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| United States Patent |
6,420,677
|
|
Emer
, et al.
|
July 16, 2002
|
Laser machining cooling holes in gas turbine components
Abstract
The present invention provides a method of laser machining a cooling hole
in a hollow gas turbine component, the cooling hole including a circular
cross section metering hole and a diffuser with an opening which extends
from a shape locus in the metering hole to a trapezoidal cross section
opening by firing a series of laser pulses at an acute angle at the outer
surface of the component toward the shape locus to create the diffuser
opening, with the laser pulses penetrating the component outer surface up
to but not substantially beyond the shape locus, then firing the laser
through the shape locus and the inner surface of the component to create
the metering hole having a circular cross section. Alternatively, the
initial laser pulses are fired to create the central portion of the
diffuser opening, then firing the laser to create the metering hole,
followed by firing the laser along the peripheral portion of the diffuser
opening.
| Inventors:
|
Emer; George (Cresskill, NJ);
Wos; Frank (Landing, NJ);
Romin; Dmitriy (Brooklyn, NY)
|
| Assignee:
|
Chromalloy Gas Turbine Corporation (Orangeburg, NY)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
741727 |
| Filed:
|
December 20, 2000 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
219/121.71; 219/121.72; 219/121.67; 219/121.7; 219/121.68 |
| Intern'l Class: |
B23K 026/00 |
| Field of Search: |
219/121.71,121.72,121.67,121.7,121.68
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
| 4737613 | Apr., 1988 | Frye | 219/121.
|
| 4762464 | Aug., 1988 | Vertz et al. | 416/97.
|
| 5223692 | Jun., 1993 | Lozier et al. | 219/121.
|
| 5609779 | Mar., 1997 | Crow et al. | 219/121.
|
| 5683600 | Nov., 1997 | Kelley et al. | 219/121.
|
| 5739502 | Apr., 1998 | Anderson et al. | 219/121.
|
| 5837964 | Nov., 1998 | Emer et al. | 219/121.
|
| 6307175 | Oct., 2001 | Blochinger et al. | 219/121.
|
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 0365195 | Mar., 1996 | EP | .
|
| 0748469 | Oct., 1997 | EP | .
|
Primary Examiner: Elve; M. Alexandra
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bittman; Mitchell D.
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