Cooled Composite Mold for Turbine Blade Casting

Increasing the high temperature mechnical properties of turbine blades reduces the need for cooling and improves turbine engine efficiency. Heat extraction from the mold is critical in casting good blades, but conventional directional solidification furnaces typically rely on radiative cooling augmented by isolated "chill plates" at discrete locations, which limits the precision of local temperature control.This project investigates a concept for improved heat extraction through the use of composite molds having enhance through-thickness thermal conduction and an innovative means of actively cooling the mold near the solidification front without physical translation of either the mold or the furnance. This approach should provide greater temperature control with steeper gradients and reduced jitter for higher castings and lower reject rate.Phase 1 will investigate the materials and cooling concept at temperatures up to 3100 degrees F (1700 Degrees C). Full-scale composite molds will be fabricated and used in casting of eutectric metal crystals to assess the feasibility of improved casting of superalloy turbine blades. Phase 2 would develop prototype molds with integrated cooling for use in solidification of single-crystal turbine blades.