Process for manufacturing or repairing turbine engine or compressor components

• US 6,269,540 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1999
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Research Council Canada
• Original Assignee: National Research Council Canada
• Inventors: Islam, Mahmud U., Xue, Lijue, McGregor, Gavin
• Primary Examiner(s): ROSENBAUM, IRENE CUDA
• Application Number:
  US09/408,853
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 298/891, 298/897, 298/897.1, 298/897.2, 294/020.9, 294/021.6, 294/021.8, 219/121.6, 219/121.66, 219/121.85, 427/596, 427/597
• US Class Current: 29/889.7
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/25 Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/66 by mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/17 to heat the build chamber or platform
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/41 characterised by the type, e.g. laser or electron beam
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/44 characterised by the configuration of the radiation means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/45 Two or more
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/00 Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 5/04 of turbine blades
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 7/062 involving the connection or repairing of preformed parts
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/001 Turbines
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/50 Inorganic material, e.g. metals, not provided for in B23K2103/02 – B23K2103/26
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0604 by a combination of beams
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0608 in the same heat affected zone [HAZ] B23K26/0613, B23K26/0619 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/32 taking account of the properties of the material involved
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/34 Laser welding for purposes other than joining
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/342 Build-up welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 35/0244 Powders, particles or spheres; Preforms made therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 35/0255 for use in welding B23K35/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 35/24 Selection of soldering or welding materials proper B23K35/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 35/3033 Ni as the principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 35/3046 : Co as the principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/02 : turbine or like blades from one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/04 : turbine or like blades from several pieces
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 6/007 : using only additive methods, e.g. build-up welding
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/005 : Repairing methods or devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49318 : Repairing or disassembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49336 : Blade making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49337 : Composite blade
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49339 : Hollow blade
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49746 : by applying fluent material, e.g., coating, casting

Abstract

A process of the kind used for producing or repairing a turbine or compressor or fan blade by laser consolidation wherein a laser beam is moved relative to a metal surface and a stream of metal is supplied to the surface via a supply tube, so that said laser beam melts a thin layer of the metal substrate and also melts the metal being delivered to the substrate and thus forms a band of fused metal on said surface, the process being repeated until a desired blade is built up or repaired. The invention is characterized in that the laser beam is orientated at an acute angle to the surface. The supply tube may deliver the metal substantially along a path normal to the surface, with the laser beam being one of a plurality of laser beams each orientated at an acute angle to the surface and spaced around the supply means. Alternatively, a single laser beam may be used at a first acute angle to the surface, with the supply tube being at a second acute to the surface, the laser beam and supply tube being at opposite sides to the normal to the surface.

Claims

1. A process for producing or repairing a turbine/compressor blade by laser consolidation, comprising relatively moving a laser beam along a surface of a metal substrate to irradiate the metal substrate and simultaneously supplying a stream of metal to said surface via supply means having a fixed relationship to said laser beam, so that said laser beam melts a thin layer of the metal substrate and also melts the metal in said stream being delivered to the metal substrate and thus forms a band of fused metal on said surface, and repeating said step until a desired blade is built up or repaired;

characterized in that said stream of metal is delivered by said supply means substantially along a path coincident with a normal to the surface, and in that said laser beam is one of a plurality of laser beams each orientated at an acute angle to the normal to the surface, said laser beams being spaced around the stream of metal.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said acute angle is between 5 and 45°

.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein the laser beams are orientated at equal acute angles to the normal to the surface.

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein the laser beams are equally spaced around the stream of metal.

5. A process according to claim 1, wherein four said laser beams are provided spaced equally around said stream of metal, each orientated at an angle of between 5 and 45°

to the normal to the surface.

6. A process according to claim 1, wherein the said path coincident with a normal to the surface is centrally situated relative to the laser beams.

7. A process according to claim 1, wherein the metal substrate is the periphery of a turbine or compressor or fan rotor disk, and wherein the process produces blades which are integral with said turbine or compressor or fan rotor disk.

8. A process according to claim 1, wherein the process is arranged to produce a hollow blade by movement of said supply means and laser beams relative to said surface to form walls defining said blade and surrounding a cavity.

9. A process according to claim 8, wherein after part of a said wall of said blade has been formed, a wire is placed on said part of said wall, and the formation of the wall continues around the wire, and including the step of later removing the wire to leave a bore through the wall.

10. A process according to claim 1, wherein the stream of metal is powdered metal delivered by a powder tube supplying said powdered metal to the surface.

11. A process according to claim 10, wherein the powdered metal is an iron or nickel or cobalt based superalloy.

12. A process according to claim 10, wherein the powdered metal is an intermetallic.

33. A process according to claim 10, wherein the powdered metal is an intermetallic selected from the group consisting of titanium and nickel aluminide.

13. A process for producing or repairing a turbine/compressor blade by laser consolidation, comprising relatively moving a laser beam along a surface of a metal substrate to irradiate the metal substrate and simultaneously supplying a stream of metal to said surface via a supply means having a fixed relationship to said laser beam so that said laser beam melts a thin layer of the metal substrate and also melts the metal in said stream being delivered to the metal substrate and thus forms a band of fused metal on said surface, and repeating said step until a desired turbine blade is built up or repaired;

characterized in that said stream of metal delivered by said supply means is orientated at a first acute angle to a normal to the surface, and in that said laser beam is orientated at a second acute angle to the normal to the surface, said laser beam and stream of metal being located at opposite sides of the normal to the surface.

14. A process according to claim 13, wherein said acute angles are between 5 and 45°

to the normal to the surface.

15. A process according to claim 13, wherein the metal substrate is the periphery of a turbine rotor or compressor or fan disk, and wherein the process produces blades which are integral with said turbine rotor or compressor or fan disk.

16. A process according to claim 13, wherein the stream of metal is powdered metal delivered by a powder tube supplying said powdered metal to the surface.

17. A process according to claim 16, wherein the powdered metal is an iron or nickel or cobalt based superalloy.

18. A process according to claim 16, wherein the powdered metal is an intermetallic.

34. A process according to claim 16, wherein the powdered metal is an intermetallic selected from the group consisting of titanium and nickel aluminide.

19. A process for making a turbine/compressor blade or fan blade integrally with a disk, comprising the steps of:

providing a disk having a substrate surface at its periphery;

delivering substantially along a normal to the surface a stream of metal impacting an area of the surface,

providing a plurality of laser beams each at an acute angle to the normal of the surface, said laser beams impinging on said area and causing the metal to adhere to the surface, and

moving the surface relative both to the stream of metal and the laser beams to produce a series of layers of molten metal in a pattern corresponding to successive cross sections of the blade until the blade is formed.

20. A process according to claim 19, wherein four said laser beams are provided spaced equally around said stream of metal, each laser beam being at an angle of between 5 and 45°

to normal to the surface.

21. A process according to claim 19, wherein the process is arranged to produce a hollow blade by moving said supply means and laser beams relative to said substrate surface to form walls defining said hollow blade and surrounding a cavity.

22. A process according to claim 21, wherein after part of a said wall of said blade has been formed, a wire is placed on said part of said wall, and the formation of the wall continues around the wire, the process including the step of later removing the wire to leave a bore through the wall.

23. A process according to claim 19, wherein the stream of metal is powdered metal delivered by a powder tube supplying said powdered metal to the surface.

24. A process according to claim 23, wherein the powdered metal is an iron or nickel or cobalt based superalloy.

25. A process according to claim 23, wherein the powdered metal is an intermetallic.

35. A process according to claim 23, wherein the powdered metal is an intermetallic selected from the group consisting titanium and nickel aluminide.

26. A process for making a turbine or compressor or fan blade integrally with a disk, comprising the steps of:

providing a disk having a substrate surface at its periphery,

delivering at a first acute angle to a normal to the surface a stream of metal impacting an area of the surface,

providing a laser beam at an acute angle to the normal to the surface, said laser beam impinging said area and causing the metal to adhere to the surface, said laser beam and stream of metal being on opposite sides of the normal to the surface, and

moving the surface relative both to the stream of metal and the laser beam to produce a series of layers of molten metal in a pattern corresponding to successive cross sections of the blade until the blade is formed.

27. A process for making a turbine blade according to claim 26, wherein said acute angles are between 5 and 45°

to the normal to the surface.

28. A process according to claim 26, wherein the process is arranged to produce a hollow blade by moving said supply means and laser beam relative to said substrate surface to form walls defining said hollow blade and surrounding a cavity.

29. A process according to claim 28, wherein after part of a said wall of said blade has been formed, a wire is placed on said part of said wall, and the formation of the wall continues around the wire, the process including the step of later removing the wire to provide a bore through the wall.

30. A process according to claim 26, wherein the stream of metal is powdered metal delivered by a powder tube to the surface.

31. A process according to claim 30, wherein the powdered metal is an iron or nickel or cobalt based superalloy.

32. A process according to claim 30, wherein the powdered metal is an intermetallic.

36. A process according to claim 30, wherein the powdered metal is an intermetallic selected from the group consisting of titanium and nickel aluminide.