United Technologies Corporation

Steven M Burns

Richard William Varsell

Sudhangshu Bose

Daniel A Bales

Dean N Marszal

Mark T Ucasz

Tyrus E Royal

Merritt W Wight

Robert J Meehan

William A Nehez, Jr

Viktor A Tymashov

Oleg L Zhdanov

Sergiy I Ryabenko

Andriy A Tsepkalov

Steven P Hahn

John William Menchetti

An electron gun includes the following: a primary thermionic electron source, a secondary thermionic electron source and a focusing electrode disposed within a first housing that includes one or more reference members adjustably attached to a housing support connected to a first platform; an anode and one or more focusing coils disposed within a second housing comprising one or more insulating members adjustably connected to the first platform; and one or more deflection coils disposed within a third housing connected to the second housing and located opposite said first housing.

Electron gun

The present invention relates to an apparatus for coating one or more workpieces such as components to be used in jet engines or industrial turbines. The apparatus comprises a device for simultaneously manipulating a workpiece about multiple axes while holding a center of the workpiece at a fixed position with respect to a source of coating material. The device for manipulating the workpiece preferably comprises a modular fixture while allows the workpiece to be simultaneously rotated about a first axis, rotated about a second axis at an angle to the first axis, and titled through a range of motion such as from +45 degrees to &#x2212;45 degrees with respect to the first axis.

Multiple axis tumbler coating apparatus

A method for heat treating at least one workpiece, such as a coated turbine engine component, is provided. The method comprises the steps of cleaning a furnace to be used during the heat treating method, which cleaning method comprising injecting a gas at a workpiece center location and applying heat, and diffusion heat treating the at least one workpiece in a gas atmosphere with the gas being injected at the workpiece center location. After the diffusion heat treatment step, the coated workpiece(s) may be subjected to a surface finishing operation such as a peening operation.

Clean atmosphere heat treat for coated turbine components

The present invention relates to an overlay coating which has improved strength properties. The overlay coating comprises a deposited layer of MCrAlY material containing discrete nitride particles therein. The nitride particles are present in a volume fraction in the range of 0.1% to 15.0% and have a particle size in the range of from 0.1 microns to 10.0 microns. The coating may also have oxide particles dispersed therein.

Thermal barrier coating utilizing a dispersion strengthened metallic bond coat

A method and apparatus are provided for inspecting a coated substrate such as a multi-layer coating on a substrate of a turbine airfoil. At each of a number of locations along the airfoil a number of frequencies of alternating current are passed through the airfoil. At least one impedance parameter is measured. The measured impedance parameters are utilized to determine a condition of the coating.

Nondestructive, electrical impedance-based, thermal barrier coating inspection

A method is described for reducing surface oxide growth which heating aluminum containing surfaces in a vacuum environment prior to the deposition of a ceramic coating. The method comprises flowing an inert or non reactive gas into the coating apparatus adjacent to the surface to be coated to reduce oxygen reaction with the surface.

Preheat method for EBPVD coating

The present invention relates to an apparatus for simultaneously coating a plurality of workpieces. The apparatus includes a module fixture having a plurality of bushing and spindle arrangements for supporting the workpieces to be coated. The bushing and spindle arrangements allow each workpiece to rotate about its longitudinal axis and tilt along an axis which intersects the rotational axis of the fixture. By providing such a bushing and spindle arrangement, it is possible to coat surfaces of the workpiece which are substantially perpendicular to other surfaces of the workpiece. A process for simultaneously coating the workpieces is also described. The process comprises the steps of mounting a plurality of workpieces to the fixture so that the workpieces can roll about their longitudinal axes and so that the workpieces are positioned at an angle with respect to the rotational axis of the fixture, rotating the fixture about its rotational axis so as to cause said workpieces to roll, and exposing the workpieces to a coating material as the fixture is being rotated.

Modular coating fixture

A thermal barrier coating may be applied by depositing a MCrAIY bond coat onto a superalloy substrate, wherein M stands for Ni, Co, Fe, or a mixture of Ni and Co. Undesired oxides and contaminants are removed from the MCrAIY bond coat with an ionized gas stream cleaning process, such as a reverse transfer arc process. An adherent aluminum oxide scale is formed on the MCrAIY bond coat and a ceramic layer is deposited on the aluminum oxide scale by physical vapor deposition to form a columnar structure.

Method for applying improved durability thermal barrier coatings

The present invention relates to a modular, rotisserie type coating fixture for use in electronic beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) coating processes. The fixture includes a support structure which rotates about a first axis during coating and a plurality of cassettes mounted within the support structure. The cassettes each hold a plurality of workpieces to be coated and are mounted in the support structure so that they rotate about axes parallel to the first axis. This allows each workpiece being coated to rotate about its longitudinal axis and to achieve an evenly distributed, substantially uniform coating on surfaces of the workpiece to be coated.

Rotisserie fixture for coating airfoils

The present invention relates to an apparatus for simultaneously coating a plurality of workpieces. The apparatus includes a modular fixture having a plurality of bushing and spindle arrangements for supporting the workpieces to be coated. The bushing and spindle arrangements allow each workpiece to rotate about its longitudinal axis. They further allow each workpiece to assume a first position where it is tilted towards a source of coating material during a first portion of the coating cycle and a second position substantially parallel to the source of coating material during a second portion of the coating cycle. By providing the novel bushing and spindle arrangement of the present invention, it is possible to coat surfaces of the workpiece which are substantially perpendicular to other surfaces of the workpiece and still obtain a substantially uniform coating along the other surfaces of the workpiece. A process for simultaneously coating the workpieces is also described. The process broadly comprises the steps of providing a source of coating material, attaching a workpiece to be coated to a fixture, and coating the workpiece with a coating material by rotating the fixture and thereby causing the workpiece to be tilted towards the source of coating material during a first portion of the coating cycle and to be substantially parallel to the source of coating material during a second portion of the coating cycle.

Variable tilting tumbler vacuum coating apparatus

The present invention relates to an improved fixture for facilitating the coating of workpieces such as turbine blades and vanes. The fixture has a hollow core member and a plurality of workpiece receptacles positioned along the length of and about the periphery of the core member. Each of the workpiece receptacles comprises an open sided workpiece support structure and a cover for closing the open side of the support structure. During the coating operation, the fixture of the present invention is rotated about its longitudinal axis while the workpieces being coated remain stationary within the receptacles.

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West Hartford, CT, United States of America

Steven M Burns