Components for gas turbine engines and methods for manufacturing components for gas turbine engines

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a turbine engine component comprises the steps of fabricating an inner hub, casting a plurality of blades, forming a blade ring, and bonding the blade ring to the inner hub. Each blade comprises a blade root and an airfoil body extending from the blade root. The blade ring comprises, at least in part, the plurality of blades coupled by a first bonding technique. The blade ring is bonded to the inner hub using a second bonding technique.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a turbine engine component, the method comprising the steps of:
 fabricating an inner hub;   casting a plurality of blades, each blade comprising:
 a blade root; and 
 an airfoil body extending from the blade root; 
   forming a blade ring comprising, at least in part, the plurality of blades coupled using a first bonding technique; and   bonding the blade ring to the inner hub using a second bonding technique.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a blade ring comprises bonding the blade roots together using the first bonding technique. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a blade ring comprises bonding the blade roots to a rung member using the first bonding technique. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 removing material from the blade ring or the inner hub, or both.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the step of:
 forming a cavity in the blade root.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the cavity is formed prior to bonding the blade ring to the inner hub. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a blade ring comprises coupling the plurality of blades via brazing. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a blade ring comprises coupling the plurality of blades via diffusion bonding. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a blade ring comprises coupling the plurality of blades via transient liquid phase bonding. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a blade ring comprises coupling the plurality of blades via welding. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of bonding the blade ring to the inner hub comprises diffusion bonding the blade ring to the inner hub. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 vacuum brazing a bonding region between the blade ring and the inner hub.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of casting the plurality of blades comprises casting the plurality of blades as single crystal blades. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 forming a plurality of cavities in the blade ring as part of the casting of the plurality of blades.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 forming a plurality of cavities in the blade ring by machining the plurality of blades.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the blade ring occurs after the step of casting the plurality of blades. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 forming two seals at opposite ends where the blade ring is bonded to the inner hub.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of bonding the blade ring to the inner hub comprises bonding an outer diameter of the inner hub to an inner diameter of the blade ring using the second bonding technique. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 removing at least a portion of the first bonding material from the blade ring.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 removing at least a portion of the first bonding material from the inner hub.