Implementation of Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) to Manufacture Advance Combustion Liners with Shaped Film Cooling Holes for Gas Turbine Engines

The combustor liner is subject to the highest temperature and pressure in a gas turbine. Combustion produces gas with temperatures exceeding the melting point of the liner. The components longevity is largely a factor of cooling. Multi-hole film cooling effuses gas from the high pressure stages of the compressor to the hot side of the liner where the gas forms an insulating film. Enhanced cooling allows higher combustion temperatures and improved turbine efficiency. Shaped film cooling holes improve film effectiveness. However, conventional manufacturing methods do not provide practical ways to create shaped film cooling holes. Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) is an additive process that is capable of producing complex geometry using a single method. DMLS sequentially spreads layers of powder metal and selectively melts regions defined by a 2D slice of a 3D CAD model. Theoretically any geometry can be built. Solid Concepts is one of the most technically advanced suppliers of Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM) services. Their DMLS department specializes in aerospace components and produce parts that push the technologys limits. Solid Concepts SBIR Phase 2 goal is to implement DMLS to manufacture a combustor liner with shaped film cooling holes and turbulators suitable for hot flow testing.