ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE WELDING OF FLUID JOINTS

• US 20080036204A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Bolser, David, Fischer, Allen
• Granted Patent: US 7,847,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 285/285.1
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 26/14 applying magnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 39/046 Connecting tubes to tube-like fittings
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/06 by means of high energy impulses, e.g. magnetic energy
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 13/00 Non-disconnectible pipe-joints, e.g. soldered, adhesive or caulked joints joints for rigid pipes of plastics F16L47/00; non-disconnectible pipe-joints to walls or other pipes, the joined pipe axis being perpendicular to the plane of the wall or to the axis of the other pipe F16L41/082
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 13/02 Welded joints
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53987 Tube, sleeve or ferrule

Abstract

A metallurgically formed fluid circuit joint includes a hollow fitting (298), a tubular conduit (297), and a metallurgically formed tube/fitting mesh (296). The tube/fitting mesh (296) includes a fitting portion of the hollow fitting (298) and a tube portion of the tubular conduit (297) that is electromagnetically formed with the fitting portion.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A magnetic forming system for creating a fluid circuit joint between a tube and a fitting comprising:

an induction coil forming an electromagnetic current; and

a field concentrator assembly electrically coupled to said induction coil and forming a electromagnetic field in response to said electromagnetic current, said field concentrator assembly comprising;

field concentrator focusing said electromagnetic current to form said electromagnetic field; and

nest configured to contain the tube at least partially positioned within the fitting;

aid field concentrator imposing said electromagnetic field on the fitting to metallurgically weld the fitting to the tube to form the fluid circuit joint.

9. A system as in claim 8 wherein said field concentrator imposes said electromagnetic field to compress the fitting on the tube to form the fluid circuit joint.

10. A system as in claim 8 wherein said nest resides at least partially within said field concentrator.

11. A system as in claim 8 further comprising a mandrel residing within the tube and inwardly constraining the tube and the fitting.

12. A system as in claim 8 further comprising:

a controller generating a current pulse signal; and

a current supply circuit generating an energy pulse in response to said current pulse signal;

said induction coil generating said electromagnetic field in response to said current pulse.

13. A system as in claim 8 wherein said field concentrator imposes said electromagnetic field to compress said fitting prior to metallurgical welding thereof.

14. A system as in claim 8 further comprising:

an end-forming device expanding said fitting prior to insertion of said tube into said fitting; and

said field concentrator imposing said electromagnetic field on said fitting to metallurgically weld said fitting with said tube to form said fluid circuit joint.

15. A system as in claim 8 further comprising an insert electrically coupled to said field concentrator and imposing said electromagnetic field on said fitting to form said fluid circuit joint.

16. A system as in claim 15 wherein said field concentrator is external to said nest and said insert is coupled at partially within said nest.

17. A magnetic forming system for creating a fluid circuit joint between a tube and a fitting comprising:

an end former expanding at least a portion of the tube;

an induction coil forming an electromagnetic current; and

a field concentrator assembly electrically coupled to said induction coil and forming a electromagnetic field in response to said electromagnetic current, said field concentrator assembly comprising;

a concentrator focusing said electromagnetic current to form said electromagnetic field; and

a nest configured to contain the fitting at least partially positioned within said portion;

said field concentrator imposing said electromagnetic field on the tube to metallurgically weld the tube to the fitting to form the fluid circuit joint.

18. A system as in claim 17 wherein said field concentrator imposes said electromagnetic field to compress said portion on the fitting to form the fluid circuit joint.

19. A system as in claim 17 wherein the fitting comprises a tube overlap region having at least one groove.

20. A system as in claim 17 wherein the fitting comprises:

a tube overlap region comprising;

a radius edge associated with an end of the tube;

a plurality of grooves; and

a break edge guiding insertion of the fitting into the tube.

21. A system as in claim 17 further comprising a mandrel residing within the fitting and inwardly constraining the tube and the fitting.

22. A system as in claim 17 further comprising:

a controller generating a current pulse signal; and

a current supply circuit generating a current pulse in response to said current pulse signal;

said induction coil generating said electromagnetic field in response to said current pulse.

23. A system as in claim 17 wherein said field concentrator imposes said electromagnetic field to compress said tube prior to metallurgical welding thereof.

24. A system as in claim 17 further comprising an insert electrically coupled to said field concentrator and imposing said electromagnetic field on said tube to form said fluid circuit joint.

25. A system as in claim 24 wherein said field concentrator is external to said nest and said insert is coupled at partially within said nest.

26. A method for creating a fluid circuit joint between a tube and a fitting comprising:

arranging a tubular conduit and a hollow fitting so that said tubular conduit is received at least partially within said hollow fitting or said tubular conduit is received at least partially over said hollow fitting;

inserting an induction coil for forming an electromagnetic current;

electrically coupling a field concentration assembly to said induction coil, said field concentration assembly focusing said electromagnet current to form an electromagnetic field, and

imposing said electromagnetic field on the fitting to metallurgically weld the fitting to the tube to form a fluid joint.

27. A method according to claim 26 which comprises arranging said tubular conduit so that it is received at least partially within said hollow fitting.

28. A method according to claim 26 which comprises arranging said tubular conduit so that it is received at least partially over said hollow fitting.

29. A method according to claim 26 wherein said hollow fitting comprises a plurality of grooves.

30. A method according to claim 26 wherein said hollow fitting and said tubular conduit are formed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of:

stainless steel, aluminum and titanium.

31. A method according to claim 26 wherein said hollow fitting prior to said weld comprises a tube inlay section comprising a tube butting edge associated with an end of said tubular conduit and a plurality of internal grooves.