Method for the restoration of damaged areal components

• US 7,449,658 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2004
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Limited & Company KG (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Limited & Company KG (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Mielke, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Heinrich; Samuel M
• Application Number:
  US10/817,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20050029235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 21912163-12166, 228/119, 228/212, 228/213, 228/248.1, 228/50, 156/94, 156/98, 298/891, 298/897, 295/272, 295/273, 294/020.7, 294/021.8, 164/92.1, 416/223.A
• US Class Current: 219/121.66
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/342 Build-up welding
• 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: F01D 5/34 Rotor-blade aggregates of unitary construction , e.g. formed of sheet laminae; discs formed of sheet laminae F01D5/028; ceramic materials F01D5/284, composite materials F01D5/282
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/232 by welding
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/30 with deposition of material
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/80 Repairing, retrofitting or upgrading methods
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49318 Repairing or disassembling

Abstract

Repair of compressor blades (6) of aircraft engines is performed by build-up welding against an essentially horizontal backing (8) whose surface shape is the exact negative of the respective bottom side of the blade to be repaired. With low rework effort, the blades of blisks can, in the installed state, be repaired or fully restored at any point with high quality upon removal of the damaged portion.

Claims

1. A method for the restoration of damaged blades of gas turbines by build-up welding, comprising:

melting a material in subsequent layers along a sectional cut at which a damaged blade portion was separated from a reusable blade portion such that the material welds to the reusable blade portion and builds up to desired dimensions;

performing the build-up welding against a generally u-shaped and essentially horizontal welding cavity, the welding cavity having a first longitudinal portion which form-fits a remaining blade surface from the reusable blade portion to accurately position the welding cavity with respect to the reusable blade portion, the welding cavity also having a second longitudinal portion extending from the first longitudinal portion and which includes an upward facing surface having a shape which is substantially a negative of at least one of a suction side surface of varying curvature and a pressure side surface of varying curvature of a blade portion to be restored, and at least one upwardly extending side wall which is substantially a negative of at least one of a varying leading edge and a varying trailing edge, such that upon filling the second longitudinal portion of the welding cavity with the build-up welding, the build-up welding will be substantially in a final desired shape of the blade portion to be restored to minimize required finishing work on the blade portion to be restored, an open upward side of the welding cavity providing access to an entire area to be restored by the build-up welding, as well as providing easy removal of the welding cavity from the blade in a direction generally normal to an axis of the blade after the build-up welding has been performed, the complex three dimensional shape of the restored blade portion prohibiting removal of the welding cavity from the blade in a direction generally parallel to an axis of the blade.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least two weld layers are applied on top of one another, in correspondence with the thickness of the blade.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein build-up welding is performed at least one of co-directionally and contra-directionally parallel to the sectional cut.

4. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein build-up welding is performed at least one of co-directionally and contra-directionally vertical to the sectional cut.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4, wherein protective-gas build-up welding is performed by laser powder welding technology.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein weld material is supplied from at least one of a side and circularly.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein a size and shape of the blade to be restored, as well as the transition geometry, are determined by imaging methods, and the travels for the deposition of the weld layers are calculated and controlled by computer.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the welding process is performed on one of a one-stage or multi-stage compressor blisk in the installed state.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the restored blade is subject to surface processing and thermal treatment.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein build-up welding is performed at least one of co-directionally and contra-directionally parallel to the sectional cut.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein build-up welding is performed at least one of co-directionally and contra-directionally vertical to the sectional cut.

12. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein protective-gas build-up welding is preformed by laser powder welding technology.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein weld material is supplied from at least one of a side and circularly.

14. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein a size and shape of the blade to be restored, as well as the transition geometry, are determined by imaging methods, and the travels for the deposition of the weld layers are calculated and controlled by computer.

15. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the welding process is performed on one of a one-stage or multi-stage compressor blisk in the installed state.

16. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the restored blade is subject to surface processing and thermal treatment.

17. A method for the restoration of a damaged three dimensional component of a gas turbine by build-up welding, comprising:

melting a material in subsequent layers along a sectional cut at which a damaged component portion was separated from a reusable component portion such that the material welds to the reusable component portion and builds up to desired dimensions;

performing the build-up welding against a generally u-shaped and essentially horizontal welding cavity, the welding cavity having a first longitudinal portion which form-fits a remaining component surface from the reusable component portion to accurately position the welding cavity with respect to the reusable component portion, the welding cavity also having a second longitudinal portion extending from the first longitudinal portion and which includes an upward facing surface having a shape which is substantially a negative of a side surface of varying curvature of a component portion to be restored, and at least one upwardly extending side wall which is substantially a negative of a varying edge, such that upon filling the second longitudinal portion of the welding cavity with the build-up welding, the build-up welding will be substantially in a final desired shape of the component portion to be restored to minimize required finishing work on the component portion to be restored, an open upward side of the welding cavity providing access to an entire area to be restored by the build-up welding, as well as providing easy removal of the welding cavity from the component portion in a direction generally normal to an axis of the component after the build-up welding has been performed, the complex three dimensional shape of the restored component portion prohibiting removal of the welding cavity from the component in a direction generally parallel to an axis of the component.