Patent ID: 8177516

Claim:
A rotor wheel comprising: a unitarily formed base including consolidated powder metal, wherein the powder metal further includes a nickel-based superalloy, wherein the unitarily formed base has a shape including: a first disk member for carrying a first stage of rotor blades, second disk member for carrying a second stage of rotor blades, a third disk member for carrying a third stage of rotor blades, a first spacer member axially extending between, and joining a distal face of the first disk member and a proximal face of the second disk member, and a second spacer member axially extending between, and joining a distal face of the second disk member and a proximal face of the third disk member; wherein each of the first disk member, the second disk member, and the third disk member include a plurality of axially spaced, radially outwardly extending slots about an outer circumference of each of the first disk member, the second disk member, and the third disk member for receiving a rotor blade, and wherein a tensile yield strength of the unitarily formed base is uniform throughout the first disk member, the first spacer member, the second disk member, the second spacer member, and the third disk member.