# US 2014/0154082 A1 · Pre-sintered preform repair of turbine blades

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- Number: US 2014/0154082 A1
- Document ID: US20140154082A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/693,091
- Filed: 2012-12-04
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04
- Assignees: Siemens Energy, Inc.
- Inventors: Brandon W. Shinn; Atul L. Navale; James A. Yarbrough
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154082A1

## CPC

- F01D 5/005: {Repairing methods or devices}
- B23K 1/0018: {Brazing of turbine parts}
- B23K 1/20: Preliminary treatment of work or areas to be soldered, e.g. in respect of a galvanic coating
- B23P 6/005: {using only replacement pieces of a particular form}
- F01D 5/225: {by shrouding}
- B23K 2101/001: {Turbines}
- Y10T 29/49318: Repairing or disassembling
- 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)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A process is provided for repairing a damaged portion of a gas turbine blade comprising: providing a preform comprising a low-melt alloy material and a base alloy material; locating the preform on the gas turbine engine blade damaged portion; and heat treating the preform and the blade such that the preform is brazed to the blade.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for repairing a damaged portion of a gas turbine blade comprising:
providing a preform comprising a low-melt alloy material and a base alloy material;
locating the preform on the gas turbine engine blade damaged portion; and
heat treating the preform and the blade such that the preform is brazed to the blade.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the base alloy material is substantially the same material as the material from which the blade is formed.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein said preform comprises about 70 to about 80% by weight base alloy material and about 30 to about 20% by weight low-melt allow material based on the total weight of the preform prior to heat treating.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, prior to heat treating, further comprising spot-welding the preform to the blade.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, prior to heat treating, further comprising resistance welding the preform to the blade.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the blade damaged portion comprises a tip shroud contact surface.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, further comprising grinding the damaged portion prior to locating the preform on the damaged portion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, further comprising machining the preform and the blade after heat treating.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, further comprising adding a braze material to the blade damaged portion prior to locating the preform on the damaged portion.

### Claim 10

A process for repairing a damaged contact surface of a tip shroud of a gas turbine blade comprising:
providing a preform comprising a low-melt alloy material and a base alloy material;
locating the preform on the tip shroud contact surface; and
heat treating the preform and the tip shroud such that the preform is brazed to the tip shroud.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10, wherein the base alloy material is substantially the same material from which the tip shroud is formed.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10, wherein the preform comprises about 70 to about 80% by weight base alloy material and about 30 to about 20% by weight low-melt alloy material based on the total weight of the preform prior to welding and heat treating.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10, prior to heat treating, further comprising spot-welding the preform to the blade.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10, prior to heat treating, further comprising resistance welding the preform to the blade.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10, further comprising grinding the damaged section prior to locating the preform on the contact surface.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10, further comprising adding a braze material to the tip shroud contact surface prior to locating the preform on the contact surface.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10, wherein said heat treating comprises a low-melt heat treatment.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10, after heat treating, further comprising welding filler material to the preform.

### Claim 19

A turbine blade comprising:
an airfoil comprising upper and lower ends;
a root coupled to said airfoil lower end, said root adapted to couple said blade to a rotatable disk;
a tip shroud coupled to said airfoil upper end, said tip shroud having first and second spaced-apart contact surfaces; and
a preform coupled to one of said tip shroud contact surfaces.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The turbine blade as set out in claim 18, wherein said preform is brazed to said tip shroud contact surface.