Method for electrochemical machining of complex internal additively manufactured surfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019111507-A1
Application number	US-201715785892-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 17, 2017
Priority date	Oct 17, 2017
Publication date	Apr 18, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochemical machining system comprises a component having a passage, the passage has an opening and an internal surface formed along the passage, a conductive wire has insulation covering portions of the conductive wire forming gaps having exposed wire; the conductive wire is inserted in the passage; a power source is coupled to the component and the conductive wire forms an electrical circuit, wherein the component comprises an anode and the conductive wire comprises a cathode; and an electrolyte within the passage contacting the internal surface and the exposed wire, wherein the electrolyte comprises a charge-carrying liquid configured to complete the electrical circuit between the cathode and anode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrochemical machining system comprising:
a component having a passage, said passage having an opening and an internal surface formed along said passage; a conductive wire having insulation covering portions of said conductive wire forming gaps having exposed wire, said conductive wire being inserted in said passage; a power source coupled to said component and said conductive wire forming an electrical circuit, wherein said component comprises an anode and said conductive wire comprises a cathode; and an electrolyte within said passage contacting said internal surface and said exposed wire, wherein the electrolyte comprises a charge-carrying liquid configured to complete the electrical circuit between the cathode and anode.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising an electrolyte plug coupled to said passage opening, said electrolyte plug having a wire port and an electrolyte port.

3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein said wire port is configured to pass the wire through the electrolyte plug while preventing electrolyte leakage past the electrolyte plug.

4 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the electrolyte port is configured to flow the electrolyte through the electrolyte plug and prevent leakage of the electrolyte.

5 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a spacer coupled to said wire proximate said insulation, the spacer being configured to prevent the wire from touching the internal surface of the passage to prevent a short circuit.

6 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a feed device coupled to the wire, the feed device being configured to move the wire both forward and backward.

7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said power source comprises at least one of a potentiostat and a galvanostat.

8 . An electrochemical machining system comprising:
a component having a passage, said passage having an opening and an internal surface formed along said passage; a conductive wire having insulation covering portions of said conductive wire forming gaps having exposed wire, said conductive wire being inserted in said passage; a power source coupled to said component and said conductive wire forming an electrical circuit, wherein said component comprises an anode and said conductive wire comprises a cathode; a spacer coupled to said wire proximate said insulation, the spacer being configured to prevent the wire from contacting the internal surface of the passage to prevent a short circuit; and an electrolyte within said passage contacting said internal surface and said exposed wire, wherein the electrolyte comprises a charge-carrying liquid configured to complete the electrical circuit between the cathode and anode.

9 . The electrochemical machining system according to claim 8 , wherein said spacer comprises a body having a bore and a standoff coupled to said body, said standoff configured to contact said internal surface and configured to centrally locate said wire within the internal passage.

10 . The electrochemical machining system according to claim 9 , wherein said spacer comprises an electrically conductive disk in electrical contact with the wire and located within the body insulated from direct contact with the internal surface.

11 . The electrochemical machining system according to claim 9 , wherein said standoff comprises at least one spring element having a predetermined thickness, amplitude, and deflection, configured to centrally locate the wire within the internal passage.

12 . The electrochemical machining system according to claim 8 , further comprising:
an electrolyte supply coupled to the passage through an electrolyte plug coupled to the opening of the passage.

13 . The electrochemical machining system according to claim 8 , further comprising:
at least one electrochemically active region proximate the wire and the internal surface of the passage.

14 . A process for electrochemical machining an additively manufactured component with a passage, said process comprising:
inserting a conductive wire into the passage, the conductive wire having insulation covering portions of the conductive wire forming gaps having exposed wire; inserting an electrolyte into the passage, wherein the electrolyte contacts the exposed wire and an internal surface of the passage; creating an electrical circuit between the wire and the internal surface of the passage, wherein the internal surface is an anode and the wire is a cathode; and forming at least one electrochemically active region proximate the exposed wire and the internal surface of the passage.

15 . The process of claim 14 , further comprising:
preventing the exposed wire from contacting the internal surface, by use of at least one spacer coupled to the wire.

16 . The process of claim 15 , wherein said spacer comprises a body having a bore and a standoff coupled to said body, said standoff configured to contact said internal surface and configured to centrally locate said wire within the internal passage.

17 . The process of claim 16 , wherein said spacer comprises an electrically conductive disk in electrical contact with the wire and is located within the body insulated from direct contact with the internal surface.

18 . The process of claim 14 , further comprising:
moving the at least one electrochemically active region along the passage with a feed device coupled to the wire, the feed device being configured to move the wire both forward and backward.

19 . The process of claim 14 , further comprising:
moving the wire back and forth to overcome stagnation and diffusion limitation in the electrolyte that fills the passage; creating turbulence in the liquid electrolyte wherein the turbulence increases electrochemical kinetics; and causing material to be removed from the internal surface.

20 . The process of claim 18 , further comprising:
utilizing an additional wire to form an additional electrochemically active region; and overlapping said at least one electrochemically active region with said additional electrochemically active region.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Lynch Matthew E
• Twelves Wendell V

Classifications

• B23H9/14

  Making holes · CPC title

• B23H7/26

  Apparatus for moving or positioning electrode relatively to workpiece; Mounting of electrode · CPC title

• B22F2999/00

  Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy · CPC title

• B23H3/04 Primary

  Electrodes specially adapted therefor or their manufacture (B23H9/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23H7/32

  Maintaining desired spacing between electrode and workpiece {, e.g. by means of particulate material} · CPC title