The limits of gas turbine technology are heavily influenced by materials and manufacturing capabilities. Lately, incremental performance gains responsible for increasing the allowable turbine inlet temperature (TIT) have been made mainly through innovations in cooling technology, specifically convective cooling schemes. Laser additive manufacturing (LAM) is a promising manufacturing technology that uses lasers to selectively melt powders of metal in a layer-by-layer process to directly manufacture components, paving the way to manufacture designs that are not possible with conventional casting methods. This study investigates manufacturing qualities seen in LAM methods and its ability to successfully produce complex features found in turbine blades. A leading edge segment of a turbine blade, containing both internal and external cooling features, along with an engineered-porous structure is fabricated by laser additive manufacturing of superalloy powders. Through a nondestructive approach, the presented geometry is analyzed against the departure of the design by utilizing X-ray computed tomography (CT). Variance distribution between the design and manufactured leading edge segment are carried out for both internal impingement and external transpiration hole diameters. Flow testing is performed in order to characterize the uniformity of porous regions and flow characteristics across the entire article for various pressure ratios (PR). Discharge coefficients of internal impingement arrays and engineered-porous structures are quantified. The analysis yields quantitative data on the build quality of the LAM process, providing insight as to whether or not it is a viable option for direct manufacture of microfeatures in current turbine blade production.
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October 2017
Research-Article
Characterization of Laser Additive Manufacturing-Fabricated Porous Superalloys for Turbine Components
Brandon Ealy,
Brandon Ealy
Center for Advanced Turbomachinery
and Energy Research,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: brandonealy@knights.ucf.edu
and Energy Research,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: brandonealy@knights.ucf.edu
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Luisana Calderon,
Luisana Calderon
Center for Advanced Turbomachinery
and Energy Research,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: luisana@knights.ucf.edu
and Energy Research,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: luisana@knights.ucf.edu
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Wenping Wang,
Wenping Wang
Center for Advanced Turbomachinery
and Energy Research,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: Wenping.wang@ucf.edu
and Energy Research,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: Wenping.wang@ucf.edu
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Ilya Mingareev,
Ilya Mingareev
Townes Laser Institute,
CREOL,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: Ilya.mingareev@ucf.edu
CREOL,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: Ilya.mingareev@ucf.edu
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Martin Richardson,
Martin Richardson
Townes Laser Institute,
CREOL,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: mcr@creol.ucf.edu
CREOL,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: mcr@creol.ucf.edu
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Jay Kapat
Jay Kapat
Director of Center for Advanced
Turbomachinery and Energy Research,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: Jayanta.Kapat@ucf.edu
Turbomachinery and Energy Research,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: Jayanta.Kapat@ucf.edu
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Brandon Ealy
Center for Advanced Turbomachinery
and Energy Research,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: brandonealy@knights.ucf.edu
and Energy Research,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: brandonealy@knights.ucf.edu
Luisana Calderon
Center for Advanced Turbomachinery
and Energy Research,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: luisana@knights.ucf.edu
and Energy Research,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: luisana@knights.ucf.edu
Wenping Wang
Center for Advanced Turbomachinery
and Energy Research,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: Wenping.wang@ucf.edu
and Energy Research,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: Wenping.wang@ucf.edu
Ranier Valentin
Ilya Mingareev
Townes Laser Institute,
CREOL,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: Ilya.mingareev@ucf.edu
CREOL,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: Ilya.mingareev@ucf.edu
Martin Richardson
Townes Laser Institute,
CREOL,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: mcr@creol.ucf.edu
CREOL,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: mcr@creol.ucf.edu
Jay Kapat
Director of Center for Advanced
Turbomachinery and Energy Research,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: Jayanta.Kapat@ucf.edu
Turbomachinery and Energy Research,
University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL 32816
e-mail: Jayanta.Kapat@ucf.edu
Contributed by the Manufacturing Materials and Metallurgy Committee of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING FOR GAS TURBINES AND POWER. Manuscript received July 21, 2016; final manuscript received November 26, 2016; published online May 9, 2017. Editor: David Wisler.
J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. Oct 2017, 139(10): 102102 (7 pages)
Published Online: May 9, 2017
Article history
Received:
July 21, 2016
Revised:
November 26, 2016
Citation
Ealy, B., Calderon, L., Wang, W., Valentin, R., Mingareev, I., Richardson, M., and Kapat, J. (May 9, 2017). "Characterization of Laser Additive Manufacturing-Fabricated Porous Superalloys for Turbine Components." ASME. J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. October 2017; 139(10): 102102. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4035560
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