Weld-brazing techniques

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12042875-B2
Application number	US-202217973421-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2022
Priority date	Jan 24, 2019
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

A method includes positioning a braze material along a defect of a component of a turbine system, positioning a cover over the braze material, and focusing a heat source on the cover to melt the braze material along the defect.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
positioning a braze material along a defect of a component of a turbine system;
positioning a cover over the braze material; and
focusing a heat source on the cover to melt the braze material along the defect, wherein focusing the heat source comprises welding along the cover to transfer heat through the cover to melt the braze material.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein focusing the heat source comprises melting the braze material without heating the component above a heat threshold that would result in altering a microstructure of a material of the component.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method excludes heating the component and the braze material in a furnace.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising solidifying the braze material after the braze material melts along the defect, and removing at least a portion of the cover after solidifying the braze material.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein removing the at least portion of the cover comprises machining the cover along an outer surface of the cover to reduce a thickness of the cover.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein machining the cover comprises evening the cover with an exterior surface of the component of the turbine system.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein removing at least the portion of the cover comprises removing a first portion of the cover and retaining a second portion of the cover after solidifying the braze material.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein welding along the cover comprises applying a filler material along a welding path on an outer surface of the cover separate from the braze material.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein welding along the cover is completely within an outer perimeter of the cover.

10. The method of claim 8 , comprising solidifying the braze material after the braze material melts along the defect, and removing at least a portion of the cover and the filler material after solidifying the braze material.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein removing at least the portion comprises removing all of the filler material.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the braze material along the defect comprises positioning the braze material within a recess of the defect in the component.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the cover over the braze material comprises completely covering the defect, and the cover comprises a plate excluding openings.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises a first material, the component comprises a second material, and the first material is easier to weld than the second material.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the component comprises a hot-gas-path component of a gas turbine of the turbine system.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the braze material is not melted along the defect before focusing the heat source on the cover.

17. A method, comprising:
melting a braze material along a defect of a component of a turbine system by transferring heat to the braze material through a cover via a focused heat source comprising a welding system, wherein transferring the heat to the braze material comprises welding along an outer surface of the cover, wherein the cover separates the braze material from the focused heat source.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein transferring the heat to the braze material comprises welding a filler material along the outer surface of the cover.

19. The method of claim 18 , comprising removing at least a portion of the filler material and the cover after solidifying the braze material.

20. A method, comprising:
applying heat via welding along a path of an outer surface of a cover over a braze material along a defect of a component of a turbine system;
melting the braze material along the defect in response to the applied heat transferred through the cover to the braze material via the welding;
solidifying the braze material along the defect; and
removing at least a portion of the cover and/or a filler material supplied while applying the heat via the welding, after solidifying the braze material.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein applying the heat via the welding comprises transferring heat only indirectly through the cover from the welding to the braze material.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein removing at least the portion of the cover comprises removing a first portion of the cover and retaining a second portion of the cover after solidifying the braze material.

23. The method of claim 17 , wherein melting the braze material comprises melting a braze tape or a braze foil.

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Ge Infrastructure Technology Llc

Inventors

• Cui Yan
• Arnett Michael
• Laylock Matthew
• Tollison Brian Lee

Classifications

• F05D2230/235

  TIG or MIG welding · CPC title

• F05D2230/234

  Laser welding · CPC title

• F05D2230/233

  Electron beam welding · CPC title

• F05D2230/237

  Brazing · CPC title

• B23K2101/001

  Turbines · CPC title