Arcuate seed casting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11377753-B2
Application number	US-202017062033-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2020
Priority date	Oct 4, 2019
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

A casting method includes forming a seed. The seed has a first end and a second end. The forming includes bending a seed precursor. The seed second end is placed in contact or spaced facing relation a chill plate. The first end is contacted with molten material. The molten material is cooled and solidifies so that a crystalline structure of the seed propagates into the solidifying material. The forming further includes inserting the bent seed precursor into a sleeve leaving the bent seed precursor protruding from a first end of the sleeve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A casting method comprising:
forming a seed, the seed having a first end and a second end, the forming including bending a seed precursor;
placing the seed second end in contact or spaced facing relation a chill plate;
contacting the first end with molten material; and
cooling and solidifying the molten material so that a crystalline structure of the seed propagates into the solidifying material,
wherein:
the forming further comprises inserting the bent seed precursor into a sleeve leaving the bent seed precursor protruding from a first end of the sleeve; and the sleeve holds the bend seed precursor compressed.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein
the sleeve has a second end, the bent seed precursor has a first end and a second end, the protruding being of a portion of the bent seed precursor proximate the first end of the bent seed precursor, the second end of the bent seed precursor captured by an internal shoulder of the sleeve.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein
the sleeve has a second end, the bent seed precursor has a first end and a second end, the protruding being of a portion of the bent seed precursor proximate the first end of the bent seed precursor, the second end of the bent seed precursor captured by a slot of the sleeve.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the sleeve is a single full annulus piece.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the bent seed precursor has multiple layers in a radial direction.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:
the multiple layers are formed by a spiral.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein:
the multiple layers are formed by radially stacking separate pieces.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein:
the multiple layers are at least three layers at some given position.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein:
the sleeve has a second end, the bent seed precursor has a first end and a second end, the protruding being of a portion of the bent seed precursor proximate the first end of the bent seed precursor, the second end of the bent seed precursor captured by a slot of the sleeve.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the bent seed precursor is an SX nickel-based superalloy; and
the sleeve is not an SX nickel-based superalloy.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein:
the sleeve is an equiax nickel-based superalloy.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the bent seed precursor is a Ni-based alloy; and
the sleeve is a steel.

13. A casting method comprising:
forming a seed, the seed having a first end and a second end and an inner diameter (ID) surface and an outer diameter (OD) surface;
contacting the first end with molten material; and
cooling and solidifying the molten material so that a crystalline structure of the seed propagates into the solidifying material,
wherein:
the forming comprises forming the seed with multiple layers in a radial direction.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:
the multiple layers are formed by a spiral.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein:
the multiple layers are formed by radially stacking separate pieces.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein:
the multiple layers are at least three layers at some given position.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein:
the multiple layers form a seed upper portion; and
the method comprises inserting the seed upper portion into a seed lower portion.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:
the multiple layers are formed by radially stacking separate pieces.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein:
the inserting the seed upper portion into the seed lower portion comprises inserting into a slot in the sleeve lower portion.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein:
the multiple layers are of a Ni-based alloy.

Assignees

• Raytheon Tech Corp

Inventors

• Breneman Ryan C
• Shah Dilip M
• Bullied Steven J
• Woodard Shiela R

Classifications

• B22D27/045 Primary

  Directionally solidified castings · CPC title

• C30B11/14

  characterised by the seed, e.g. its crystallographic orientation · CPC title

• F01D5/02

  Blade-carrying members, e.g. rotors (rotors of non-bladed type F01D1/34; stators F01D9/00 {; selecting particular materials F01D5/28}) · CPC title

• C22C19/056

  with the maximum Cr content being at least 10% but less than 20% · CPC title

• C30B29/52

  Alloys · CPC title