Ceramic Cores For Turbine Blades

Highlight issues related to tooling development for ceramic cores used in investment cast turbine blade vane components.

Ceramic cores for turbine blades.

Our cores are a critical component in the manufacture of complex castings for aircraft engine turbine blades vanes and associated cast components. Ceramic cores are utilised for shaping internal cooling canals in the process of turbine blade casting which positively influences the turbine engine efficiency. Currently directional column and single crystal hollow turbine blades for aero engines use ceramic cores with high performance e g silica alumina. These ceramic cores are high pressure.

Keywords ceramic core injection moulding dies cad edm cmm inspection. Ceramic matrix composites cmc where fibers are embedded in a matrix of polymer derived ceramics are being developed for use in turbine blades. Because of their high chemical stability and good mechanical properties at high temperatures alumina based ceramic cores are commonly used in specific fields 1 2 3. Ceramic cores are used during the investment casting process to produce those internal passages.

The main advantage of cmcs over conventional superalloys is their light weight and high temperature capability. In investment casting ceramic cores are used to form intricate internal cooling passages of gas turbine blades they are mainly fabricated by injection moulding ford 1997. A ceramic core for use in casting a turbine blade and defining the internal cooling passages therein said blade having a tip root pressure side suction side leading edge and trailing edge. To meet those goals new turbine blade designs are needed that have complex internal cooling passages that allow the blades to withstand the higher operating temperatures required for improved performance.

The hollow geometry in the castings is produced during the investment casting process by using a suitable ceramic core made from silica or alumina based mixes. Engineering ceramics can be made in a wide range of sizes and shapes the turbine blades shown here are an example of the complex shapes that can now be achieved with the advanced fabrication methods available to the manufacturer these blades have been manufactured to the high material and dimensional specifications demanded by the aerospace industry.