Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Support structure and methods for additively manufacturing impellers
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Application No.: US16054317Application Date: 2018-08-03
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Publication No.: US11130174B2Publication Date: 2021-09-28
- Inventor: Michael Robert Notarnicola , Christopher Michael Bryant , Stephen Joseph Waymeyer
- Applicant: General Electric Company
- Applicant Address: US NY Schenectady
- Assignee: General Electric Company
- Current Assignee: General Electric Company
- Current Assignee Address: US NY Schenectady
- Agency: Dority & Manning, P.A.
- Main IPC: B22F5/00
- IPC: B22F5/00 ; F02C3/08 ; B29C64/153 ; B33Y40/20 ; B29C64/40 ; F01D5/04 ; B22F10/20 ; B33Y10/00 ; B33Y80/00 ; F01D9/04

Abstract:
A shrouded impeller and a method of additively manufacturing the same are provided. In one example aspect, the shrouded impeller includes a hub and a shroud spaced from the hub. The shrouded impeller also includes a plurality of vanes extending between and connecting the hub and the shroud. The vanes are spaced circumferentially apart from one another. Flow passages are defined between adjacent vanes. In some implementations, the shrouded impeller is additively manufactured. During printing, one or more support structures are formed within and fill a portion of one or more of the flow passages to support the unsupported walls of the shrouded impeller, e.g., the shroud. Further, the support structures are removable from the shrouded impeller, e.g., after the shrouded impeller has been printed.
Public/Granted literature
- US20200040739A1 Support Structure and Methods for Additively Manufacturing Impellers Public/Granted day:2020-02-06
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