Heat exchanger for friction stir welding apparatus and associated system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12377490-B2
Application number	US-202318466647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2023
Priority date	Sep 13, 2023
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

A heat exchanger for a self-reacting friction stir welding apparatus includes a collar. The collar includes a collar flow inlet, a collar flow outlet, and an internal conduit fluidically coupling the collar flow inlet and the collar flow outlet. The heat exchanger also includes a rotary union having a first rotary-union flow outlet fluidically coupled with the collar flow inlet, a first rotary-union flow inlet fluidically coupled with the collar flow outlet, a second rotary-union flow inlet, and a second rotary-union flow outlet. The rotary union is co-rotatable with the collar. The heat exchanger further includes a manifold that has a first manifold flow outlet fluidically coupled with the second rotary-union flow inlet and a first manifold flow inlet fluidically coupled with the second rotary-union flow outlet. The rotary union is rotatable relative to the manifold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger for a self-reacting friction stir welding apparatus, comprising:
a collar configured to be secured to and co-rotatable with a root shoulder of the self-reacting friction stir welding apparatus, wherein the collar is made of a thermally conductive material and comprises a collar flow inlet, a collar flow outlet, and an internal conduit fluidically coupling the collar flow inlet and the collar flow outlet;
a rotary union comprising a first rotary-union flow outlet fluidically coupled with the collar flow inlet, a first rotary-union flow inlet fluidically coupled with the collar flow outlet, a second rotary-union flow inlet, and a second rotary-union flow outlet, wherein the rotary union is coupled to the collar such that the rotary union is co-rotatable with the collar; and
a manifold comprising a first manifold flow outlet fluidically coupled with the second rotary-union flow inlet and a first manifold flow inlet fluidically coupled with the second rotary-union flow outlet, wherein the manifold is coupled to the rotary union such that the rotary union is rotatable relative to the manifold.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the collar comprises a clamp that is selectively tightenable to clamp down on the root shoulder.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the collar is made of a metallic material and the internal conduit is formed in and defined by the metallic material.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the collar has a semi-annular shape and the internal conduit extends through the collar and defines a semi-annular flow path.

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the collar comprises a central aperture that defines a thermal interface with a mating portion of the root shoulder when the collar is secured to the root shoulder.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 5 , wherein the central aperture has a non-round cross-sectional shape.

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , further comprising a coupling fixed to the collar and the rotary union, wherein the coupling prevents the collar from rotating relative to the rotary union.

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first flow inlet tube that fluidically couples the first rotary-union flow outlet and the collar flow inlet; and
a first flow outlet tube that fluidically couples the first rotary-union flow inlet and the collar flow outlet.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein:
the manifold further comprises a second manifold flow inlet fluidically coupled with the first manifold flow outlet, and a second manifold flow outlet fluidically coupled with the first manifold flow inlet; and
the heat exchanger further comprises:
a cold flow source configured to supply a cold flow to the second manifold flow inlet; and
a hot flow return configured to receive a hot flow from the second manifold flow outlet.

10. The heat exchanger according to claim 9 , wherein, when the collar and the rotary union are rotating relative to the manifold:
the cold flow from the cold flow source is flowable through the manifold, from the second manifold flow inlet to the first manifold flow outlet, through the rotary union, from the second rotary-union flow inlet to the first rotary-union flow outlet, and into the internal conduit of the collar via the collar flow inlet; and
the hot flow is flowable from the internal conduit of the collar, via the collar flow outlet, through the rotary union, from the first rotary-union flow inlet to the second rotary-union flow outlet, through the manifold, from the first manifold flow inlet to the second manifold flow outlet, and to the hot flow return.

11. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary union further comprises:
a housing comprising the first rotary-union flow outlet and the first rotary-union flow inlet;
a shaft coupled to the manifold, so that the shaft does not rotate relative to the manifold, and comprising the second rotary-union flow inlet and the second rotary-union flow outlet;
a cold-flow internal conduit fluidically coupling the second rotary-union flow inlet and the first rotary-union flow outlet; and
a hot-flow internal conduit fluidically coupling the first rotary-union flow inlet and the second rotary-union flow outlet;
wherein the cold-flow internal conduit and the hot-flow internal conduit extend through the housing and the shaft.

12. A self-reacting friction stir welding system, comprising:
a self-reacting friction stir welding apparatus, comprising:
a crown shoulder rotatable relative to a workpiece;
a pin comprising a stirring section and is coupled to the crown shoulder, is co-rotatable with the crown shoulder, and is translationally moveable relative to the crown shoulder;
a root shoulder coupled to the pin so that the root shoulder is co-rotatable with the pin and translationally co-moveable with the pin; and
wherein a gap is defined between the crown shoulder and the root shoulder, the gap is equal to a thickness of the workpiece, and the stirring section of the pin is positioned within the gap; and

a heat exchanger, comprising:
a collar secured to and co-rotatable with the root shoulder, wherein the collar is made of a thermally conductive material and comprises a collar flow inlet, a collar flow outlet, and an internal conduit fluidically coupling the collar flow inlet and the collar flow outlet;
a rotary union comprising a first rotary-union flow outlet fluidically coupled with the collar flow inlet, a first rotary-union flow inlet fluidically coupled with the collar flow outlet, a second rotary-union flow inlet, and a second rotary-union flow outlet, wherein the rotary union is coupled to the collar such that the rotary union is co-rotatable with the collar; and
a manifold comprising a first manifold flow outlet fluidically coupled with the second rotary-union flow inlet and a first manifold flow inlet fluidically coupled with the second rotary-union flow outlet, wherein the manifold is coupled to the rotary union such that the rotary union is rotatable relative to the manifold.

13. The self-reacting friction stir welding system according to claim 12 , wherein the collar is clamped onto and forms a thermal interface with the root shoulder.

14. The self-reacting friction stir welding system according to claim 13 , wherein the root shoulder comprises a surface having a non-round cross-sectional shape and the collar comprises a central-aperture defining the thermal interface and having a non-round cross-sectional shape that compliments the non-round cross-sectional shape of the surface of the root shoulder.

15. The self-reacting friction stir welding system according to claim 12 , wherein the self-reacting friction stir welding apparatus and the heat exchanger are translationally co-movable along a joint between parts of the workpiece.

16. The self-reacting friction stir welding system according to claim 12 , wherein the collar is secured to the root shoulder so that heat in the root shoulder is transferable, via conduction, to the collar.

17. The self-reacting friction stir welding system according to claim 12 , further comprising a pump selectively operable to:
pump cold flow into and through the manifold, from a second manifold flow inlet to the first manifold flow outlet, through the rotary union, from the second rotary-union flow inlet to the first rotary-union flow outlet, and into the internal conduit of the collar via the collar flow inlet; and
pump hot flow from the internal

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Parko Aaron
• Renz Todd
• Walters Timothy

Classifications

• F28F5/02

  Rotary drums or rollers · CPC title

• F28D2021/0029

  Heat sinks · CPC title

• B23K20/1255

  Tools therefor, e.g. characterised by the shape of the probe · CPC title

• B23K20/1235 Primary

  with temperature control during joining · CPC title