Method of working a gas turbine engine airfoil
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsJason Eric Huxol, Hector Martinez, Mark Towner, Jose M. Quinones, Michael Everett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of working a gas turbine engine component, for example, a turbine airfoil platform having a heat crack, is disclosed. The presented method may allow turbine airfoils to be repaired, modified, manufactured or otherwise worked and subsequently assembled into a turbine section of a gas turbine engine. This method may help to reduce the costs of operating a gas turbine engine by allowing damaged turbine airfoils to be repaired rather than discarded.
Claims20
A method of repairing and reusing a gas turbine engine component previously manufactured from a super-alloy, comprising:
- heat treating the previously manufactured gas turbine engine component as a whole fully a first time, including heating the previously manufactured gas turbine engine component in order to weaken the gamma prime phase of the super-alloy and subsequently cooling the gas turbine engine component in a first step;
- removing a damaged portion from a damaged area of the gas turbine engine component in a second step after the first step;
- heat treating only the damaged area a first time, including heating only the damaged area and subsequently cooling the damaged area in a third step after the second step;
- welding a filling material to replace the removed damaged portion and create a weld in the damaged area in a fourth step after the third step;
- heat treating only the damaged area a second time, including heating only the weld and the damaged area and subsequently cooling the weld and the damaged area in a fifth step after the fourth step;
- and
- heat treating the gas turbine engine component as a whole fully a second time, including heating the gas turbine engine component and subsequently quick cooling the gas turbine engine component directly to room temperature by quenching the gas turbine engine component in a sixth step after the fifth step.
A method of repairing and reusing a gas turbine engine airfoil previously manufactured from a super-alloy and having a root and a platform, the method comprising:
- heat treating the previously manufactured gas turbine engine airfoil as a whole fully a first time, including heating the previously manufactured gas turbine engine airfoil to a temperature between 2050 and 2175 degrees Fahrenheit in order to weaken the gamma prime phase of the super-alloy and subsequently cooling the gas turbine engine airfoil in a first step;
- forming a cavity by removing a damaged portion from a damaged area of the platform in a second step after the first step;
- heat treating only the platform a first time, including heating the cavity and the damaged area to a temperature of about 1900 degrees Fahrenheit and subsequently cooling the cavity and the damaged area in a third step after the second step;
- creating a weld by welding a filling alloy to the gas turbine engine airfoil to fill the cavity in a fourth step after the third step;
- heat treating only the platform a second time, including heating the weld and the damaged area to a temperature of about 2000 degrees Fahrenheit and subsequently cooling the weld and the damaged area to room temperature in a fifth step after the fourth step;
- and
- heat treating the gas turbine engine airfoil as a whole fully a second time, including heating the turbine airfoil to a temperature between about 2050 and 2175 degrees Fahrenheit and subsequently quick cooling the gas turbine engine airfoil directly to room temperature by quenching the gas turbine engine airfoil in a sixth step after the fifth step.
A method of repairing and reusing a turbine airfoil of a gas turbine engine, the turbine airfoil being previously manufactured from a super-alloy and having a platform and a root, the method comprising:
- fully heat treating the previously manufactured turbine airfoil as a whole a first time, including heating the turbine airfoil to a temperature between about 2050 and 2175 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of about four hours in order to weaken the gamma prime phase of the super-alloy, and subsequently cooling the previously manufactured turbine airfoil at a rate of about two to five degrees Fahrenheit per minute in a first step;
- electric discharge machining away a damaged portion from a damaged area of the platform to create a cavity in the damaged area in a second step after the first step;
- heat treating only the platform a first time, including heating the damaged area to a temperature of about 1900 degrees Fahrenheit and subsequently cooling the damaged area in a third step after the second step;
- welding a filler alloy into the cavity and thereby creating a weld in a fourth step after the third step;
- heat treating only the platform a second time, including heating the weld and the damaged area to a temperature of about 2000 degrees Fahrenheit and subsequently cooling the weld and the damaged area to room temperature in a fifth step after the fourth step;
- and
- fully heat treating the previously manufactured turbine airfoil as a whole a second time, including heating the turbine airfoil to a temperature to between about 2050 to 2175 degrees Fahrenheit and subsequently quick cooling the previously manufactured turbine airfoil directly to room temperature by quenching the turbine airfoil in a sixth step after the fifth step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.