Cold-spray braze material deposition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10702939-B2
Application number	US-201815945855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2018
Priority date	Apr 5, 2018
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

Aspects include supplying a plurality of nickel-enriched braze powder particles to a cold spray system through a particle supply inlet. The nickel-enriched braze powder particles are accelerated through a transfer tube and out an exit in the transfer tube towards a substrate to produce a braze cold-sprayed substrate. A component surface is positioned proximate to the braze cold-sprayed substrate. The braze cold-sprayed substrate is heated to bond the braze cold-sprayed substrate to the component surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
supplying a plurality of nickel-enriched braze powder particles to a cold spray system through a particle supply inlet;
accelerating the nickel-enriched braze powder particles through a transfer tube and out an exit in the transfer tube towards a substrate to produce a braze cold-sprayed substrate;
forming a hole in the braze cold-sprayed substrate;
positioning a component surface proximate to the braze cold-sprayed substrate and within the hole; and
heating the braze cold-sprayed substrate to bond the braze cold-sprayed substrate to the component surface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nickel-enriched braze powder particles comprises a braze alloy powder combined with a nickel powder.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a nickel-based alloy.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the braze cold-sprayed substrate comprises a manifold of a tube-shell heat exchanger and the component surface comprises an exterior of a tube.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
cold spraying a plurality of surfaces of the substrate;
forming a plurality of holes in each cold-sprayed surface of the braze cold-sprayed substrate of the manifold; and
positioning a tube end in each of the holes prior to heating.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining a plurality of target locations of the holes prior to forming the holes; and
limiting the cold spraying to localized areas proximate to the target locations.

7. A method comprising:
applying a magnetic field to a braze alloy powder to remove a quantity of nickel from the braze alloy powder;
combining a nickel powder with the braze alloy powder to form a nickel-enriched braze powder;
processing the nickel-enriched braze powder to deform a plurality of finer particles and produce a plurality of nickel-enriched braze powder particles;
supplying the nickel-enriched braze powder particles to a cold spray system; and
accelerating the nickel-enriched braze powder particles in the cold spray system towards a substrate to produce a braze cold-sprayed substrate.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the substrate comprises a nickel-based alloy.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein processing the nickel-enriched braze powder comprises mixing the nickel-enriched braze powder with an acid and a polymer.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
controlling a velocity of a gas stream used to accelerate the nickel-enriched braze powder particles.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
controlling a temperature of one or more of: the nickel-enriched braze powder particles and the gas stream.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
controlling one or more of: a position of the substrate and a position of a spray nozzle operable to accelerate the nickel-enriched braze powder particles towards the substrate.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the cold spray system comprises an enclosure and the method further comprises:
recapturing a volume of gas from the gas stream within the enclosure.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Binek Lawrence
• Nardi Aaron T
• Ferro John A
• Miller Matthew William
• Mangoyan Raffi O
• Mandel Jr Timothy E

Classifications

• F28F9/18

  by welding · CPC title

• C23C24/087

  Coating with metal alloys or metal elements only · CPC title

• B23K35/0222

  for use in soldering or brazing (B23K35/0205 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C23C24/082

  without intermediate formation of a liquid in the layer · CPC title

• C23C24/08 Primary

  by application of heat or pressure and heat (C23C24/04 takes precedence) · CPC title