CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITE REPAIR BY REACTIVE PROCESSING AND MECHANICAL INTERLOCKING

• US 20140272248A1
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Chamberlain, Adam Lee
• Granted Patent: US 9,366,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/63
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2005/103 Cavity made by removal of insert
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2201/00 Treatment under specific atmosphere
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 5/04 of turbine blades
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/42 using mixtures containing fibres, e.g. for making sheets by slitting the wound layer
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 21/48 by wrapping, e.g. winding
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5244 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5248 Carbon, e.g. graphite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/6028 Shaping around a core which is removed later
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/614 Gas infiltration of green bodies or pre-forms
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/616 Liquid infiltration of green bodies or pre-forms
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/30 Composition of layers of ceramic laminates or of ceramic or metallic articles to be joined by heating, e.g. Si substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/363 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/38 Fiber or whisker reinforced
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/40 Metallic
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/402 Aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/404 Manganese or rhenium
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/405 Iron metal group, e.g. Co or Ni
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/571 obtained from Si-containing polymer precursors or organosilicon monomers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/573 obtained by reaction sintering or recrystallisation
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/80 : Fibres, filaments, whiskers, platelets, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 37/023 : characterised by the interlayer used C04B37/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/04 : by powder metallurgy C22C1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/0416 : Aluminium-based alloys
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/005 : Repairing methods or devices
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/282 : Selecting composite materials, e.g. blades with reinforcing filaments
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/284 : Selection of ceramic materials
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/6033 : Ceramic matrix composites [CMC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 : Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 : Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1028 : by bending, drawing or stretch forming sheet to assume shape of configured lamina while in contact therewith
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/20 : Patched hole or depression

Abstract

A method for modifying a ceramic matrix component is disclosed including identifying a non-conforming region of a composite component capable of operating in a gas turbine engine; removing at least a portion of the non-conforming region to create an exposed surface of the composite component; preparing a preform in response to the removing at least a portion of the non-conforming region; applying a reactive constituent surface region to at least one of the exposed surface of the composite component and the preform, the reactive constituent surface region being capable of producing a non-equilibrium condition; positioning the preform to provide a contact region between the exposed surface of the composite component and the preform proximate the reactive constituent surface region; and reacting the reactive constituent surface region in an equilibrium reaction at the contact region to form a bond structure between the exposed surface of the composite component and the preform.

Claims

1. A method for modifying a ceramic matrix component comprising:

identifying a non-conforming region of a composite component capable of operating in a gas turbine engine;

removing at least a portion of the non-conforming region to create an exposed surface of the composite component;

preparing a preform in response to the removing at least a portion of the non-conforming region;

applying a reactive constituent surface region to at least one of the exposed surface of the composite component and the preform, the reactive constituent surface region being capable of producing a non-equilibrium condition;

positioning the preform to provide a contact region between the exposed surface of the composite component and the preform proximate the reactive constituent surface region; and

reacting the reactive constituent surface region in an equilibrium reaction at the contact region to form a bond structure between the exposed surface of the composite component and the preform.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said removing the at least a portion of the non-conforming region further includes ultrasonically machining the at least a portion of the non-conforming region to create the exposed surface of the composite component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said applying the reactive constituent surface region further includes applying at least a first constituent and a second constituent wherein the first constituent and the second constituent are capable of producing a thermodynamic non-equilibrium condition.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said applying the reactive constituent surface region further includes applying layers of the first constituent and the second constituent to the exposed surface to form a first outer coating, the first outer coating including the first constituent, and wherein said applying the reactive constituent surface region further includes applying layers of the first constituent and the second constituent to the preform to form a second outer coating, the second outer coating including the second constituent.

5. The method of claim 3, further including applying an energy source to facilitate the equilibrium reaction.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said applying the energy source further includes accelerating the equilibrium reaction.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said applying the energy source further includes initiating the equilibrium reaction.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said applying the energy source further includes infiltrating the preform with a eutectic melt material.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said applying the energy source further includes producing the non-equilibrium condition between the reactive constituent surface region and the eutectic melt material.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying the non-conforming region further includes applying a non-destructive evaluation technique.

11. A method for modifying a ceramic matrix component comprising:

applying an inspection technique to identify a repairable portion of a composite component;

creating a repair volume having a repair surface from at least a portion of the repairable portion;

forming a repair patch in response to the repairable portion and the repair volume, the repair patch having a repair patch surface arrangement including a first constituent;

preparing the repair surface with a repair surface arrangement including a second constituent;

positioning the repair patch to fit against the repair surface of the repair volume having the repair patch surface arrangement contacting the repair surface arrangement; and

reacting the first constituent and the second constituent in an equilibrium reaction to form a bonding structure between the repair patch and the repair surface of the repair volume,

wherein the first constituent and the second constituent are capable of producing a non-equilibrium condition.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said reacting of the equilibrium reaction further includes driving the non-equilibrium condition between the repair patch surface arrangement and the repair surface arrangement to an equilibrium condition in the equilibrium reaction.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said reacting the first constituent and the second constituent in the equilibrium reaction to form the bonding structure further includes forming the bonding structure with a reaction product from the equilibrium reaction.

14. The method of claim 11, further including applying an energy source to facilitate the equilibrium reaction.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said applying the energy source further includes infiltrating the repair patch and the repair surface with a eutectic melt material.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said infiltrating the repair patch and the repair surface with the eutectic melt material further includes producing a non-equilibrium condition between the first constituent of the repair patch surface arrangement, the second constituent of the repair surface arrangement, and the eutectic melt material.

17. The method of claim 11, further including machining the repair patch and the composite component.

18. A system comprising:

an outer surface of a ceramic matrix composite component created by a removal of a deviating region, the outer surface of the ceramic matrix composite component having a surface layer set including at least one of a first constituent and a second constituent; and

a preform structure formed in response to the deviating region having a preform layer set, the preform layer set including at least one of the first constituent and the second constituent,

wherein the first constituent and the second constituent of the surface layer set and the preform layer set are capable of producing a non-equilibrium condition.