Turbine blade having midspan shroud with recessed wear pad and methods for manufacture

1. A blade for mounting with other blades in a circumferential direction around a disk, the blade comprising:

an airfoil having a pressure side and a suction side;

a pair of midspan shrouds located on the airfoil, each shroud having a planar contact face, the contact faces facing in opposite circumferential directions of the blade, wherein one midspan shroud extends in the circumferential direction from the pressure side and the other midspan shroud extends in the circumferential direction from the suction side;

at least one recess on each of the contact faces of the midspan shrouds so that each recess is surrounded by one of the contact faces of a corresponding one of the midspan shrouds; and

a wear pad disposed within each recess of the midspan shrouds, each wear pad having a contact surface that is surrounded by the contact face of the corresponding midspan shroud so that a portion of the corresponding contact face shields the wear pad from pull loads and rub loads during a shingling/rebound event with a midspan shroud of a second blade mounted circumferentially adjacent to the blade on a disk.

2. A blade according to claim 1 wherein each wear pad is made from an alloy comprising Tungsten Carbide (WC) and Cobalt (Co).

3. A blade according to claim 1 wherein each wear pad is attached to the midspan shroud by brazing.

4. A blade according to claim 3 wherein the brazing is performed using a braze alloy comprising titanium-copper-nickel (TiCuNi).

5. A blade according to claim 3 wherein the brazing is performed using a gold based braze alloy comprising 47% Au, 43% Cu, 10% Ni by weight.

6. A method of manufacturing a blade comprising the steps of:

forming a blade having a midspan shroud,

forming a recess on a planar contact face on the midspan shroud so that the recess is surrounded by the contact face,

inserting a braze alloy into the recess,

inserting a wear pad into the recess having the braze alloy,

attaching the wear pad to the blade by brazing, the wear pad having a contact surface that is surrounded by the contact face of the midspan shroud, and

installing the blade with other blades in a circumferential direction around a disk, wherein a portion of the contact face shields the wear pad from pull loads and rub loads during a shingling/rebound event with a midspan shroud of a second blade mounted circumferentially adjacent to the blade on the disk.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the wear pad comprises an alloy having Tungsten Carbide (WC) and Cobalt (Co).

8. A method according to claim 6 wherein the braze alloy comprises titanium, copper and nickel (TiCuNi).

9. A method according to claim 6 the braze alloy comprises a gold based alloy.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the gold based alloy comprises 47% Au, 43% Cu, 10% Ni by weight.

11. A method according to claim 6 wherein the brazing is performed between about 1750 F and about 1900 F.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the brazing is performed in vacuum.