IP Library Granted Patent US 12,664,333
Granted Patent B2
US 12,664,333 · App. 17/730,104 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Systems and methods for generating blend repair models

Inventors: Lawrence P Roberts (North Palm Beach, FL); Adam F. Knapp (Manchester, CT); William D Owen (Windsor, CT); Ross A. Vandenbosch (Berwick, ME)
Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
G06F30/23G06F30/15
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,664,333
App. No.
17/730,104
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An article of manufacture may include a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: receiving, via the processor, one of a point cloud and a three-dimensional model for an inspected integrally bladed rotor (IBR) and a defect including a defect shape, a defect size, and a defect location; generating, via the processor, a first finite element model and a second finite element model based on the point cloud or the three-dimensional model, the first finite element model and the second finite element model; performing, via the processor, a structural analysis simulation with the first finite element model; performing, via the processor an aerodynamic analysis simulation with the second finite element model; iterating, via the processor, a repaired defect shape based on simulation data from the aerodynamic analysis simulation and the structural analysis simulation; and determining a repair process for the defect based on the iterating.

Claims (37)

1 . An article of manufacture including a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, via the processor, one of a point cloud and a three-dimensional model for an inspected integrally bladed rotor (IBR) and a defect including a defect shape, a defect size, and a defect location;

generating, via the processor, a first finite element model and a second finite element model based on the point cloud or the three-dimensional model, the first finite element model and the second finite element model;

performing, via the processor, a structural analysis simulation with the first finite element model, wherein the first finite element model utilizes a first set of boundary conditions, wherein the first set of boundary conditions include at least one of a temperature, a rotor speed, a stack of IBRs, or a high pressure compressor, wherein the temperature includes at least one of a highest expected blade temperature or a lowest expected blade temperature, and wherein the rotor speed includes at least one of a max rotor speed, a typical rotor speed, a rotor speed as a function of flight cycle, or a rotor speed generating modal response;

performing, via the processor an aerodynamic analysis simulation with the second finite element model, wherein the second finite element model utilizes a second set of boundary conditions and wherein the second set of boundary conditions include at least one of a stack stiffness, a clocking, clearances, blade counts, axial gapping, imbalance, or secondary flow influence;

iterating, via the processor, a repaired defect shape based on simulation data from the aerodynamic analysis simulation and the structural analysis simulation; and

determining a repair process for the defect based on the iterating.

2 . The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein the structural analysis simulation and the aerodynamic analysis simulation are based on boundary conditions for a gas turbine engine with the article of manufacture.

3 . The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein a potential repaired defect shape of the defect is not limited by tolerances of a product definition of an IBR design associated with the inspected IBR.

4 . The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein both the first finite element model and the second finite element model include a potential repaired defect based on the defect shape, the defect size and the defect location.

5 . The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein the first finite element model and the second finite element model include a first potential repaired defect and a second potential repaired defect.

6 . The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein the repair process for the first potential repaired defect and the second potential repaired defect is a partial repair in response to a structural criteria and an aerodynamic criteria for the inspected IBR being met in the structural analysis simulation and the aerodynamic analysis simulation.

7 . The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein the structural analysis simulation and the aerodynamic analysis simulation are performed in parallel.

8 . The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise scaling, via the processor, stress results from the structural analysis simulation based on engine test data for a tested IBR on a tested gas turbine engine.

9 . A method, comprising:

generating a first finite element model and a second finite element model for an inspected integrally bladed rotor (IBR) based at least in part on a point cloud of the inspected IBR;

performing a structural analysis simulation with the first finite element model, the structural analysis simulation including a first set of boundary conditions based on a first set of operating conditions of a gas turbine engine, wherein the first set of boundary conditions include at least one of a temperature, a rotor speed, a stack of IBRs, or a high pressure compressor, wherein the temperature includes at least one of a highest expected blade temperature or a lowest expected blade temperature, and wherein the rotor speed includes at least one of a max rotor speed, a typical rotor speed, a rotor speed as a function of flight cycle, or a rotor speed generating modal response;

performing an aerodynamic analysis simulation with the second finite element model, the aerodynamic analysis simulation including a second set of boundary conditions based on a second set of operating conditions of the gas turbine engine, wherein the second set of boundary conditions include at least one of a stack stiffness, a clocking, clearances, blade counts, axial gapping, imbalance, or secondary flow influence;

iterating a potential repaired defect shape for a defect of the inspected IBR based on simulation data from the aerodynamic analysis simulation and the structural analysis simulation; and

generating a repair option based on the iterating.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the repair option include one of a computer numerical control (CNC) instructions, an additive manufacturing instructions, and a manual instruction.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising generating a plurality of repair options.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the repair option includes coded instructions for a computer numerical control (CNC) machine to perform the repair option.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising transferring the coded instructions to the CNC machine to perform the repair option.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprises performing the repair option via the coded instructions.

15 . A method, comprising:

determining a first potential repair shape for a first defect of the inspected IBR;

determining a second potential repair shape for a second defect of the inspected IBR based on an expected impact to a predetermined parameter;

generating a first finite element model and a second finite element model for an inspected integrally bladed rotor (IBR) based at least in part on a point cloud of the inspected IBR, the first finite element model and the second finite element model including the first potential repair shape for the first defect and the second potential repair shape for the second defect;

performing a structural simulation with the first finite element model, the structural simulation including a first set of boundary conditions based on a first set of operating conditions of a gas turbine engine, wherein the first set of boundary conditions include at least one of a temperature, a rotor speed, a stack of IBRs, or a high pressure compressor, wherein the temperature includes at least one of a highest expected blade temperature or a lowest expected blade temperature, and wherein the rotor speed includes at least one of a max rotor speed, a typical rotor speed, a rotor speed as a function of flight cycle, or a rotor speed generating modal response;

performing an aerodynamic simulation with the second finite element model, the aerodynamic simulation including a second set of boundary conditions based on a second set of operating conditions of the gas turbine engine, wherein the second set of boundary conditions include at least one of a stack stiffness, a clocking, clearances, blade counts, axial gapping, imbalance, or secondary flow influence; and

iterating, the second potential repair shape for the second defect based on the predetermined parameter.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising determining a repair process for the first defect and the second defect based on the iterating.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the predetermined parameter is an excitation frequency for a blade of the inspected IBR.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the predetermined parameter is a vibratory stress of the inspected IBR.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising generating a plurality of repair options in response to the iterating.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising repairing the inspected IBR via a repair option from the plurality of repair options.