US 12,291,973 B1
Method and system for repairing turbine airfoils
Daniel Gillaugh, Troy, OH (US); Alexander Kaszynski, Layfayette, CO (US); and Jeffrey Brown, Bellbrook, OH (US)
Assigned to United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (US)
Filed by Government of the United States, as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (US)
Filed on Jan. 8, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/406,369.
Application 18/406,369 is a continuation of application No. 17/958,488, filed on Oct. 3, 2022, granted, now 11,905,845.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/270,071, filed on Oct. 21, 2021.
Int. Cl. F01D 5/00 (2006.01); G01M 1/30 (2006.01); G01M 15/14 (2006.01)
CPC F01D 5/005 (2013.01) [G01M 1/30 (2013.01); G01M 15/14 (2013.01); F05D 2230/80 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for repairing a blade comprising:
removing a damaged portion of the blade;
measuring the damaged portion of the blade;
determining a natural frequency of the blade after the material has been removed;
determining locations where compensatory blends can be placed to counteract frequency changes due to the damaged portion of the blade;
using a computer controlled numerical optimization routine to perform a global search of a blend design space on the blade to avoid convergence on local minimums; and
adding material to the blade in one or more locations to bring the blade into compliance with natural frequency design requirements while avoiding the local minimums.