Weld prep joint for electron beam or laser welding
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsMark Burnett, Lyle Spiegel, Gary Yehle, William Babcock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A weld prep joint for welding a pair of axially aligned first and second machine rotor forgings includes a first weld joint configuration in an end of the first rotor forging including a first radial weld surface and a first axial rabbet surface; a second weld joint configuration on an end of the second rotor forging including a second radial weld surface adapted to engage the first radial weld surface, a second axial rabbet surface adapted to engage the first axial rabbet surface, and a third radial non-weld surface extending radially inwardly of the second rabbet surface and axially offset from the second radial weld surface.
Claims24
A weld prep joint for welding a pair of axially aligned first and second machine rotor forgings comprising:
- a first weld joint configuration in an end of said first rotor forging including a first radial weld surface and a first axial rabbet surface;
- a second weld joint configuration on an end of said second rotor forging including a second radial weld surface adapted to engage said first radial weld surface, a second axial rabbet surface adapted to engage said first axial rabbet surface, and a third radial non-weld surface extending radially inwardly of said second rabbet surface and axially offset from said second radial weld surface.
A welded rotor assembly comprising a pair of axially aligned rotor forgings joined by a circumferentially extending weld area, said weld area defined by a pair of axially aligned weld prep joints including a first weld joint configuration in an end of said first rotor forging having a first radial weld surface and a first axial rabbet surface, and a second weld joint configuration on an end of said second rotor forging including a second radial weld surface engaged with said first radial weld surface;
- a second axial rabbet surface engaged with said first axial rabbet surface;
- and a third radial non-weld surface extending radially inwardly of said second rabbet surface and axially offset from said second radial weld surface.
A method of welding a pair of axially-aligned rotor forgings comprising:
- (a) preparing weld prep joints on opposed ends of said rotor forgings, one of said joints including a first radial weld surface and a first axial rabbet surface, the other of said joints including a second radial weld surface and a second axial rabbet surface;
- (b) joining said rotor forgings axially by a concentric interference fit between said first and second axial rabbet surfaces with said first and second radial weld surfaces engaged;
- and
- (c) utilizing a laser or electron beam welding machine, welding the rotor forgings together, creating a weld area at least along said first and second radial weld surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.