General Electric Company

Ge Infrastructure Technology, LLC

Norbert Lucke

Piero-Daniele Grasso

Sophie Betty Claire Duval

Julien Rene Andre Zimmermann

Fabrizio Mangano

Johannes Clemens Schab

Selim Akin

Yusuf Eren Ozturk

Michael Seemann

Hans Bissig

David Cafarelli

Klaus-Dieter Hermann Maximilian Wassmer

Mustafa Yuvalaklioglu

Klaus-Dieter Wassmer

An automated system is provided. The system includes: a manipulator coupled to: an opening forming device configured to create an opening having a predefined geometry partially into a multilayer component at a selected location on a surface of the multilayer component, where the multilayer component includes a plurality of material layers including at least a substrate and a bond coat, and where the opening exposes each of the plurality of material layers; and an imaging device configured to create an image of the exposed plurality of material layers in the opening; and a processor configured to calculate at least a thickness of the bond coat of the exposed plurality of material layers from the image and based on the predefined geometry of the opening. Methods of using the system to analyze layer thickness of a multilayer component and repair a multilayer component are also provided.

Non-invasive quantitative multilayer assessment method and resulting multilayer component

A system for analyzing layer thickness of a multilayer component is provided. The system includes: an opening forming device configured to create an opening having a predefined geometry partially into the multilayer component at a selected location on a surface of the multilayer component, where the multilayer component includes a plurality of material layers including a substrate and a bond coat and the opening exposes each of the plurality of material layers, and an imaging device configured to create an image of the exposed plurality of material layers in the opening. The system is configured to calculate at least a thickness of the bond coat of the exposed plurality of material layers from the image and based on the predefined geometry of the opening. The system may also include a repairing device configured to repair the opening, allowing the multilayer component to be used for an intended purpose.

A method of analyzing layer thickness of a multilayer component is provided. The method includes: creating an opening having a predefined geometry partially into the multilayer component at a selected location on a surface of the multilayer component. The multilayer component includes a plurality of material layers including a substrate and a bond coat. The opening exposes each of the plurality of material layers including the substrate. Contrast of the exposed plurality of material layers can be increased. An image is created of the exposed layers in the opening using a digital microscope, and thickness of a bond coat, thickness of a depletion layer\ and/or thickness of an oxide layer is calculated from the image and based on the predefined geometry of the opening. Repairing the opening, allows the multilayer component to be used for an intended purpose after testing, e.g., re-installed and reused in a gas turbine.

Methods of repair of a component or adding material to a component using laser welding are disclosed. One method may include repairing or adding material to the component by laser irradiating a wire material with a laser in an inert gas in a vicinity of the component. The laser irradiating the wire material includes modulated pulsing the laser through: a warm up phase during which an on-power of the laser is increased over time to a maximum target on-power, a melt and bond phase during which the wire material is melted and during which the on-power is less than the maximum target on-power, and a stress releasing phase during which the on-power of the laser is less than the on-power during the melt and bond phase. The laser irradiated wire material forms a weld material to repair a damaged area or add material to the component.

Laser welding of component

Methods of forming or repairing a tip rail of a turbine are disclosed. One method may include repairing the tip rail, or adding material to form the tip rail, by laser irradiating a wire material with a laser in an inert gas in a vicinity of a tip plate. The laser irradiating the wire material includes modulated pulsing the laser through: a warm up phase during which an on-power of the laser is increased over time to a maximum target on-power, a melt and bond phase during which the wire material is melted and during which the on-power is less than the maximum target on-power, and a stress releasing phase during which the on-power of the laser is less than the on-power during the melt and bond phase. Exterior surface coatings and/or TBC may be sprayed onto the tip rail to protect it.

Growing community of inventors

Neuenhof, Switzerland

Norbert Lucke