# US 10,245,678 B2 · Management method of powder supply head, and method and apparatus for forming erosion shield

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- Number: US 10,245,678 B2
- Document ID: US10245678B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/123,506
- Filed: 2015-04-01
- Published: 2017-03-16
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2014-04-07
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Hitachi Popower System, Ltd.
- Applicants: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.
- Inventors: Takehisa Okuda; Motonari Machida; Yasuo Matsunami
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10245678B2

## CPC

- B23K 26/144: the fluid stream containing particles, e.g. powder
- B23K 26/03: Observing, e.g. monitoring, the workpiece
- B23K 26/147: {Features outside the nozzle for feeding the fluid stream towards the workpiece}
- B23K 26/34: Laser welding for purposes other than joining
- F01D 5/005: {Repairing methods or devices}
- F02C 7/00: Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants (controlling F02C9/00)
- B23K 2101/001: {Turbines}
- B23K 2103/26: {Alloys of Nickel and Cobalt and Chromium}
- F05D 2230/30: with deposition of material
- F05D 2230/80: Repairing, retrofitting or upgrading methods
- F05D 2230/90: Coating; Surface treatment
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

A management method of a powder supply head in which supplied cladding metal is stabilized, and a method and apparatus for forming an erosion shield. The powder supply head has a double tube that supplies the cladding metal to a cladding portion and includes an inner tube that sprays a cladding metal used for cladding by welding and an outer tube that concentrically overlaps the inner tube and sprays a shielding air. The method including: spraying the cladding metal from the powder supply head to a test region; measuring a width of the cladding metal sprayed onto the test region; in a case where the measured width of the cladding metal is an allowance or smaller, determining that the powder supply head is usable, and in a case where the measured width of the cladding metal is greater than the allowance, determining that the powder supply head is unusable.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A management method of a powder supply head which has a double tube in which an inner circumference side tube that sprays a cladding metal used for cladding by welding using a laser and an outer circumference side tube that is disposed at an outer circumference of the inner circumference side tube and sprays a shielding air overlap concentrically, and supplies the cladding metal to a cladding portion, the method comprising:
a spraying process of spraying the cladding metal from the powder supply head to a test region under set conditions and forming a line segment by the cladding metal sprayed to the test region;
a width measurement process of measuring a width of the cladding metal sprayed onto the test region;
a determination process of, in a case where the measured width of the cladding metal is an allowance or smaller, determining that the powder supply head is usable, and in a case where the measured width of the cladding metal is greater than the allowance, determining that the powder supply head is unusable.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The management method of a powder supply head according to claim 1,
wherein, in the inner circumference side tube, an end surface on a side where the cladding metal is sprayed is processed into a surface perpendicular to an axial direction of the inner circumference side tube.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The management method of a powder supply head according to claim 1,
wherein the test region is provided with an adhesive material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The management method of a powder supply head according to claim 1, further comprising:
an oxygen concentration measurement process of measuring a concentration of oxygen of the test region during the spraying process,
wherein in the determination process, in a case where the concentration of oxygen measured in the oxygen concentration measurement process is an allowance or lower, it is determined that the powder supply head is usable, and in a case where the measured concentration of oxygen is higher than the allowance, it is determined that the powder supply head is unusable.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method for forming an erosion shield on at least one of a tip end and a blade surface of a rotor blade body, comprising:
a process of forming a boundary by removing at least a portion of a tip end and an end surface of a base body which is to become the rotor blade;
a process of forming a cladding portion through laser welding on the boundary using a powder supply nozzle which is determined to be usable in the management method of a powder supply head according to claim 1; and
a process of performing finish processing to remove an excess thickness portion of the base body and a portion of the cladding portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A method for producing a rotor blade comprising:
a base body production process of forming a base body having an excess thickness portion in a rotor blade; and
a process of forming an erosion shield on a blade body in the method for forming an erosion shield according to claim 5.

### Claim 7

A powder supply head comprising:
an inner circumference side tube which sprays a cladding metal used for cladding by welding; and
an outer circumference side tube that is disposed to overlap concentrically with an outer circumference of the inner circumference side tube and sprays a shielding air,
wherein, in the inner circumference side tube, an end surface on a side where the cladding metal is sprayed is a surface perpendicular to an axial direction of the inner circumference side tube.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A method for forming an erosion shield on at least one of a tip end and a blade surface of a rotor blade body, comprising:
a process of forming a boundary by removing at least a portion of a tip end and an end surface of a base body which is to become the rotor blade;
a process of forming a cladding portion through laser welding on the boundary using a powder supply nozzle having the powder supply head according to claim 7; and
a process of performing finish processing to remove an excess thickness of the base body and a portion of the cladding portion.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A method for producing a rotor blade comprising:
a base body production process of forming a base body having an excess thickness portion in the rotor blade; and
a process of forming an erosion shield on a blade body in the method for forming an erosion shield according to claim 8.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

A cladding by welding apparatus comprising:
the powder supply head according to claim 7; and
a laser processing head that emits a laser,
wherein the cladding metal is supplied through the powder supply head while a cladding portion is irradiated with the laser by the laser processing head.