Braze joints for a component and methods of forming the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11633797-B2
Application number	US-201916685548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2019
Priority date	Nov 15, 2019
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

A system for creating a braze joint within a component. The system includes an environment operable to reach a braze temperature sufficient to melt at least a portion of a braze material. The system also includes a component within the environment, the component including a base having a base surface, a recess depending from the base surface into the base to an inner edge, and a braze material within the recess and forming a cap above the base surface. The braze material fills the recess from the cap to the inner edge. The cap has an exposed braze surface. The system also includes an insulation layer that at least partially covers the exposed braze surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of brazing a recess defined within a base, the recess depending from a base surface of the base into the base to an inner edge, the method comprising:
creating a cap of braze material above the recess, the cap having an exposed braze surface;
positioning a thermal insulation layer over the exposed braze surface;
heating the braze material within an environment to create at least partially molten braze material that includes a first portion adjacent to the cap, and a second portion adjacent to the inner edge; and
cooling the at least partially molten braze material to form a solid braze joint within the recess, wherein cooling the at least partially molten braze material comprises selectively extracting heat from a location on the base, the location being closer to the inner edge of the recess than to the cap, such that heat extraction at the location is greater than heat extraction at the cap.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the braze material is a braze paste comprising a braze filler alloy, a braze powder, and a binder, and wherein creating a cap of braze material above the recess further comprises filling the recess from the surface to the inner edge with the braze paste such that the cap and braze paste in the recess are in fluid communication.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein heating the braze material within an environment to create at least partially molten braze material further comprises filling the recess to the inner edge with at least partially molten braze material from the cap via capillary effect.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein cooling the at least partially molten braze material to form a braze joint further comprises passively allowing the environment to cool.

5. A method of brazing a recess defined within a base, the recess depending from a base surface of the base into the base to an inner edge, the method comprising:
supplying at least partially molten braze material from a cap into the recess to the inner edge, wherein the at least partially molten braze material includes a first portion adjacent to the cap, and a second portion adjacent to the inner edge; and
extracting heat from the base using a cooling device that selectively extracts heat from a location on the base, the location being closer to the inner edge of the recess than to the cap, such that heat extraction at the location is greater than heat extraction at the cap;
wherein the second portion of the at least partially molten braze material cools in temperature faster than the first portion.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5 , wherein extracting heat further comprises conductively cooling at the location using a cooling device that includes a thermal conduction element in contact with the location, the thermal conduction element being a heat exchanger.

7. The method in accordance with claim 5 , wherein extracting heat further comprises using a cooling device that includes an impingement manifold that directs a fluid into impingement with the location.

8. The method in accordance with claim 5 , further comprising positioning at least partially solid braze material above the recess within an environment, wherein supplying the at least partially molten braze material from the cap to the recess further comprises heating the environment to a brazing temperature to create the at least partially molten braze material.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8 , wherein extracting heat further comprises cooling the at least partially molten braze material to form a solid braze joint within the recess, the method further comprising positioning a thermal insulation layer over an exposed braze surface on the cap before supplying the at least partially molten braze material and extracting heat from the base.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Liu Shan
• Dorriety Daniel J
• Cook Paul A
• Henderson Brian Leslie
• Smith Ryan T

Classifications

• B23K1/19

  taking account of the properties of the materials to be soldered · CPC title

• B23K1/0018 Primary

  Brazing of turbine parts · CPC title

• B23K1/14

  specially adapted for soldering seams · CPC title

• B23K35/3046

  Co as the principal constituent · CPC title

• B23K2101/001

  Turbines · CPC title