Patent ID: 6382913
Filing Date: 2002-05-07
Classification: F01D,F05D

Abstract:
A method for fabricating a rotor blade for a gas turbine engine to facilitate reducing operating temperatures of a tip portion of the rotor blade, the rotor blade including a leading edge, a trailing edge, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall, the first and second sidewalls connected axially at the leading and trailing edges, and extending radially between a rotor blade root to a rotor blade tip plate, said method comprising the steps of:forming a first tip wall extending from the rotor blade tip plate along the first sidewall, such that at least a portion of the first tip wall is at least partially recessed with respect to the rotor blade first sidewall and defines a tip shelf that extends from the airfoil leading edge towards the airfoil trailing edge; and forming a second tip wall extending from the rotor blade tip plate along the second sidewall such that the second tip wall connects with the first tip wall at the rotor blade trailing edge.