Symmetrical two-piece hollow-vane assembly joined via brazing along airfoil centerline
A hollow vane assembly including an open body including an interior; at least one cover support structure formed in said open body proximate the interior; a cover brazed to the open body to form at least one flow passage; and the open body and the cover configured as two piece substantially symmetrical halves.
1 . A process of creating a hollow vane assembly comprising:
forming an open body, the open body including an interior;
forming at least one cover support structure in said open body proximate the interior;
forming a cover, the cover being configured to attach to the open body to form at least one flow passage;
forming the open body and the cover as symmetrical halves; and
brazing the cover to the open body, wherein the hollow vane assembly is a gas turbine engine hollow vane assembly.
2 . The process according to claim 1 , further comprising:
forming an airfoil by brazing the open body together with the cover.
3 . The process according to claim 1 , further comprising:
forming at least one of the open body and the cover by a manufacturing process selected from the group consisting of casting, additive manufacturing and machining.
4 . The process according to claim 1 , further comprising:
forming the symmetrical halves along a centerline of the hollow vane assembly.
5 . The process according to claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a dual walled structure having contoured surfaces.
6 . The process according to claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a braze joint for joining the symmetrical halves along a centerline of the hollow vane assembly.
7 . The process according to claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a braze joint on either side of a centerline within a range of about 1 % to about 25 % of a thickness of an airfoil formed by the symmetrical halves.
8 . A hollow vane assembly comprising:
an open body including an interior;
at least one cover support structure formed in said open body proximate the interior;
a cover brazed to the open body to form at least one flow passage; and
the open body and the cover configured as symmetrically divided halves, wherein the hollow vane assembly is a gas turbine engine hollow vane assembly.
9 . The hollow vane assembly according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a braze joint attaches the symmetrically divided halves along a centerline of the hollow vane assembly.
10 . The hollow vane assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the braze joint attaches the at least one cover support structure formed in the open body and the cover.
11 . The hollow vane assembly according to claim 8 , wherein a braze joint is located on either side of a centerline within a range of about 1% to about 25% of an airfoil thickness.
12 . The hollow vane assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the cover comprises the at least one cover support structure.
13 . The hollow vane assembly according to claim 8 , wherein a dual walled structure having contoured surfaces is formed from the symmetrically divided halves.
14 . The hollow vane assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the open body brazed together with the cover form an airfoil.
15 . A process for improving the stress capability between a cover and an open body for a hollow vane assembly comprising:
forming the open body, the open body includes a leading edge opposite a trailing edge, the open body includes a pressure side and suction side opposite the pressure side, the open body including an interior;
forming the cover, the cover being configured to couple with the open body proximate a centerline of the hollow vane assembly to form at least one flow passage;
configuring the open body and the cover as symmetrically divided halves; and
attaching the cover to the open body, wherein the hollow vane assembly is a gas turbine engine hollow vane assembly.
16 . The process of claim 15 , further comprising:
attaching the symmetrically divided halves along a centerline of the hollow vane assembly via a braze joint.
17 . The process of claim 15 , further comprising:
attaching the at least one cover support structure formed in the open body and the cover via a braze joint.
18 . The process of claim 15 , further comprising:
forming an airfoil from by combining the open body together with the cover configured as symmetrically divided halves.
19 . The process of claim 18 , further comprising:
locating a braze joint on either side of a centerline of the hollow vane assembly within a range of about 1% to about 25% of a thickness of the airfoil.
20 . The process of claim 15 , further comprising:
forming at least one cover support structure in the cover.