# US 10,480,332 B2 · Rotors and methods of making the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,480,332 B2 - Document ID: US10480332B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/491,114 - Filed: 2017-04-19 - Published: 2017-08-03 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-10 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam; Kenneth B. Potter - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480332B2 ## CPC - F01D 5/288: {Protective coatings for blades} - B23K 20/128: {making use of additional material} - B23K 31/02: relating to soldering or welding - B23P 15/06: piston rings from one piece - B32B 15/01: all layers being exclusively metallic {(making layered metal workpieces by pressure cladding B23K20/22; making coatings with a metallic material characterised by its composition C23C30/00)} - C21D 6/02: Hardening by precipitation - C21D 7/13: by hot working - C21D 9/0068: {for particular articles not mentioned below} - C22C 38/00: Ferrous alloys, e.g. steel alloys (cast-iron alloys C22C37/00) - C22C 38/001: {containing N} - C22C 38/02: containing silicon - C22C 38/04: containing manganese - C22C 38/22: with molybdenum or tungsten - C22C 38/24: with vanadium - C22C 38/26: with niobium or tantalum - C22C 38/32: with boron - F01D 5/02: Blade-carrying members, e.g. rotors (rotors of non-bladed type F01D1/34; stators F01D9/00 {; selecting particular materials F01D5/28}) - F01D 5/06: Rotors for more than one axial stage, e.g. of drum or multiple disc type; Details thereof, e.g. shafts, shaft connections {(F01D5/022, F01D5/023 take precedence)} - F01D 5/063: {Welded rotors (welding per se B23K)} - F01D 25/005: {Selecting particular materials} - F04D 19/02: Multi-stage pumps - F04D 29/023: {especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps} - F04D 29/321: {for axial flow compressors} - B22F 7/062: {involving the connection or repairing of preformed parts} - B22F 2998/10: Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps - B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy - B23K 2101/001: {Turbines} - C21D 1/22: Martempering - C21D 2201/03: Amorphous or microcrystalline structure - C21D 2211/004: Dispersions; Precipitations - C21D 2261/00: Machining or cutting being involved - F05D 2220/30: in turbines - F05D 2220/31: in steam turbines - F05D 2220/32: in gas turbines - F05D 2230/236: Diffusion bonding - F05D 2230/239: Inertia or friction welding - F05D 2300/17: Alloys - F05D 2300/174: Titanium alloys, e.g. TiAl - F05D 2300/6032: Metal matrix composites [MMC] - F05D 2300/609: Grain size - Y10T 29/49316: Impeller making - Y10T 29/4932: Turbomachine making - Y10T 29/49321: Assembling individual fluid flow interacting members, e.g., blades, vanes, buckets, on rotary support member - Y10T 29/49323: Assembling fluid flow directing devices, e.g., stators, diaphragms, nozzles - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - 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 - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM - C21D: MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass C23F17/00; unidirectional solidification of eutectic materials or unidirectional demixing of eutectoid materials C30B) - C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F) - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) - B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A method of joining a first work piece and a second workpiece. The first and second workpieces may be rotor wheels of a rotor for a turbomachine. At least one of the workpieces includes an oxide dispersion strengthened alloy material and the first and second work pieces may be joined by welding a cladding on at least one of the workpieces to the other of the workpieces, without welding a substrate of the at least one workpiece which includes an oxide dispersion strengthened alloy material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of making a rotor for a turbomachine, the method comprising: forming a first rotor wheel comprising an oxide dispersion strengthened alloy material, the first rotor wheel defining a radius length along a radial direction; applying a cladding on a downstream face of the first rotor wheel by solid state joining a layer of a second material distinct from the oxide dispersion strengthened alloy material to the downstream face of the first rotor wheel, the cladding defining a width extending along the radial direction, the width of the cladding is less than the radius length of the first rotor wheel; and joining the first rotor wheel to a second rotor wheel by welding the cladding to a portion of an upstream face of the second rotor wheel without welding the first rotor wheel; wherein the method does not alter the grain structure of the oxide dispersion strengthened alloy material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein joining the first rotor wheel to the second rotor wheel comprises fusion welding the cladding to the portion of the upstream face of the second rotor wheel without creating a heat-affected zone in the first rotor wheel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein joining the first rotor wheel to the second rotor wheel comprises friction stir welding the cladding to the portion of the upstream face of the second rotor wheel without deforming the first rotor wheel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the oxide dispersion strengthened alloy material is homogenous and uniform throughout the first rotor wheel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the cladding comprises a first cladding, the method further comprising forming the second rotor wheel of the oxide dispersion strengthened alloy material, the second rotor wheel defining a radial length along the radial direction, and applying a second cladding on the upstream face of the second rotor wheel, the second cladding comprising the second material distinct from the oxide dispersion strengthened alloy material, the second cladding defining a width extending along the radial direction, the width of the second cladding less than the radius length of the second rotor wheel, and joining the first rotor wheel to the second rotor wheel comprises welding the first cladding and the second cladding without welding the first rotor wheel and without welding the second rotor wheel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein joining the first rotor wheel to the second rotor wheel comprises fusion welding the first cladding and the second cladding without creating a heat-affected zone in the first rotor wheel and without creating a heat-affected zone in the second rotor wheel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein joining the first rotor wheel to the second rotor wheel comprises friction stir welding the first cladding and the second cladding without deforming the first rotor wheel and without deforming the second rotor wheel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein solid state joining comprises friction surface cladding the layer of the second material to the downstream face of the first rotor wheel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein solid state joining comprises explosion bonding the layer of the second material to the downstream face of the first rotor wheel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first rotor wheel is a first stage rotor wheel positioned at an upstream end of the rotor. ### Claim 11 A method of joining, comprising: forming a first workpiece, the first workpiece comprising a substrate and a cladding, forming the first workpiece comprises: forming the substrate of the first workpiece, the substrate comprising an oxide dispersion strengthened alloy material, the substrate defining a radius length along a radial direction; and applying the cladding to a portion of a surface of the substrate by solid state joining a layer of a second material distinct from the oxide dispersion strengthened alloy material to a face of the substrate, the cladding defining a width extending along the radial direction, the width of the cladding less than the radius length of the substrate; and joining the first workpiece to a second workpiece by welding the cladding to a portion of a surface of the second workpiece without welding the substrate; wherein the method does not alter the grain structure of the oxide dispersion strengthened alloy material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the substrate comprises a first substrate, the cladding comprises a first cladding, and the second workpiece comprises a second substrate, the method further comprises applying a second cladding to the portion of the surface of the second workpiece, and joining the first workpiece to the second workpiece comprises welding the first cladding to the second cladding without welding the first substrate and without welding the second substrate.