1. A method comprising:
directing a quantity of particles toward a distal surface of a blade of a gas turbine engine at a velocity sufficiently high to cause at least a portion of the quantity of particles to adhere to the blade distal surface; and
controlling the directing step such that the adhered particles form a ridge, the ridge comprising a ribbon of material extending above the blade distal surface, the ridge further comprising a cutting edge with a relief angle of at least 2 degrees.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling the directing step to form the ridge to comprise a generally quadrilateral sectional profile comprising a base that is in contact with the blade distal surface, a face, a following side, and a land, the face and the land intersecting to form the cutting edge, and the land diverging from a direction of motion of the cutting edge to form the relief angle.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising controlling the directing step to form the ridge to comprise the relief angle of between 2 and 6 degrees.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising controlling the directing step to form the ridge to comprise the relief angle of between 6 and 10 degrees.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the blade distal surface comprises a first material, and at least a portion of the particles comprise a second material that is harder than the first material.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the particles comprise ceramic particles and metal particles that are adhered together to form a ceramicmetal matrix material.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
removing the blade from the engine prior to the step of directing; and
removing material from at least a portion of the blade distal surface prior to the step of directing.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the directing step comprises:
directing a first series of substantially parallel bands of the particles onto a portion of the blade distal surface to form a first layer; and
directing additional substantially parallel bands of the particles to form a sequential plurality of additional layers over the first layer, a number of bands for each layer being controlled to form the cutting edge and the relief angle.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein particles forming the first layer comprise a material different than particles of at least one of the additional layers.
10. A method comprising:
depositing an abradable material layer on an inner surface of a turbine shroud ring segment of a gas turbine engine;
cold spraying a quantity of particles toward a distal surface of a blade of the gas turbine engine at a velocity sufficiently high to cause at least a portion of the particles to adhere to a portion of the blade distal surface in a first series of substantially parallel bands to form a first layer;
sequentially cold spraying a plurality of additional layers of particles, each additional layer being deposited onto the sequentially previous layer, each additional layer having fewer bands than the previous layer such that an angled land surface is created forming a ridge with a sectional profile comprising a cutting edge and a relief angle of at least 2 degrees relative to a direction of motion of the blade during operation of the gas turbine engine; and
whereby the ridge can cut the abradable material layer during operation of the gas turbine engine to form an interstage seal.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the blade distal surface comprises a first material, and at least a portion of the particles comprises a second material that is harder than the first material.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein particles forming the first layer comprise a material different than particles of at least one of the additional layers.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the particles comprise both a ceramic and a metal that are deposited together to form a ceramicmetal matrix material in each of the cold-spraying steps.
14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
controlling the cold-spraying to form the profile generally as a quadrilateral comprising a base that is in contact with the blade distal surface, a face, a following surface, and a land, the face and the land having a common endpoint defining the cutting edge, and the land diverging from a direction of motion of the cutting edge by the relief angle.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the relief angle is between 2 and 6 degrees.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the relief angle is between 6 and 10 degrees.
17. A method comprising:
removing a blade from service in a gas turbine engine, the blade comprising a worn squealer tip;
directing a quantify of solid particles toward the worn squealer tip at a velocity sufficiently high to cause at least a portion of the particles to deform and to adhere to the blade tip; and
controlling the step of directing to form a renewed squealer tip comprising a face intersecting with a land to define a cutting edge, the land diverging from the cutting edge at a relief angle of at least 2 degrees relative to a direction of motion of the squealer tip.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising selecting the particles to comprise a material exhibiting a hardness value greater than a hardness value of a material of the worn blade tip.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A system, comprising:
an inner tube;
an outer tube at least partially surrounding the inner tube so that a medical device can be positioned between the inner and outer tubes, the inner and outer tubes being configured to be capable of being disposed within a body lumen; and
an actuator configured so that, as a force is applied to the actuator, the actuator can cause relative motion between the inner and outer tubes,
wherein a mechanical advantage of the actuator can change as the actuator moves.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mechanical advantage of the actuator changes as the actuator rotates about an axis that is collinear with the outer tube.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mechanical advantage of the actuator changes as the actuator rotates about an axis that is perpendicular to the outer tube.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the mechanical advantage of the actuator changes continuously as the actuator moves.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mechanical advantage of the actuator decreases as the actuator moves.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a rotatable member having a radius that increases as the actuator rotates.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the actuator comprises a cam.
8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a windable member that couples the rotatable member to the outer tube.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the windable member is selected from the group consisting of wires, cords, ribbons, flat gears and combinations thereof.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein the windable member comprises a wire.
11. The system of claim 6, further comprising a rotatable element coupled to the rotatable member so that, as the rotatable element rotates, the rotatable member rotates.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the rotatable member is integral with the rotatable element.
13. The system of claim 11, wherein the rotatable element is configured to be rotated by an operator of the system during use of the system.
14. The system of claim 11, wherein the rotatable element is a thumb wheel.
15. The system of claim 11, wherein the rotatable element is positioned proximal to a proximal end of the outer tube.
16. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a rotatable member and a shaft, the shaft being coupled to the rotatable member and configured so that, as the rotatable member rotates, the outer tube moves.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the rotatable member has a groove and the shaft has a projecting member that mates with the groove.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein a pitch of the groove varies.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the pitch of the groove varies continuously.
20. The system of claim 16, wherein the shaft has a groove and the rotatable member has a projecting member that mates with the groove.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein a pitch of the groove varies.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein the pitch of the groove varies continuously.
23. The system of claim 1, further comprising a housing coupled to the actuator.
24. The system of claim 23, wherein the actuator is at least partially disposed within the housing.
25. The system of claim 23, wherein at least a portion of the housing is proximal to a proximal end of the outer tube.
26. The system of claim 23, wherein the housing is in configured to be held by an operator of the system during use of the system.
27. The system of claim 1, wherein, as the force is applied to the actuator, the actuator can cause the outer tube to move.
28. A system, comprising:
an inner tube;
an outer tube at least partially surrounding the inner tube so that a medical device can be positioned between the inner and outer tubes, the inner and outer tubes being configured to be capable of being disposed within a body lumen; and
an actuator configured so that, as a force is applied to the actuator, the actuator can cause relative motion between the inner and outer tubes,
wherein, as the actuator moves, an amount of force applied to the actuator increases for the inner and outer tubes to move a given distance relative to each other.
29. The system of claim 28, wherein the amount of force applied to the actuator for the outer tube to move the given distance decreases continuously.
30. The system of claim 28, wherein, as the force is applied to the actuator, the actuator can cause the outer tube to move.
31. A system, comprising:
an inner tube;
an outer tube at least partially surrounding the inner tube so that a medical device can be positioned between the inner and outer tubes, the inner and outer tubes being configured to be capable of being disposed within a body lumen;
a first actuator configured so that, as a force is applied to the first actuator, the inner and outer tubes can move relative to each other; and
a second actuator configured so that, as a force is applied to the second actuator, the inner and outer tubes can move relative to each other,
wherein the first and second actuators are configured so that they cannot be simultaneously used to move the inner and outer tubes relative to each other.
32. The system of claim 31, wherein the system is configured so that, during use, the first actuator is used to move the outer tube a maximum distance that the first actuator can move the outer tube before the second actuator is used to move the outer tube.
33. The system of claim 31, wherein a mechanical advantage of the first actuator is different from a mechanical advantage of the second actuator.
34. The system of claim 31, wherein the first actuator is configured so that, as the first actuator rotates, the outer tube moves.
35. The system of claim 31, wherein the outer tube moves as the first actuator rotates about an axis that is collinear with the outer tube.
36. The system of claim 35, wherein the outer tube moves as the second actuator rotates about an axis that is collinear with the outer tube.
37. The system of claim 35, wherein the outer tube moves as the second actuator rotates about an axis that is perpendicular to the outer tube.
38. The system of claim 31, wherein the outer tube moves as the first actuator rotates about an axis that is perpendicular to the outer tube.
39. The system of claim 38, wherein the outer tube moves as the second actuator rotates about an axis that is collinear with the outer tube.
40. The system of claim 38, wherein the outer tube moves as the second actuator rotates about an axis that is perpendicular to the outer tube.
41. The system of claim 31, wherein the first actuator comprises a rotatable member and a shaft, the shaft being coupled to the rotatable member and configured so that, as the rotatable member rotates, the outer tube moves.
42. The system of claim 41, wherein the rotatable member has a groove and the shaft has a projecting member that mates with the groove.
43. The system of claim 42, wherein a pitch of the groove varies.
44. The system of claim 43, wherein the pitch of the groove varies continuously.
45. The system of claim 41, wherein the shaft has a groove and the rotatable member has a projecting member that mates with the groove.
46. The system of claim 45, wherein a pitch of the groove varies.
47. The system of claim 46, wherein the pitch of the groove varies continuously.
48. The system of claim 41, wherein the second actuator comprises a member configured so that, as the member moves linearly, the outer tube moves linearly.
49. The system of claim 31, wherein the first and second actuator are configured so that the second actuator is inaccessible to an operator of the system until the operator has completed use of the first actuator.
50. The system of claim 49, further comprising a housing in which the second actuator is stored during use of the first actuator.
51. The system of claim 31, wherein, during use of the first actuator, the second actuator is hidden by the first actuator.
52. The system of claim 31, wherein, as the force is applied to the first actuator, the first actuator can cause the outer tube to move.
53. The system of claim 52, wherein, as the force is applied to the second actuator, the second actuator can cause the outer tube to move.
54. A system, comprising:
an inner tube;
an outer tube at least partially surrounding the inner tube so that a medical device can be positioned between the inner and outer tubes, the inner and outer tubes being configured to be capable of being disposed within a body lumen;
a first actuator configured so that, as a force is applied to the first actuator, the inner and outer tubes can move relative to each other, the first actuator having a maximum distance that it can move the inner and outer tubes relative to each other; and
a second actuator configured so that, as a force is applied to the second actuator, the inner and outer tubes can move relative to each other,
wherein the system is configured so that the second actuator cannot be used to move the inner and outer tubes relative to each other until the first actuator has been used to move the inner and outer tubes relative to each other the maximum distance that the first actuator can move the inner and outer tubes relative to each other.
55. The system of claim 54, wherein, as the force is applied to the first actuator, the first actuator can cause the outer tube to move.
56. The system of claim 55, wherein the first actuator has a maximum distance that it can move the outer tube.
57. The system of claim 55, wherein, as the force is applied to the second actuator, the second actuator can cause the outer tube to move.
58. A system, comprising:
an inner tube;
an outer tube at least partially surrounding the inner tube so that a medical device can be positioned between the inner and outer tubes, the inner and outer tubes being configured to be capable of being disposed within a body lumen; and
an actuator configured so that, as a force is applied to the first actuator, the inner and outer tubes can move relative to each other,
wherein the actuator has first and second stages of operation, in the first stage of operation the actuator being capable of moving the outer tube as the actuator is rotated, and in the second stage of operation the actuator being capable of moving the outer tube as the actuator is moved linearly.
59. The system of claim 58, wherein the first and second actuators are configured so that they cannot be simultaneously used to move the outer tube.
60. The system of claim 58, wherein the system is configured so that, during use, the first actuator is used to move the outer tube a maximum distance that the first actuator can move the outer tube before the second actuator is used to move the outer tube.
61. The system of claim 58, wherein the actuator comprises a rotatable member and a shaft, the rotatable member being coupled to the shaft and configured so that, as the rotatable member rotates in the first operational stage of the actuator, the outer tube moves.
62. The system of claim 61, wherein the rotatable member has a groove and the shaft has a projecting member that mates with the groove.
63. The system of claim 62, wherein a pitch of the groove varies.
64. The system of claim 63, wherein the pitch of the groove varies continuously.
65. The system of claim 61, wherein the shaft has a groove and the rotatable member has a projecting member that mates with the groove.
66. The system of claim 65, wherein a pitch of the groove varies.
67. The system of claim 66, wherein the pitch of the groove varies continuously.
68. The system of claim 57, wherein the actuator comprises a rack and a rotatable member with a pinion, the rack being coupled to the rotatable member and configured so that, as the rotatable member rotates in the first operational stage of the actuator, the outer tube moves.
69. The system of claim 57, wherein the mechanical advantage of the actuator changes as the actuator rotates about an axis that is collinear with the outer tube.
70. The system of claim 57, wherein the mechanical advantage of the actuator changes as the actuator rotates about an axis that is perpendicular to the outer tube.
71. The system of claim 57, wherein, as the force is applied to the actuator, the actuator can cause the outer tube to move.