Apparatus and method for controlling confinement media thickness in laser shock peening
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsP. Kennard Wright, III, Seetharamaiah Mannava, Terry H. Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laser shock peening system includes an apparatus and method that senses a thickness of laser transparent confinement media flow, such as water. In one embodiment, the apparatus indicates a proper thickness, in another embodiment, the apparatus controls the flow rate of the confinement media using signals from probes of the apparatus. A first probe is used to sense a predetermined minimum thickness and another embodiment further includes a second probe to indicate a predetermined maximum thickness of the confinement media.
Claims19
A laser shock peening apparatus for laser shock peening a metallic surface portion on a workpiece through a laser transparent confinement media, said apparatus comprising:
- a laser unit having at least one laser beam source for generating at least one laser beam and means for directing said beam through the confinement media, to the surface portion on the workpiece,
- a confinement media supply means for flowing the confinement media over the surface portion,
- a sensor means for sensing a thickness of the confinement media on the surface portion,
- a control means for controlling the laser shock peening based on a sensed thickness signal from said sensor means which is connected to said control means, and
- wherein said confinement media supply means further comprises a control valve controllably connected to said control means for controlling flow rate of the confinement media through said confinement media supply means based on the sensed thickness from said sensor means.
A laser shock peening apparatus for laser shock peening a metallic surface portion on a workpiece through a laser transparent confinement media, said apparatus comprising:
- a laser unit having at least one laser beam source for generating at least one laser beam and means for directing said beam through the confinement media, to the surface portion on the workpiece,
- a confinement media supply means for flowing the confinement media over the surface portion,
- said confinement media supply means further comprising a control valve controllably connected to said control means for controlling flow rate of the confinement media through said confinement media supply means based on the sensed thickness from said sensor means,
- a sensor means for sensing a thickness of the confinement media on the surface portion,
- a control means for controlling the laser shock peening based on a sensed thickness signal from said sensor means which is connected to said control means, and
- said sensor means includes a first probe operable to sense a first thickness of the confinement media and said control means is operable for controlling flow rate of the confinement media through said confinement media supply means based on a first signal from said first probe.
A laser shock peening apparatus for laser shock peening a metallic surface portion on a workpiece through a laser transparent confinement media, said apparatus comprising:
- a laser unit having at least one laser beam source for generating at least one laser beam and means for directing said beam through the confinement media, to the surface portion on the workpiece,
- a confinement media supply means for flowing the confinement media over the surface portion,
- said confinement media supply means further comprising a control valve controllably connected to said control means for controlling flow rate of the confinement media through said confinement media supply means based on the sensed thickness from said sensor means,
- a sensor means for sensing a thickness of the confinement media on the surface portion,
- a control means for controlling the laser shock peening based on a sensed thickness signal from said sensor means which is connected to said control means, and
- said sensor means including first and second sensors operable to sense first and second thicknesses respectively of the confinement media and said control means is operable for controlling flow rate of the confinement media through said confinement media supply means based on first and second signals from said first and second sensors.
A laser shock peening apparatus for laser shock peening a metallic surface portion on a workpiece through a laser transparent confinement media, said apparatus comprising:
- a laser unit having at least one laser beam source for generating at least one laser beam and means for directing said beam through the confinement media, to the surface portion on the workpiece,
- a confinement media supply means for flowing the confinement media over the surface portion,
- a sensor means for sensing a thickness of the confinement media on the surface portion, and
- an indicating means connected to said sensor means to indicate that the thickness of the confinement media is below a predetermined first value.
An apparatus as claimed in clain 8 wherein said sensor means further comprises a first circuit including:
- an electrical power supply,
- an electrically conducting first probe,
- said indicating means, and
- an electrical connection means for connecting the workpiece into said circuit such that said circuit is completed when the confinement media is flowed over the surface portion and contacts said first probe.
A method for laser shock peening a workpiece, said method comprising the following steps:
- firing a laser beam with sufficient power to vaporize material on a surface portion of the workpiece to form a region having deep compressive residual stresses imparted by the laser shock peening process extending into the workpiece from the laser shock peened surface portion,
- flowing laser transparent confinement media over the surface portion upon which the laser beam is firing while firing the laser beam,
- sensing a thickness of the confinement media on the surface portion, and
- indicating the thickness of the confinement media is below a predetermined first value.
A method for laser shock peening a workpiece, said method comprising the following steps:
- firing a laser beam with sufficient power to vaporize material on a surface portion of the workpiece to form a region having deep compressive residual stresses imparted by the laser shock peening process extending into the workpiece from the laser shock peened surface portion,
- flowing laser transparent confinement media over the surface portion upon which the laser beam is firing while firing the laser beam,
- sensing a thickness of the confinement media on the surface portion using a first probe to indicate a predetermined minimum thickness of the confinement media,
- controlling the laser shock peening using the sensed thickness of the confinement media,
- controlling the laser shock peening further comprises controlling a flow rate of the confinement media over the surface portion, and
- sensing the thickness of the confinement media further comprises using a second probe to indicate a predetermined maximum thickness of the confinement media.
A method for laser shock peening a workpiece, said method comprising the following steps:
- firing a laser beam with sufficient power to vaporize material on a surface portion of the workpiece to form a region having deep compressive residual stresses imparted by the laser shock peening process extending into the workpiece from the laser shock peened surface portion,
- flowing laser transparent confinement media over the surface portion upon which the laser beam is firing while firing the laser beam,
- sensing a thickness of the confinement media on the surface portion by using a first probe to indicate a predetermined minimum thickness of the confinement media and using a second probe to indicate a predetermined maximum thickness of the confinement media, and
- controlling the laser shock peening by controlling a flow rate of the confinement media over the surface portion using the sensed thickness of the confinement media.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.