Siemens Energy, Inc.

Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation

Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Other

Gerald Joseph Bruck

Ahmed Kamel

Mary Anne Alvin

Thomas E Lippert

Eugene E Smeltzer

Dhafer Jouini

Brandon W Shinn

Dennis M Bachovchin

Graham A Whitlow

Daniel J Ryan

William E Kepes

David G Maire

Michael Ott

Donald M Newburry

Petya M Georgieva

Ivan F Oliver Vargas

Atul L Navale

James E Smith

Maria E Stampahar

Dennis Michael Bachovchin

Daniel R Bartolomeo

Ramesh Subramanian

Anand A Kulkarni

Allister William James

Walter Ray Laster

Bernd Prade

William H Kasner

Richard Allen Newby

Richard A Miller

Timothy V Stotler

Vincent A Toth

Kathryn M Palmer

David G Sansom

Paul E Denney

David W Hunt

Ronald D O'Brokta

Peter Szedlacsek

Stefan Hoffmann

Douglas A Arrell

Wendell L Johnson

Raymond A Hilgert

Francis A Kramer

A welding method using embodiments of electrodes () with coaxial power feed. The electrode comprises a metal cylinder () defining a hollow core (). The hollow core provides a conduit for delivering core feed materials () therebetween via a delivery means (). The cylinder may be formed of pure metals or extrudable alloys for forming a desired superalloy material composition; while the delivered core feed materials comprise a balance of compositional constituents for forming the desired superalloy material composition. The resulting deposit achieves the desired superalloy composition as a result of at least a combination of the cylinder materials and core feed materials. The electrode may further include a flux coating () surrounding the cylinder. The flux material may also contribute to the desired superalloy composition as a result of the weld operation.

Methods and apparatus of welding using electrodes with coaxial powder feed

A process of welding a superalloy is provided. The process includes applying a first amount of energy to a substrate comprised of the superalloy to form a melt pool along a length of the substrate and in a weld direction. The process also comprises advancing the melt pool in the weld direction along the length via the first amount of energy, the melt pool having a width transverse to the weld direction. Further, the process includes applying a second amount of energy to the substrate that extends outside the width of the melt pool at a trailing edge of the melt pool, which second amount of energy causes, relative to a process without application of the second amount of energy: broadening of the width of the melt pool at the trailing edge of the melt pool as the melt pool advances in the weld direction; and reducing segregation of artifacts and stress concentration along a centerline of the width.

Optimization of melt pool shape in a joining process

A filler feed wire () including both a laser conductive element () and a filler material () extending along a length of the wire. Laser energy () can be directed into a proximal end () of the laser conductive element for melting a distal end () of the feed wire to form a melt pool () for additive fabrication or repair. The laser conductive element may serve as a flux material. In this manner, laser energy is delivered precisely to the distal end of the feed wire, eliminating the need to separately coordinate laser beam motion with feed wire motion.

Optically conductive filler for laser processing

A gas turbine engine component (), including: a surface () subject to loss caused by a wear instrument during operation of the component in a gas turbine engine and a performance feature () associated with the surface. The surface and the performance feature interact in a manner that changes with the loss such that a change in performance of the gas turbine engine resulting from the loss is mitigated.

Gas turbine engine component with performance feature

A method for forming an impact weld used in an additive manufacturing process is provided. The method includes providing a metallic material for impact welding to a substrate. The metallic material is propelled toward the substrate with a sufficient velocity to form an impact weld for welding the metallic material to the substrate. Further, the method includes traversing the substrate in a direction relative to a direction from which the metallic material is propelled and repeating the propelling so that a layer of additive material is deposited on the substrate as desired. In addition, a method for forming an impact welding used in an additive manufacturing process via discharge actuated arrangement is provided.

Discharge actuated solid state additive manufacturing

Melting energy exemplified by an arc () is delivered to a metal alloy material (), forming a melt pool (). A metal oxide material () is delivered () to the melt pool and dispersed therein. The melting energy and oxide deliveries are controlled () to melt the alloy material, but not to melt at least most of the metal oxide material. The deliveries may be controlled so that the melting energy does not intercept the metal oxide delivery. The melting energy may be controlled to create a temperature of the melt pool that does not reach the melting point of the metal oxide. Deliveries of the melting energy and the oxide may alternate so they do not overlap in time. A cold metal transfer apparatus () and process () may be used for example in combination with an oxide particle pulse delivery device ().

Formation and repair of oxide dispersion strengthened alloys by alloy melting with oxide injection

A method for braze repair of tight cracks in a superalloy component is provided. The method includes directing energy, e.g., from an acoustic energy source, towards surfaces of the tight crack to break up one or more contaminants, corrosion products, or oxides at the surface. The directed energy may cause opposed walls of the tight crack to vibrate to break up the oxides, and to generate a modest heat for allowing infiltration of the tight crack with a braze material. The braze material is then melted at a melt temperature of the braze material but below the melt temperature of the component. The braze material is then solidified to repair the tight crack.

Method of tight crack braze repair using acoustics

A method for epitaxial addition of repair material onto a process surface () of a directionally solidified component (). The component is positioned in a fluidized bed () to drift particles of a repair material over the process surface as laser energy () is rastered across the surface to melt the particles and to fuse repair material onto the entire surface simultaneously. The component is moved downward () in the bed in a direction parallel to the grain orientation in the component as material is added to the surface, thereby providing continuous epitaxial addition of material to the surface without recrystallization.

Repair of directionally solidified alloys

A method of selective laser brazing is provided. The method includes providing a powder including a plurality of parent core particles and a plurality of braze particles, setting a temperature of an energy source, applying the energy source to the powder, and allowing the heated powder to solidify. The plurality of parent core particles are fused together by the plurality of braze material into a desired component.

Method of selective laser brazing

A method for forming a dispersion strengthened alloy. An alloy material () is melted with a heat source () to form a melt pool () in the presence of a flux material (), and strengthening particles () are directed into the melt pool such that the particles are dispersed within the melt pool. Upon solidification, a dispersion strengthened alloy () is formed as a layer or weld joint bonded to an underlying substrate or as an object contained in a removal support.

Method to form dispersion strengthened alloys

A method of repairing or manufacturing a superalloy component () by depositing a plurality of layers () of additive superalloy material having a property that is different than an underlying original superalloy material (). The property that is changed between the original material and the additive material may be material composition, grain structure, principal grain axis, grain boundary strengthener, and/or porosity, for example. A region () of the component formed of the additive material will exhibit an improved performance when compared to the original material, such as a greater resistance to cracking ().

Functional based repair of superalloy components

A method including: submerging a ceramic preform () in a layer () of powdered superalloy material (), wherein the preform defines a desired shape of a channel () to be formed in a layer () of superalloy material; melting the powdered superalloy material around the preform without melting the preform; and cooling and re-solidifying the superalloy material around the preform to form the layer of superalloy material with the preform defining the shape of the channel therein.

Method of forming a cladding layer having an integral channel

Method for forming an oxide dispersion strengthened alloy. An alloy material () is melted with an energy beam () to form a melt pool () in the presence of a flux material (), and particles () of a metal oxide are directed into the melt pool such that the particles are dispersed within the melt pool. Upon solidification, an oxide dispersion strengthened alloy () is formed as a layer bonded to an underlying substrate () or as an object contained on a removable support.

Method to form oxide dispersion strengthended (ODS) alloys

System, methods for improving grain growth in a cast melt of a superalloy are provided. The system includes at least a mold having a shape defining a part of a turbo machine, e.g., a turbine blade. A cast melt, e.g., a superalloy, is poured into the mold, and one or more heating/cooling elements are arranged in the cast melt. The system further includes a controller operatively connected to the elements for controlling the electrical current of, e.g., a heating wire of the heating element, or controlling the flow-rate for, e.g., a coolant of the cooling element. By controlling, i.e., adjusting the current and/or flow-rate, via the controller, a temperature gradient may be induced to improve grain growth.

Grain growth management system and methods of using the same

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Oviedo, FL, United States of America

Gerald Joseph Bruck