US 12,480,405 B2
Fluid flow distributor for vapor phase coating of turbine components
Zachary Charles Hopkins, San Diego, CA (US); and Michael Gore, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to Chromalloy Gas Turbine LLC, Palm Beach Gardens, FL (US)
Filed by CHROMALLOY GAS TURBINE LLC, Palm Beach Gardens, FL (US)
Filed on Mar. 18, 2025, as Appl. No. 19/082,910.
Application 19/082,910 is a division of application No. 18/619,014, filed on Mar. 27, 2024, granted, now 12,281,593.
Prior Publication US 2025/0305418 A1, Oct. 2, 2025
Int. Cl. F01D 5/18 (2006.01); C23C 16/04 (2006.01); C23C 16/44 (2006.01); C23C 16/455 (2006.01)
CPC F01D 5/18 (2013.01) [F05D 2230/20 (2013.01); F05D 2230/31 (2013.01); F05D 2230/90 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of making a 3D-printed fluid flow distributor, the fluid flow distributor being configured for insertion into a root portion of a turbine component for conveying a coating gas to internal flow channels of the turbine component, the method comprising:
storing data to non-transitory storage, said data including parameters associated with fluid dynamics of a fluid flow through internal cavities of the turbine component, said parameters including information defining a geometry of the internal cavities;
said data including information defining a geometry of the fluid flow distributor;
using a computing device with at least one hardware processor to predict characteristics of the fluid flow through the internal cavities of the turbine component when the fluid flow passes through the fluid flow distributor before entering the internal cavities of the turbine component;
using the computing device to enhance the characteristics of the fluid flow according to desired characteristics by modifying the information defining the geometry of the fluid flow distributor resulting in modified information for the geometry of the 3D-printed fluid flow distributer; and
3D printing the fluid flow distributor such that a geometry of the 3D-printed fluid flow distributor corresponds to the modified information defining the geometry of the fluid flow distributor.