein the airfoil includes at least one exterior port disposed in one of the first airfoil portion or the second airfoil portion, or is formed between the first and second airfoil portions, which at least one exterior port is in fluid communication with the at least one cavity; disposing a support material within the at least one internal cavity allowing the support material to be in contact with the one or more ribs, which support material is operative to structurally support the one or more ribs; attaching the first and second airfoil portions together; and removing the support material from the at least one internal cavity through the at least one exterior port.

Growing community of inventors

South Windsor, CT, United States of America

Thomas J Watson