General Electric Company

Joel H Cohen

Gilbert E Flowers

Earl L Kelly, Jr

Gray W Grubbs

Levi Williams

David Edwin Budinger

James Michael Caldwell

Edward John Emilianowicz

Michael Glenn Gordon

Henry E Lynch

Stefan P Kyselica

A braze material and method for repairing an article, such as a gas turbine engine combustor liner formed from a nickel-base or cobalt-base superalloy. The braze material is composed of a nickel-base braze alloy that is preferably in powder form and may be dispersed in a suitable vehicle to yield a slurry, putty or solid tape. The braze alloy is formulated to be capable of withstanding the high temperature operating environment of a combustor liner, and to have a melting temperature below the grain growth or incipient melting temperature of the superalloy to be repaired. A preferred braze alloy is formed by combining at least two nickel-base powders. A suitable composition for the braze alloy is, in weight percent, about 10 to about 19 chromium, about 3 to about 10.5 cobalt, about 1.75 to about 4.9 titanium, about 0.75 to about 3.4 aluminum, about 1.25 to about 4.1 tungsten, about 1.25 to about 4.1 molybdenum, about 0.025 to about 0.225 carbon, about 0.005 to about 0.15 zirconium, about 0.50 to about 2.6 boron, up to 1.5 iron, with the balance being nickel and incidental impurities.

Nickel-base braze material and braze repair method

Direct electric current arc welding between an electrode and a workpiece surface is accomplished in the electric current range of about 0.5-45 amps while reversing the polarities between the electrode and the workpiece surface at a low frequency rate in the range of about 1-1000 cycles per second, in a series of polarity cycles. The workpiece surface, in at least some of the cycles, is positive for a time less than that surface is negative to result in anodic cleaning of the workpiece surface. If the arc is extinguished during a polarity reversal, the arc is maintained, for example, by restriking.

Low electric D.C., low time rate polarity reversing arc welding method

A variable polarity device reverses the polarity of an electrically conductive workpiece and an electrode, having opposite polarities, between positive and negative in a low D.C. range of about 0.5-45 amps. Combined with the device is a control means which schedules a frequency of time rate of the reversing in the low time frequency of about 1-1000 cycles per second as well as the electric current at each polarity to provide a series of time and current defined polarity cycles for D.C. arc welding apparatus.

Arc welding apparatus with variable polarity reversing device and control

A gas turbine engine air cooled vane assembly which includes inner and outer platform members and an airfoil member therebetween is repaired by removing from the vane assembly a vane assembly segment comprising at least a portion of the leading edge wall, a portion of the airfoil body wall and a portion of at least one platform member connected with the leading edge wall. The vane assembly segment is removed along a preselected path which, during operation of the vane assembly in a gas turbine engine, experiences relatively low mechanical stresses. A replacement member of substantially the same type of material and of a size and shape which matches the removed vane assembly segment is placed into registry with the vane assembly and then metallurgically bonded to the vane assembly.

Method and replacement member for repairing a gas turbine engine vane

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Joel H Cohen