WO2019164485A1 - Sintered weld rod for laser braze repair of nickel base components - Google Patents
Sintered weld rod for laser braze repair of nickel base components Download PDFInfo
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- WO2019164485A1 WO2019164485A1 PCT/US2018/019077 US2018019077W WO2019164485A1 WO 2019164485 A1 WO2019164485 A1 WO 2019164485A1 US 2018019077 W US2018019077 W US 2018019077W WO 2019164485 A1 WO2019164485 A1 WO 2019164485A1
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- Prior art keywords
- braze
- powder
- base metal
- tube
- braze alloy
- Prior art date
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K35/00—Rods, electrodes, materials, or media, for use in soldering, welding, or cutting
- B23K35/40—Making wire or rods for soldering or welding
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
- B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
- B22F7/00—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression
- B22F7/06—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools
- B22F7/062—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools involving the connection or repairing of preformed parts
- B22F7/064—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools involving the connection or repairing of preformed parts using an intermediate powder layer
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K1/00—Soldering, e.g. brazing, or unsoldering
- B23K1/0008—Soldering, e.g. brazing, or unsoldering specially adapted for particular articles or work
- B23K1/0018—Brazing of turbine parts
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K1/00—Soldering, e.g. brazing, or unsoldering
- B23K1/005—Soldering by means of radiant energy
- B23K1/0056—Soldering by means of radiant energy soldering by means of beams, e.g. lasers, E.B.
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
- C22C—ALLOYS
- C22C1/00—Making non-ferrous alloys
- C22C1/04—Making non-ferrous alloys by powder metallurgy
- C22C1/0433—Nickel- or cobalt-based alloys
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
- B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
- B22F7/00—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression
- B22F7/06—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools
- B22F7/062—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools involving the connection or repairing of preformed parts
- B22F2007/068—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools involving the connection or repairing of preformed parts repairing articles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
- B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
- B22F2998/00—Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
- B22F2998/10—Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
- B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
- B22F2999/00—Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K2101/00—Articles made by soldering, welding or cutting
- B23K2101/001—Turbines
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K2103/00—Materials to be soldered, welded or cut
- B23K2103/18—Dissimilar materials
- B23K2103/26—Alloys of Nickel and Cobalt and Chromium
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23P—METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS
- B23P6/00—Restoring or reconditioning objects
- B23P6/002—Repairing turbine components, e.g. moving or stationary blades, rotors
- B23P6/007—Repairing turbine components, e.g. moving or stationary blades, rotors using only additive methods, e.g. build-up welding
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23P—METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS
- B23P6/00—Restoring or reconditioning objects
- B23P6/04—Repairing fractures or cracked metal parts or products, e.g. castings
- B23P6/045—Repairing fractures or cracked metal parts or products, e.g. castings of turbine components, e.g. moving or stationary blades, rotors, etc.
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates generally to the field of materials technology, and more particularly, to methods of braze repair of nickel base components, e.g. components of a gas turbine engine ⁇
- Gas turbine engine hot gas path components are typically formed of superalloy materials in order to withstand the high temperature, high stress environment to which they are exposed during operation of the engine.
- superalloy is used herein as it is commonly used in the art; i.e., a highly corrosion and oxidation resistant alloy that exhibits excellent mechanical strength and resistance to creep at high temperatures.
- superalloys typically include a high nickel or cobalt content. Examples of superalloys include alloys sold under the trademarks and brand name Hastelloy, Inconel alloys (e.g. IN 738, IN 792, IN 939), Rene alloys (e.g.
- CMSX e.g. CMSX-4
- Such components are very expensive to manufacture, and in spite of their superior material properties, they are prone to various forms of degradation during engine operation. Degraded components are removed from the engine and replaced. Depending upon the type and degree of degradation, used components may be refurbished and reused at a cost lower than the cost of a new component.
- Braze repairing of a structural defect, such as a crack for example, in a superalloy component involves using a braze material to fill in the crack and heating the braze material in the presence of the component to a temperature that will melt the braze material but not melt the component material.
- Laser braze cladding in contrast, involves layer by layer build up on a component surface.
- Vacuum furnace braze repairing of superalloy components is a process that is currently used for the structural repair of cracks and involves heating the component in a vacuum furnace to a high temperature just to or slightly above the solution heat treatment temperature.
- a component 10 to be repaired may include a braze material 22 disposed over a crack 24 on its surface as seen in Fig. 1. During the vacuum furnace heating, the braze material 22 melts and flows via capillary action into the crack 24. The brazed component is then allowed to cool to achieve the required material properties.
- this approach becomes expensive when the component has only a few cracks due to the operation time. Therefore, a need remains for alternate processes to structurally repair the cracks in superalloy components.
- aspects of the present disclosure relate to a system and method of creating a sintered weld rod for laser brazing or cladding of nickel based components. Additionally, a method for repair of a defect in a nickel based component utilizing the sintered weld rod is also provided.
- a first aspect provides a method of creating a sintered weld rod for laser brazing or cladding nickel base components.
- the method includes mixing a base metal powder and a braze alloy powder so that a mixture of base metal powder and braze alloy powder is formed.
- the mixture may then be used to fill a tube which is heated to a temperature for a predetermined period of time sufficient to melt the braze alloy powder but not melt the base metal powder so that a liquid phase sintering occurs and a sintered rod is created.
- the tube may then be cooled. Thereafter, a sintered rod may then be removed from the tube.
- a second aspect provides a repair of a defect in a nickel based component.
- the component including the defect, the defect comprising a crack is provided.
- the crack is filled with a base metal powder corresponding to the base metal composition of the component.
- a sintered weld rod may be attached to a nozzle of a laser system.
- the crack may be braze repaired by melting a braze material of the sintered weld rod by a laser of the laser system while in contact with the crack surface so that molten braze material flows into the crack with the aid of capillary force.
- the sintered weld rod may include a base metal material and the braze material.
- a third aspect provides a system to create a sintered weld rod.
- the system includes a heating system operably configured to heat up to or beyond a melt temperature of a braze alloy powder.
- the heating system may be operably connected to a controller which controls the heating system temperature for a specified time period.
- a tube containing a mixture of braze alloy powder and a base metal powder may be placed into the heating system and heated.
- the tube may be heated to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time so that the braze alloy powder melts but the base metal powder does not melt so that liquid phase sintering occurs and a sintered weld rod is created.
- the tube may then be cooled after the heating. After the cooling a sintered weld rod may be removed from the tube.
- Fig. 1 illustrates a side sectional view of a gas turbine component wherein a crack is being repaired by brazing
- Fig. 2 illustrates a side view of tubes containing low melt powder, high melt powder, and a mixture of the low and high melt powders
- Fig. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an embodiment of a system to create a sintered braze rod
- Fig. 4 illustrates side sectional view of a damaged component undergoing a structural repair according to the proposed method.
- Fig. 1 illustrates a prior art braze repair process utilizing a braze alloy powder.
- a layer of the braze material particles 22 is disposed above crack on the surface 16 of the substrate to ensure a complete fill of the crack 24 during the braze process.
- a solution heat treatment such as vacuum furnace braze repair, may be used to perform the brazing process where the braze material 22 flows into and fills the crack 24 via capillary action during the process.
- One disadvantage of this process is that a large amount of powder is used for this process, much of which is wasted.
- the present inventors thus propose a sintered weld rod comprising braze powder for the braze repair of nickel based components.
- the braze repair method utilizes the sintered weld rod attached to a laser system, as shown in Fig. 4, in order to perform the braze repair of the crack. With this solution, a waste of power is prevented.
- Fig. 2 illustrates a side view of tubes 60 containing low melt powder 40 referred to in the disclosure as braze alloy powder, high melt powder 30 referred to in the disclosure as base metal powder, and a mixture 50 of the low and high melt powders.
- the braze alloy powder 40 and the base metal powder 30 are mixed in order to create a mixture 50 of the powders.
- a tube 60 is filled with the mixture 50 of braze alloy powder 40 and base metal power 30.
- the tube 60 is heated by a heating source sufficiently to melt the braze alloy powder 40 but not the melt the base metal powder 30. After removal from the heating source, a sintered composite braze rod may be removed from the tube 60.
- the braze powder may only comprise the braze alloy power 40.
- the braze powder is heated in the vicinity of its melting temperature so that the particles form a sintered rod through liquid phase sintering of braze material.
- the braze alloy powder 40 may comprise a powder composition selected from the following alloys, Ni-Cr-Ti, Ni-Cr-Zr-Ti, Ni-Ti-Zr, Ni-Cr-Hf-Zr, Ni-Cr-Ti-Hf, and Ni-Cr-Hf-Zr-Ti.
- the base metal power composition 30 may correspond to the composition of the base metal of the component to be repaired by the sintered weld rod.
- a component such as a gas turbine blade, typically comprises a base metal such as CM 247, R 80, IN 939, Rene 108, N5, and IN 738.
- the mixture 50 of braze alloy powder 40 and base metal powder 30 may comprise a ratio of 80/20 a wt. %, 70/30 wt. % or 60/40 wt. %, base metal powder 30 to braze alloy powder 40.
- a mixture having a higher proportion of base metal powder to braze alloy powder so that it is as close to the composition of the superalloy component may be more preferable so that the properties of the repaired portion are as close to the properties of the superlloy component as possible.
- the braze alloy powder and base metal powder size may lie in a range of 10-125 microns.
- the tube 60 may be a quartz tube comprising silicon oxide.
- a quartz tube 60 is used because it is relatively inexpensive compared to tubes comprising other materials, particularly ceramic materials.
- the diameter of the quartz tube 60 may lie in a range from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm so that a cylindrical rod will be produced.
- a rod having a diameter in this range accommodates attachment to a nozzle of a laser system typically used for laser braze repair.
- a cylindrical rod is described in the disclosure, but one skilled in the art would recognize that other geometrical shapes may also be utilized for a brazing process as well.
- an interior surface of the quartz tube 60 Prior to the filling of the quartz tube 60 with the mixture 50, an interior surface of the quartz tube 60 may be coated with yttrium oxide in order to prevent the sintered weld rod from sticking to the quartz tube 60.
- the system 100 may include a heating system 110 operable to produce heat up to or beyond a melt temperature of a braze alloy material, for example temperatures in the range of approximately l000-l250°C.
- the heating system 110 may include a furnace 120.
- the furnace 120 may be a vacuum furnace, e.g. producing a high vacuum or with partial pressure.
- the partial pressure may be less than 300 micron argon.
- the heating system 110 may be an induction heating system or other heating system, endothermic gas heat treatment furnace operable to produce heat up to the melt temperature of the base metal powder. It should be appreciated that furnaces capable of producing lower or higher temperatures than the above mentioned range may be used depending on the melt temperatures of the chosen braze alloy powders and the base metal powders.
- the system 100 may further include one or more controllers 200 operably connected to the heating system 110, via, for example, a wired or wireless connection 15, and configured to control the heat temperatures of the heating system 110 for a specified or predetermined time.
- the controller 200 may include a processor operably connected to a memory for executing one or more instructions or commands of a control application.
- the system 100 may also include a cooling system, apparatus or device 130 operably connected to furnace 100 and/or controller 200, e.g., for cooling the component 10.
- the cooling device 130 may be a separate unit from the furnace 120 or a system of the furnace 120 operable to cool any components therein to a specified temperature or condition, e.g., room temperature.
- the quartz tube 60 containing the mixture 50 of powders previously described is placed within the heating system 110 to undergo heat treatment and heated to a temperature for a predetermined period of time sufficient to melt the braze alloy powder 40 but not the base metal powder 30.
- the temperature may be in a range of 1000-1250° which is a typical melting range for the braze materials specified within the disclosure, however, as other braze materials may be used for the creating of a sintered weld rod, one skilled in the art would understand that the temperature used to melt the braze alloy powder 40 but not the base metal powder 30 would be dependent on the specific braze material and base metal used in the mixture 50.
- the predetermined time period for the heating may be between 5-120 minutes depending on the braze alloy and base metal used.
- the quartz tube 60 is heated to a temperature at which the braze alloy powder 40 begins to melt. Upon melting, the braze alloy powder 40 contacts the remaining base metal powder 30 wetting the powder, so that all the remaining powder sinters together due to the molten braze material. Thus, a liquid phase sintering occurs.
- the sintered rod 50 is then removed from the furnace 120.
- the quartz tube 60 may then be placed into the cooling system 130. In the cooling system 130, the quartz tube 60 may be cooled to an ambient temperature, for example. The tube 60 may then be removed from the cooling system 130.
- the sintered rod 50 may be allowed to cool naturally, i.e., without the assistance from any cooling system 130 or other device. After cooling, the sintered rod 50 may be removed from the tube 60.
- a repair method utilizing the sintered weld rod 50 described above is illustrated in Fig. 4 where a component 200, such as gas turbine engine blade, formed of a superalloy substrate material 210 has a service-induced crack 224 extending into the substrate material 210 from its surface 220.
- the component 200 comprises a nickel base superalloy material.
- the defect is a crack 224.
- the component 200 to be repaired undergoes a cleaning process prior to the braze repair.
- the cleaning process may include a fluoride ion cleaning or similar process, to remove, for example, any oxides from the crack 224.
- the method may include the step of filling the crack 224 with a base metal powder 30 corresponding to the base metal composition of the component 200.
- Fig. 4 further illustrates a repair process utilizing a laser system 230.
- An energy source 231 such as a laser is aimed at the surface 220 of the component towards the defect, i.e., the crack 224, to be repaired.
- the laser 231 may be set to a temperature that is above the melting point of the sintered weld rod 250, for example the melting temperature of the braze alloy material.
- the sintered weld rod 250 is attached to a nozzle 232 of the laser system 230.
- the sintered weld rod 250 melts upon contact with the laser 231.
- the molten braze material may be directed to flow into the crack 224 with the aid of capillary force.
- the nozzle 232 may be moved in a deposition direction as shown by the arrow in Fig. 4 so that the remaining portions of the crack are repaired using the laser braze process.
- a laser 231 is used as the energy source.
- other energy sources capable of attaining a temperature that could melt the sintered braze rod 250 could be used for the repair process.
- Other examples of energy sources may be a plasma arc beam or an electron beam.
- laser deposition has been the exemplary process utilizing the sintered braze rod described, other brazing and cladding processes may also utilize the sintered braze rod.
- the laser deposition method described here is a relatively inexpensive alternative to vacuum furnace braze repair in which less braze alloy/base metal powder is wasted.
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Abstract
A system and method for creating a sintered weld rod for use in structural braze repair of a superalloy component is provided. The system may include a heating system operably configured to heat up to or beyond a melt temperature of a braze alloy powder. The system may also include a tube containing a mixture of braze powder alloy and base metal powder wherein upon heating the tube containing the mixture in the heating system to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time the braze alloy powder melts but the base metal powder does not melt so that liquid phase sintering occurs. Upon cooling, a sintered weld rod is created which may be utilized for laser brazing or laser cladding processes.
Description
SINTERED WELD ROD FOR LASER BRAZE REPAIR OF NICKEL BASE
COMPONENTS
BACKGROUND
1. Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of materials technology, and more particularly, to methods of braze repair of nickel base components, e.g. components of a gas turbine engine^
2. Description of the Related Art
[0002] Gas turbine engine hot gas path components are typically formed of superalloy materials in order to withstand the high temperature, high stress environment to which they are exposed during operation of the engine. The term "superalloy" is used herein as it is commonly used in the art; i.e., a highly corrosion and oxidation resistant alloy that exhibits excellent mechanical strength and resistance to creep at high temperatures. Superalloys typically include a high nickel or cobalt content. Examples of superalloys include alloys sold under the trademarks and brand name Hastelloy, Inconel alloys (e.g. IN 738, IN 792, IN 939), Rene alloys (e.g. Rene N5, Rene 80, Rene 142), Haynes alloys, Mar M, CM 247, CM 247 LC, C263, 718, X- 750, ECY 768, 282, X45, PWA 1483 and CMSX (e.g. CMSX-4) single crystal alloys. Such components are very expensive to manufacture, and in spite of their superior material properties, they are prone to various forms of degradation during engine operation. Degraded components are removed from the engine and replaced. Depending upon the type and degree of degradation, used components may be refurbished and reused at a cost lower than the cost of a new component.
[0003] Braze repairing of a structural defect, such as a crack for example, in a superalloy component involves using a braze material to fill in the crack and heating the braze material in the presence of the component to a temperature that will melt the braze material but not melt the component material. Laser braze cladding, in contrast, involves layer by layer build up on a component surface.
[0004] Vacuum furnace braze repairing of superalloy components is a process that is currently used for the structural repair of cracks and involves heating the component in a vacuum furnace to a high temperature just to or slightly above the solution heat treatment temperature. A component 10 to be repaired may include a braze material 22 disposed over a crack 24 on its surface as seen in Fig. 1. During the vacuum furnace heating, the braze material 22 melts and flows via capillary action into the crack 24. The brazed component is then allowed to cool to achieve the required material properties. However, this approach becomes expensive when the component has only a few cracks due to the operation time. Therefore, a need remains for alternate processes to structurally repair the cracks in superalloy components.
SUMMARY
[0005] Briefly described, aspects of the present disclosure relate to a system and method of creating a sintered weld rod for laser brazing or cladding of nickel based components. Additionally, a method for repair of a defect in a nickel based component utilizing the sintered weld rod is also provided.
[0006] A first aspect provides a method of creating a sintered weld rod for laser brazing or cladding nickel base components. The method includes mixing a base
metal powder and a braze alloy powder so that a mixture of base metal powder and braze alloy powder is formed. The mixture may then be used to fill a tube which is heated to a temperature for a predetermined period of time sufficient to melt the braze alloy powder but not melt the base metal powder so that a liquid phase sintering occurs and a sintered rod is created. The tube may then be cooled. Thereafter, a sintered rod may then be removed from the tube.
[0007] A second aspect provides a repair of a defect in a nickel based component. The component including the defect, the defect comprising a crack, is provided. The crack is filled with a base metal powder corresponding to the base metal composition of the component. A sintered weld rod may be attached to a nozzle of a laser system. The crack may be braze repaired by melting a braze material of the sintered weld rod by a laser of the laser system while in contact with the crack surface so that molten braze material flows into the crack with the aid of capillary force. The sintered weld rod may include a base metal material and the braze material. [0008] A third aspect provides a system to create a sintered weld rod. The system includes a heating system operably configured to heat up to or beyond a melt temperature of a braze alloy powder. The heating system may be operably connected to a controller which controls the heating system temperature for a specified time period. A tube containing a mixture of braze alloy powder and a base metal powder may be placed into the heating system and heated. The tube may be heated to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time so that the braze alloy powder melts but the base metal powder does not melt so that liquid phase sintering occurs and a sintered weld rod is created. The tube may then be cooled after the heating. After the cooling a sintered weld rod may be removed from the tube.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Fig. 1 illustrates a side sectional view of a gas turbine component wherein a crack is being repaired by brazing, [0010] Fig. 2 illustrates a side view of tubes containing low melt powder, high melt powder, and a mixture of the low and high melt powders,
[0011] Fig. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an embodiment of a system to create a sintered braze rod, and
[0012] Fig. 4 illustrates side sectional view of a damaged component undergoing a structural repair according to the proposed method.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] To facilitate an understanding of embodiments, principles, and features of the present disclosure, they are explained hereinafter with reference to implementation in illustrative embodiments. Embodiments of the present disclosure, however, are not limited to use in the described systems or methods.
[0014] The components and materials described hereinafter as making up the various embodiments are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many suitable components and materials that would perform the same or a similar function as the materials described herein are intended to be embraced within the scope of embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0015] Referring now to the Figures, Fig. 1 illustrates a prior art braze repair process utilizing a braze alloy powder. A superalloy substrate material 12 of a component 10, e.g. a gas turbine blade, is shown having a service induced crack 24. After being cleaned using any known process, the crack 24 is filled with the base alloy powder 22. A layer of the braze material particles 22 is disposed above crack on the surface 16 of the substrate to ensure a complete fill of the crack 24 during the braze process. A solution heat treatment, such as vacuum furnace braze repair, may be used to perform the brazing process where the braze material 22 flows into and fills the crack 24 via capillary action during the process. One disadvantage of this process is that a large amount of powder is used for this process, much of which is wasted.
[0016] The present inventors thus propose a sintered weld rod comprising braze powder for the braze repair of nickel based components. The braze repair method utilizes the sintered weld rod attached to a laser system, as shown in Fig. 4, in order to perform the braze repair of the crack. With this solution, a waste of power is prevented.
[0017] The process for creating a sintered weld rod will now be discussed with reference to Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 illustrates a side view of tubes 60 containing low melt powder 40 referred to in the disclosure as braze alloy powder, high melt powder 30 referred to in the disclosure as base metal powder, and a mixture 50 of the low and high melt powders. The braze alloy powder 40 and the base metal powder 30 are mixed in order to create a mixture 50 of the powders. A tube 60 is filled with the mixture 50 of braze alloy powder 40 and base metal power 30. The tube 60 is heated by a heating source sufficiently to melt the braze alloy powder 40 but not the melt the base metal powder 30. After removal from the heating source, a sintered composite
braze rod may be removed from the tube 60. In an alternate embodiment, the braze powder may only comprise the braze alloy power 40. The braze powder is heated in the vicinity of its melting temperature so that the particles form a sintered rod through liquid phase sintering of braze material. [0018] The braze alloy powder 40 may comprise a powder composition selected from the following alloys, Ni-Cr-Ti, Ni-Cr-Zr-Ti, Ni-Ti-Zr, Ni-Cr-Hf-Zr, Ni-Cr-Ti-Hf, and Ni-Cr-Hf-Zr-Ti. These braze alloys are particularly useful for repairing superalloy alloy components, such as those used for gas turbine components because they do not contain boron or silicon which create deleterious phases which reduce the ductility of the repaired region. The base metal power composition 30 may correspond to the composition of the base metal of the component to be repaired by the sintered weld rod. For example, a component, such as a gas turbine blade, typically comprises a base metal such as CM 247, R 80, IN 939, Rene 108, N5, and IN 738. The mixture 50 of braze alloy powder 40 and base metal powder 30 may comprise a ratio of 80/20 a wt. %, 70/30 wt. % or 60/40 wt. %, base metal powder 30 to braze alloy powder 40. A mixture having a higher proportion of base metal powder to braze alloy powder so that it is as close to the composition of the superalloy component may be more preferable so that the properties of the repaired portion are as close to the properties of the superlloy component as possible. The braze alloy powder and base metal powder size may lie in a range of 10-125 microns.
[0019] In an embodiment, the tube 60 may be a quartz tube comprising silicon oxide. A quartz tube 60 is used because it is relatively inexpensive compared to tubes comprising other materials, particularly ceramic materials. The diameter of the quartz tube 60 may lie in a range from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm so that a cylindrical rod will be
produced. A rod having a diameter in this range accommodates attachment to a nozzle of a laser system typically used for laser braze repair. A cylindrical rod is described in the disclosure, but one skilled in the art would recognize that other geometrical shapes may also be utilized for a brazing process as well. Prior to the filling of the quartz tube 60 with the mixture 50, an interior surface of the quartz tube 60 may be coated with yttrium oxide in order to prevent the sintered weld rod from sticking to the quartz tube 60.
[0020] Referring now to Fig. 3, a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a system 100 to create a sintered braze rod is shown. As shown in Fig. 3, the system 100 may include a heating system 110 operable to produce heat up to or beyond a melt temperature of a braze alloy material, for example temperatures in the range of approximately l000-l250°C. In an embodiment, the heating system 110 may include a furnace 120. The furnace 120 may be a vacuum furnace, e.g. producing a high vacuum or with partial pressure. In the embodiment utilizing a partial pressure environment, the partial pressure may be less than 300 micron argon. Alternately, the heating system 110 may be an induction heating system or other heating system, endothermic gas heat treatment furnace operable to produce heat up to the melt temperature of the base metal powder. It should be appreciated that furnaces capable of producing lower or higher temperatures than the above mentioned range may be used depending on the melt temperatures of the chosen braze alloy powders and the base metal powders.
[0021] The system 100 may further include one or more controllers 200 operably connected to the heating system 110, via, for example, a wired or wireless connection 15, and configured to control the heat temperatures of the heating system 110 for a
specified or predetermined time. In an embodiment, the controller 200 may include a processor operably connected to a memory for executing one or more instructions or commands of a control application.
[0022] The system 100 may also include a cooling system, apparatus or device 130 operably connected to furnace 100 and/or controller 200, e.g., for cooling the component 10. The cooling device 130 may be a separate unit from the furnace 120 or a system of the furnace 120 operable to cool any components therein to a specified temperature or condition, e.g., room temperature.
[0023] In order to create the sintered weld rod 50, the quartz tube 60 containing the mixture 50 of powders previously described is placed within the heating system 110 to undergo heat treatment and heated to a temperature for a predetermined period of time sufficient to melt the braze alloy powder 40 but not the base metal powder 30. For example, in an embodiment the temperature may be in a range of 1000-1250° which is a typical melting range for the braze materials specified within the disclosure, however, as other braze materials may be used for the creating of a sintered weld rod, one skilled in the art would understand that the temperature used to melt the braze alloy powder 40 but not the base metal powder 30 would be dependent on the specific braze material and base metal used in the mixture 50. The predetermined time period for the heating may be between 5-120 minutes depending on the braze alloy and base metal used.
[0024] In an embodiment, the quartz tube 60 is heated to a temperature at which the braze alloy powder 40 begins to melt. Upon melting, the braze alloy powder 40 contacts the remaining base metal powder 30 wetting the powder, so that all the
remaining powder sinters together due to the molten braze material. Thus, a liquid phase sintering occurs. The sintered rod 50 is then removed from the furnace 120. In an embodiment, the quartz tube 60 may then be placed into the cooling system 130. In the cooling system 130, the quartz tube 60 may be cooled to an ambient temperature, for example. The tube 60 may then be removed from the cooling system 130. In an alternate embodiment, the sintered rod 50 may be allowed to cool naturally, i.e., without the assistance from any cooling system 130 or other device. After cooling, the sintered rod 50 may be removed from the tube 60.
[0025] A repair method utilizing the sintered weld rod 50 described above is illustrated in Fig. 4 where a component 200, such as gas turbine engine blade, formed of a superalloy substrate material 210 has a service-induced crack 224 extending into the substrate material 210 from its surface 220. In an embodiment, the component 200 comprises a nickel base superalloy material. In the shown embodiment of Fig. 4, the defect is a crack 224. [0026] In an embodiment, the component 200 to be repaired undergoes a cleaning process prior to the braze repair. The cleaning process may include a fluoride ion cleaning or similar process, to remove, for example, any oxides from the crack 224. Upon completion of the cleaning process, or alternatively, if cleaning was not required, the method may include the step of filling the crack 224 with a base metal powder 30 corresponding to the base metal composition of the component 200.
[0027] Fig. 4 further illustrates a repair process utilizing a laser system 230. An energy source 231 such as a laser is aimed at the surface 220 of the component towards the defect, i.e., the crack 224, to be repaired. The laser 231 may be set to a
temperature that is above the melting point of the sintered weld rod 250, for example the melting temperature of the braze alloy material. The sintered weld rod 250 is attached to a nozzle 232 of the laser system 230. The sintered weld rod 250 melts upon contact with the laser 231. The molten braze material may be directed to flow into the crack 224 with the aid of capillary force. The nozzle 232 may be moved in a deposition direction as shown by the arrow in Fig. 4 so that the remaining portions of the crack are repaired using the laser braze process.
[0028] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, a laser 231 is used as the energy source. However, one skilled in the art would understand that other energy sources capable of attaining a temperature that could melt the sintered braze rod 250 could be used for the repair process. Other examples of energy sources may be a plasma arc beam or an electron beam.
[0029] While laser deposition has been the exemplary process utilizing the sintered braze rod described, other brazing and cladding processes may also utilize the sintered braze rod. The laser deposition method described here is a relatively inexpensive alternative to vacuum furnace braze repair in which less braze alloy/base metal powder is wasted.
[0030] While embodiments of the present disclosure have been disclosed in exemplary forms, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications, additions, and deletions can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and its equivalents, as set forth in the following claims.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of creating a sintered weld rod 250 for laser brazing or cladding nickel base components, comprising:
providing a braze powder 30,40;
filling a tube 60 with the braze powder 30,40;
heating the tube 60 to a temperature for a predetermined period of time sufficient to melt the braze alloy powder 40 so liquid phase sintering occurs and a sintered rod 250 is created;
cooling the tube 60; and
removing the sintered rod 250 from the tube 60.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the braze powder comprises a base metal powder 30 and a braze alloy powder 40, and
wherein the method comprises mixing the base metal powder 30 and the braze alloy powder 40 so that a mixture 50 of base metal powder 30 and braze alloy powder 40 is formed.
3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mixture 50 comprises a ratio of 80% (in a wt. %) base metal powder 30 to 20% (in a wt. %) braze alloy powder 40.
4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mixture 50 comprises a ratio of 70% (in a wt. %) base metal powder 30 to 30% (in a wt. %) braze alloy powder 40.
5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mixture 50 comprises a ratio of 60% (in a wt. %) base metal powder 30 to 40% (in a wt. %) braze alloy powder 40.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the diameter of the tube 60 is in a range of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.
7. The method as claim 6, wherein the tube 60 is a quartz tube comprising silicon oxide.
8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising coating an inner surface of the quartz tube 60 with yttrium oxide before filling the quartz tube 60. 9. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the braze alloy powder 40 comprises the composition selected from the group consisting of Ni-Cr-Ti, Ni-Cr-Zr- Ti, Ni-Ti-Zr, Ni-Cr-Hf-Zr, Ni-Cr-Ti-Hf, and Ni-Cr-Hf-Zr-Ti.
10. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the base metal powder 30 is selected from the group consisting of CM 247, Rene 80, IN 939, Rene 108, and IN738.
11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the powder size of the braze alloy powder 40 is in a range of 10 to 125 microns.
12. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the heating includes heating the quartz tube to l000-l250°C for 10-120 minutes in a high vacuum or under partial pressure less than 300 microns argon.
13. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising subsequent to the heating, cooling the tube 60 to ambient temperature.
14. A method for repair of a defect in a nickel based component, the defect including a crack 224, the method comprising:
providing a component 200 including crack 224 for repair;
filling the crack 224 with a base metal powder 30 corresponding to the base metal composition of the component;
attaching a sintered weld rod 250 to a nozzle 232 of a laser system 230;
braze repairing the crack 224 by melting a braze material of the sintered weld rod 250 by a laser 231 of the laser system 230 while in contact with the crack surface so that the molten braze material flows into the crack 224 with the aid of capillary force,
wherein the sintered weld rod 250 comprises the braze material comprising a base metal material 30 and a braze alloy 40. 15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising cleaning the component 200 prior to the filling step.
16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the braze alloy 40 comprises the composition selected from the group consisting of Ni-Cr-Ti, Ni-Cr-Zr- Ti, Ni-Ti-Zr, Ni-Cr-Hf-Zr, Ni-Cr-Ti-Hf, and Ni-Cr-Hf-Zr-Ti. 17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the base metal material 30 is selected from the group consisting of CM 247, Rene 80, IN 939, Rene 108, and IN
738.
18. A system 100 to create a sintered weld rod 250, comprising:
a heating system 110 operably configured to heat up to or beyond a melt temperature of a braze alloy powder 40;
a controller 200 operably connected to the heating system 110 for controlling the heating system temperature for a specified time period;
a tube 60 containing a mixture of braze alloy powder 40 and base metal powder 30,
wherein upon heating the tube 60 containing the mixture 50 in the heating system 110 to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time the braze alloy powder 40 melts but the base metal powder 30 does not melt so that liquid phase sintering occurs, and
wherein upon cooling the tube 60 after the heating, a sintered weld rod 250 is created.
19. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the heating system 110 is selected from the group consisting of a vacuum furnace, vacuum furnace with partial pressure, an induction heating system, and an endothermic gas heat treatment furnace.
20. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the braze alloy powder 40 comprises the composition selected from the group consisting of Ni-Cr-Ti, Ni-Cr-Zr-
Ti, Ni-Ti-Zr, Ni-Cr-Hf-Zr, Ni-Cr-Ti-Hf, and Ni-Cr-Hf-Zr-Ti.
21. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the base metal powder 30 is selected from the group consisting of CM 247, Rene 80, IN 939, Rene 108, and IN
738.
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