Systems and methods for implementing robust gearbox housings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10487934-B2
Application number	US-201514971848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2015
Priority date	Dec 17, 2014
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention efficaciously implement robust gearbox housings. In one embodiment, a method of fabricating a gearbox housing includes: providing an alloy composition from which the gearbox housing will be fabricated from; casting the alloy composition around a solid body so as to form a part characterized by the inclusion of a cavity, where the cast part includes a metallic glass-based material; and nondestructively separating the cast part from the solid body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a gearbox housing comprising: selecting an alloy composition from which the gearbox housing will be fabricated, wherein the alloy composition is configured to form, when cast, a metallic glass-based material characterized by:
a Young's modulus of less than 110 GPa,
a fracture toughness of between 20 MPa m 1/2 and approximately 200 MPa m 1/2 ,
a Rockwell C hardness of greater than 45,
an elastic limit of greater than 1%, and
a solidification shrinkage of less than 1.5;
casting the alloy composition around a solid body so as to form a cast part formed of the metallic glass-based material and characterized by a cavity disposed therein and defined by an outer contour of the solid body;
wherein the cast part is further characterized by a plurality of gear teeth disposed about an inner lining of the cavity;
and
nondestructively separating the cast part from the solid body.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising implementing gear teeth onto the lining of the cavity.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the implementing of gear teeth is achieved via machining.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the machining is achieved via electron discharge machining.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alloy composition is based on one of: Ti, Zr, Cu, Ni, Fe, Pd, Pt, Ag, Au, Al, Hf, W, Be, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the alloy composition is based on Titanium.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metallic glass-based material is disposed throughout the cast part.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid body is cylindrical.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid body comprises a crystalline metal.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the solid body is entirely comprised of the crystalline metal.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the crystalline metal is brass.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cast part is cup-shaped.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cast part is characterized by a density of less than 5.5 g/cm 3 .

Assignees

• California Inst Of Techn

Inventors

• Kennett Andrew
• Hofmann Douglas C
• Borgonia John Paul C

Classifications

• B22D21/005

  with high melting point, e.g. Be 1280 degrees C, Ti 1725 degrees C · CPC title

• F16H2057/02078

  for wind turbines · CPC title

• F16H57/032 Primary

  characterised by the materials used · CPC title

• B22D29/001

  Removing cores · CPC title

• B23H7/02

  Wire-cutting · CPC title