Methods of modifying material properties of workpieces using high-pressure-torsion apparatuses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10907227-B2
Application number	US-201816227531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2018
Priority date	Dec 20, 2018
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

Described is a method of modifying material properties of a workpiece using a high-pressure-torsion apparatus, comprising a working axis, a first anvil, a second anvil, and an annular body, comprising a first recirculating convective chiller, a second recirculating convective chiller, and a heater, positioned between the first recirculating convective chiller and the second recirculating convective chiller along the working axis. The method comprises compressing the workpiece along a central axis of the workpiece and. simultaneously with compressing the workpiece along the central axis, twisting the workpiece about the central axis. The method further comprises. while compressing the workpiece along the central axis and twisting the workpiece about the central axis, translating the annular body along the working, axis of the high-pressure-torsion apparatus, collinear with the central axis of the workpiece, and heating the workpiece with the heater.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of modifying material properties of a workpiece using a high-pressure-torsion apparatus, comprising a working axis, a first anvil, a second anvil and an annular body, comprising a first recirculating convective chiller, a second recirculating convective chiller, a heater, positioned between the first recirculating convective chiller and the second recirculating convective chiller along the working axis, the method comprising steps of:
compressing the workpiece along a central axis of the workpiece;
simultaneously with compressing the workpiece along the central axis, twisting the workpiece about the central axis;
while compressing the workpiece along the central axis and twisting the workpiece about the central axis, translating the annular body along the working axis of the high-pressure-torsion apparatus collinear with the central axis of the workpiece, and heating the workpiece with the heater; and
cooling the workpiece with at least one of the first recirculating convective chiller or cooling the workpiece with the second recirculating convective chiller simultaneously with the step of heating the workpiece with the heater,
wherein:
the step of cooling the workpiece with the first recirculating convective chiller comprises steps of routing a first cooling fluid through the first recirculating convective chiller and contacting a portion of the workpiece with the first cooling fluid, exiting the first recirculating convective chiller; and
the step of cooling the workpiece with the second recirculating convective chiller comprises steps of routing a second cooling fluid through the second recirculating convective chiller and contacting a portion of the workpiece with the second cooling fluid, exiting the second recirculating convective chiller.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first recirculating convective chiller comprises:
an ingress channel, having an ingress-channel inlet and an ingress-channel outlet, spaced away from the ingress-channel inlet; and
an egress channel, having an egress-channel inlet and an egress outlet, spaced away from the egress-channel inlet;

the ingress-channel outlet is configured to be directed at the workpiece;
the ingress-channel outlet and the egress-channel inlet are in fluidic communication with each other;
the second recirculating convective chiller comprises:
a second ingress channel, having a second-ingress-channel inlet and a second-ingress-channel outlet, spaced away from the second-ingress-channel inlet; and
a second egress channel, having a second-egress-channel inlet and a second-egress-channel outlet, spaced away from the second-egress-channel inlet;

the second-ingress-channel outlet is configured to be directed at the workpiece; and
the second-ingress-channel outlet and the second-egress-channel inlet are in fluidic communication with each other.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the high--pressure--torsion apparatus further comprises:
a first thermal seal located between the heater and the ingress-channel outlet of the first recirculating convective chiller along the working axis and in contact with the workpiece; and
the first thermal seal prevents the first cooling fluid from flowing into a space between the heater and the workpiece.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein:
the high-pressure-torsion apparatus further comprises a third thermal seal, in contact with the workpiece,
the ingress-channel outlet of the first recirculating convective chilleris located between the first thermal seal and the third thermal seal, and
the third thermal seal prevents the first cooling fluid s from flowing outside of the annular body.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of routing the first cooling fluid through the first recirculating convective chiller and the step of routing the second cooling fluid through the second recirculating convective chiller are independently controlled.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first cooling fluid and the second cooling fluid is a compressed gas.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein:
the annular body comprises a central opening, configured to surround the workpiece;
the step of routing the first cooling fluid through the first recirculating convective chiller comprises a step of discharging the compressed gas into the central opening; and
the step of routing the second cooling fluid through the second recirculating convective chiller comprise a step of discharging the compressed gas into the central opening.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first cooling fluid and the second cooling fluid is a cooling liquid.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at a controller of the high-pressure-torsion apparatus, input from a heater temperature sensor, a first-chiller temperature sensor, and a second-chiller temperature sensor, and wherein each of the heater temperature sensor, the first-chiller temperature sensor, and the second-chiller temperature sensor is communicatively coupled with the controller; and
controlling, using the controller, operations of at least one of the heater, the first recirculating convective chiller, or second recirculating convective chiller based on the input from the heater temperature sensor, the first-chiller temperature sensor, and the second-chiller temperature sensor, and wherein each of the heater, the first recirculating convective chiller, the second recirculating convective chiller is communicatively coupled with and controlled by the controller.

10. The method according to claim 2 , wherein:
the high-pressure-torsion apparatus further comprises a second thermal seal, located between the heater and the second-ingress-channel outlet of the second recirculating convective chiller along the working axis and in contact with workpiece; and
the second thermal seal prevents the second cooling fluid from flowing into a space between the heater and the workpiece.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein:
the high-pressure-torsion apparatus further comprises a fourth thermal seal in contact with the workpiece,
the second-ingress-channel outlet of the second recirculating convective chiller is located between the second thermal seal and the fourth thermal seal, and
the fourth thermal seal prevents the second cooling fluid from flowing outside of the annular body.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising thermally conductively isolating the heater and the second recirculating convective chiller from each other using a second thermal barrier, while the step of heating the workpiece with the heater performed simultaneously with the step of cooling the workpiece with the second recirculating convective chiller.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the second thermal barrier contacts the second thermal seal.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the step of heating the workpiece with the heater is independent from the step of cooling the workpiece with the first recirculating convective chiller or the step of cooling the workpiece with the second recirculating convective chiller.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the step of heating the workpiece with the heater is performed while the workpiece is not cooled by at least one of the first recirculating convective chiller or the second recirculating convective chiller.

16. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving, at a controller of the high-pressure-torsion apparatus, input from a

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Verma Ravi

Classifications

• C22F1/00

  Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working (apparatus for mechanical working of metal B21, B23, B24) · CPC title

• C21D2241/01

  under pressure · CPC title

• C21D2221/00

  Treating localised areas of an article · CPC title

• C21D2201/05

  Grain orientation · CPC title

• C21D9/08

  for tubular bodies or pipes · CPC title