Single-step additive manufacturing of pre-Assembled gas turbine architectures without the need for supports

Modern micro gas turbine systems have gained popularity in recent years, but they can be expensive and take a long time to produce. This is due to the many complex parts and the different manufacturing methods and logistics involved. With the increasing demand, these systems have the potential to become scarce. A new approach is being proposed to address this issue by printing the gas turbine as a fully preassembled system in a single process using additive manufacturing, without internal support structures. To achieve this, the design relies on an architecture that is more suitable for preassembled additive manufacturing, eliminating the need for bolts, nuts, shafts, rolling element bearings, motors, or external subassemblies. The turbomachinery topology consists of two concentric parts: A static porous media combustor and a casing with an embedded hydrodynamic bearing (powered by fuel) that surrounds a rotating monolithic shell structure. This structure includes a radial turbine that drives a centrifugal compressor. This approach aims to bridge the gap between end-user requirements and the capabilities of contemporary additive manufacturing techniques, and demonstrate the previously unexplored design space of preassembled, cost-effective microturbomachinery systems.