Drilling tool and method of machining a conductive work piece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9925609-B2
Application number	US-201514814237-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2015
Priority date	Jul 30, 2015
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A drilling tool for use in machining a conductive work piece is provided. The tool includes a body portion, a forward electrode coupled to the body portion, and at least one side electrode coupled to the body portion. When electric current is supplied to the forward electrode and the at least one side electrode, material adjacent to the forward electrode and the at least one side electrode is removed from the conductive work piece. Further, the forward electrode and the at least one side electrode are selectively operable to form a bore hole having a variable geometry that extends through the conductive work piece when the material is removed therefrom.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drilling tool for use in machining a conductive work piece, said tool comprising:
a body portion;
a forward electrode coupled to said body portion; and
at least one side electrode coupled to said body portion,
wherein, when electric current is supplied to said forward electrode and said at least one side electrode, material adjacent to said forward electrode and said at least one side electrode is removed from the conductive work piece,
wherein said forward electrode and said at least one side electrode are selectively operable to form a bore hole having a variable geometry that extends through the conductive work piece when the material is removed therefrom.

2. The tool in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said forward electrode comprises an outer radial portion and an inner radial portion, said inner radial portion extending from forward face of said outer radial portion.

3. The tool in accordance with claim 2 further comprising a non-conductive bumper positioned radially outward from said outer radial portion of said forward electrode, wherein at least a portion of said non-conductive bumper extends beyond said forward face of said outer radial portion.

4. The tool in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a non-conductive bumper coupled to said body portion, wherein said non-conductive bumper extends a greater distance from said body portion than said at least one side electrode, such that said at least one side electrode is spaced from side walls of the bore hole.

5. The tool in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:
a flexible guide member coupled to said body portion; and
a central flushing channel extending through said flexible guide member and said body portion, said central flushing channel configured to channel a flow of electrolytic fluid therethrough.

6. The tool in accordance with claim 5 further comprising a flushing aperture defined in said forward electrode, wherein said flushing aperture is configured to couple said central flushing channel in flow communication with the conductive work piece.

7. The tool in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a spacer positioned between said forward electrode and said at least one side electrode, wherein said spacer is configured to electrically isolate said forward electrode from said at least one side electrode.

8. An electrochemical machining system for machining a conductive work piece, said system comprising:
a power supply; and
a drilling tool electrically coupled to said power supply, said drilling tool comprising:
a body portion;
a forward electrode coupled to said body portion; and
at least one side electrode coupled to said body portion,
wherein, when electric current is supplied to said forward electrode and said at least one side electrode, material adjacent to said forward electrode and said at least one side electrode is removed from the conductive work piece,

wherein said power supply is configured to selectively supply the electric current to said forward electrode and said at least one side electrode to form a bore hole having a variable geometry that extends through the conductive work piece when the material is removed therefrom.

9. The system in accordance with claim 8 , wherein said power supply is configured to supply varying amounts of the electric current to said forward electrode and said at least one side electrode such that material oriented in the first and second directions from the conductive work piece is removed at different rates.

10. The system in accordance with claim 8 , wherein said power supply is configured to supply a first electric current to said forward electrode at a first time, and is configured to supply a second electric current to said at least one side electrode at a second time that does not overlap with the first time.

11. The system in accordance with claim 8 further comprising a non-conductive bumper coupled to said body portion, wherein said non-conductive bumper extends a greater distance from said body portion than said at least one side electrode, such that said at least one side electrode is spaced from side walls of the bore hole.

12. The system in accordance with claim 8 further comprising a flexible guide member coupled to said body portion, wherein said flexible guide member is configured to guide the drilling tool through the bore hole extending through the conductive work piece.

13. The system in accordance with claim 12 further comprising:
a central flushing channel extending through said flexible guide member and said body portion, said central flushing channel configured to channel a flow of electrolytic fluid therethrough; and
a flushing aperture defined in said forward electrode, wherein said flushing aperture is configured to couple said central flushing channel in flow communication with the conductive work piece.

14. The system in accordance with claim 12 further comprising an inspection device configured to determine a position of said drilling tool along a tool path.

15. The system in accordance with claim 8 further comprising a spacer positioned between said forward electrode and said at least one side electrode, wherein said spacer is configured to electrically isolate said forward electrode from said at least one side electrode.

16. A method of machining a conductive work piece, said method comprising:
advancing a drilling tool within the conductive work piece along a tool path, the drilling tool including a body portion, and a forward electrode and at least one side electrode each coupled to the body portion; and
selectively supplying electric current to the forward electrode and the at least one side electrode such that material is removed from the conductive work piece in more than one dimension, wherein the forward electrode and the at least one side electrode are selectively operable to form a bore hole having a variable geometry that extends through the conductive work piece when the material is removed therefrom.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16 further comprising modifying an orientation of the drilling tool within the bore hole to modify the tool path of the drilling tool advanced through the conductive work piece.

18. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein selectively supplying electric current comprises supplying varying amounts of the electric current to the forward electrode and the at least one side electrode such that material oriented in the first and second directions from the conductive work piece is removed at different rates.

19. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein selectively supplying electric current comprises:
supplying a first electric current to the forward electrode at a first time; and
supplying a second electric current to the at least one side electrode at a second time that does not overlap with the first time.

20. The method in accordance with claim 16 further comprising channeling a flow of electrolytic fluid through a central flushing channel extending through the drilling tool, such that the flow of electrolytic fluid is discharged towards the conductive work piece.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Trimmer Andrew Lee
• Nieters Edward James
• Luo Yuanfeng
• Hoskin Robert Frank
• Mcnamara Jeremy Gordon
• Moricca Timothy Michael

Classifications

• Y02E20/14

  Combined heat and power generation [CHP] · CPC title

• B23H9/16

  using an electrolytic jet · CPC title

• B23H3/04

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

• B23H3/02

  Electric circuits specially adapted therefor, e.g. power supply, control, preventing short circuits · CPC title

• B23H9/14 Primary

  Making holes · CPC title