On June 20, 019, California aerospace parts manufacturer Parker Aerospace announced that it will 3D print fuel atomizing nozzles and dual fuel manifold assemblies for Vericor Power System's oilfield gas turbines.
It is reported that the company will use electron beam technology to produce new components to reduce emissions and enable new design of parts, while improving manufacturing predictability.
Parker Aerospace provides aircraft manufacturers with a range of 3D printed parts, including fuel system components and high temperature exhaust valves. Over the past few years, the company has provided parts and maintenance for Airbus, Rolls-Royce and COMAC.
Steve O'Connor, General Manager of the Turbine Fuel Systems Division of Parker Aerospace, said: "Working with Vericor helped the team clearly understand the best way to design and manufacture fuel nozzles and manifolds for the TF50F gas turbine. Additive manufacturing and electron beam Welding manufacturing methods have eliminated the limitations of traditional manufacturing technologies, and we are able to provide higher performance systems with fewer parts, which also provides our customers with a cost advantage. "
This is Parker Aerospace's first contract to produce a 3D printed fuel nozzle, but it is not an industry first. GE's LEAP jet engine fuel nozzle is one of the most well-known success stories in the aerospace industry. In fact, last year General Electric announced that it had manufactured the 30,000th 3D printed nozzle.
Parts produced for Vericor's TF50F oilfield gas turbine will be manufactured using Parker's fully automated electron beam welding 3D printing technology. Welding takes place in a high-purity vacuum chamber, resulting in clean and predictable welded joints, free of oxides and nitrates, and greatly reduced shrinkage and deformation.
Parker Aerospace claims that this approach improves the fuel flow path within the nozzle, resulting in better fuel atomization and distribution within the combustion chamber of the engine. This in turn improves combustion performance, improves fuel efficiency and reduces emissions.
Fuel atomization and control of fuel droplet size are critical to efficient gas turbine engine combustion. The key driving factor for optimization of droplet size is the geometry of the flow path inside the fuel nozzle of the engine. Parker Aerospace also claims that 3D printed TF50F fuel nozzles will reduce parts count by 30% compared to traditionally manufactured nozzles.
Testing and verification of nozzle and manifold assemblies is now complete, and manufacturing work is underway to support the delivery of parts to Vericor at the beginning of the third quarter of 2019.