US-12623298-B2 - Method of braze repair for eutectic phase reduction

Abstract

A method of repairing an article having a surface and a defect is provided. The method includes forming a groove in the article at the defect and the top surface. The method further includes providing a superalloy powder to the groove such that the superalloy powder at least partially fills the defect and the groove. The method further includes providing a braze powder on the superalloy powder at the groove and the surface. The method further includes heating the article such that the braze powder becomes a liquified braze material and infiltrates the groove and the defect.

Inventors

• Piotr Artur KLIMCZUK
• Joanna SIEJKA-KULCZYK
• Marek MIEKUS
• Michal Kowalczyk

Assignees

• GE VERNOVA INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20240909

Priority Date

20230912

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method of repairing an article having a surface and a defect, the method comprising: machining a groove in the article at the defect and the surface, wherein the groove defines a first depth and the defect defines a second depth, and wherein the first depth is less than the second depth; providing a superalloy powder to the groove such that the superalloy powder at least partially fills the defect and the groove; providing a braze powder on the superalloy powder at the groove and the surface; and heating the article such that the braze powder becomes a liquified braze material and infiltrates the groove and the defect.
2. 2 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the heating step further comprises: heating the article to a temperature above a braze powder melting point and below a superalloy powder melting point, whereby the braze powder becomes the liquified braze material and infiltrates the superalloy powder in the groove and the defect.
3. 3 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein, during the heating step, the liquified braze material mixes with the superalloy powder in the groove and the defect such that the superalloy powder at least partially dissolves in the liquified braze material.
4. 4 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the article is a formed from a superalloy material.
5. 5 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the machining step further comprises: machining the groove in the article at the defect and the surface such that the groove is disposed on either side of the defect.
6. 6 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein only a portion of the defect is removed by machining the groove in the article at the surface.
7. 7 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the article is a turbomachine component.
8. 8 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the groove defines a first width and the defect defines a second width, wherein the first width is larger than the second width.
9. 9 . The method as in claim 1 , further comprising: cooling the article such that the liquified braze material solidifies; and performing one or more post-processing operations on the article.
10. 10 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the superalloy powder comprises, by weight, between about 6.3% and about 7.3% Chromium (Cr), between about 11% and about 13% Cobalt (Co), between about 1% and about 2% Molybdenum (Mo), between about 2.3% and about 3.3% Rhenium (Re), between about 4.4% and about 5.4% Tungsten (W), between about 5.65% and about 6.65% Aluminum (Al), between about 5.85% about 6.85% Tantalum (Ta), between about 1% and about 2% Hafnium (Hf), between about 0.005% and about 0.025% Boron (B), between about 0.05% and about 0.2% Carbon (C), between about 0.01 and about 0.03% Zirconium (Zr), and a balance of Nickel (Ni).
11. 11 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the braze powder comprises, by weight, between about 13% and about 15% Chromium (Cr), between about 9% and about 11% Cobalt (Co), between about 3.25% and about 3.75% Aluminum (Al), between about 2.25% and about 2.75% Tantalum (Ta), between about 2.5% and about 3.0% Boron (B), between about 0.01% and about 0.10% Yttrium (Y), and balance of Ni.
12. 12 . A method of repairing a turbomachine component having a surface and a defect, the method comprising: machining a groove in the turbomachine component at the defect and the surface, wherein the groove defines a first depth and the defect defines a second depth, and wherein the first depth is less than the second depth; providing a superalloy powder to the groove such that the superalloy powder at least partially fills the defect and the groove; providing a braze powder on the superalloy powder at the groove and the surface; and heating the turbomachine component to a temperature above a braze powder melting point and below a superalloy powder melting point, whereby the braze powder becomes a liquified braze material and infiltrates the superalloy powder in the groove and the defect.
13. 13 . The method as in claim 12 , wherein, during the heating step, the liquified braze material mixes with the superalloy powder in the groove and the defect such that the superalloy powder at least partially dissolves in the liquified braze material.
14. 14 . The method as in claim 12 , wherein the turbomachine component is a formed from a superalloy material.
15. 15 . The method as in claim 12 , wherein the machining forming step further comprises: machining the groove in the turbomachine component at the defect and the surface such that the groove is disposed on either side of the defect.
16. 16 . The method as in claim 12 , wherein only a portion of the defect is removed by machining the groove in the turbomachine component at the surface.
17. 17 . The method as in claim 12 , wherein the groove defines a first width and the defect defines a second width, wherein the first width is larger than the second width.
18. 18 . The method as in claim 12 , further comprising: cooling the turbomachine component such that the liquified braze material solidifies; and performing one or more post-processing operations on the turbomachine component.
19. 19 . The method as in claim 12 , wherein the superalloy powder comprises, by weight, between about 6.3% and about 7.3% Chromium (Cr), between about 11% and about 13% Cobalt (Co), between about 1% and about 2% Molybdenum (Mo), between about 2.3% and about 3.3% Rhenium (Re), between about 4.4% and about 5.4% Tungsten (W), between about 5.65% and about 6.65% Aluminum (Al), between about 5.85% about 6.85% Tantalum (Ta), between about 1% and about 2% Hafnium (Hf), between about 0.005% and about 0.025% Boron (B), between about 0.05% and about 0.2% Carbon (C), between about 0.01 and about 0.03% Zirconium (Zr), and a balance of Nickel (Ni).
20. 20 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the first depth is between about 1% and about 70% of the second depth.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a) to Polish Application No. P.446083, filed Sep. 12, 2023, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to repairing high temperature performance alloys, e.g. superalloys. BACKGROUND Metal and alloy parts may experience various wear instances as a result of application fatigue. For example, cracking, abrasions, erosion or a variety of other acts may cause the removal or wear of original substrate material. To repair the worn parts, filler material may be added (e.g., welded or brazed) to fill in cracks, patch abrasions or otherwise replace material lost to erosion or has become defective during operation. To provide strong uniform mechanical properties across the repaired parts, filler material that is the same as, or substantially similar to, the substrate material can be used. However, high temperature performance alloys (such as nickel and cobalt based super alloys used in hot gas path components of gas turbine parts) have high melting temperatures that require a significant application of energy before they can be applied to the original substrate material. As a result, the large amount of heat produced by a welding apparatus used to melt such filler materials can also affect the nearby substrate material. For example, heat can cause slumping, melting or other changes to the microstructure of the original substrate material. These changes in the substrate material can reduce the original component's strength, toughness and/or other physical characteristics. While other filler materials with lower melting temperatures may alternatively be used, they may provide lower performance at high temperatures and/or possess mechanical properties that are increasingly different than the mechanical properties of the original substrate material. Additionally, the filler material may crack and lower the effectiveness of the repair. BRIEF DESCRIPTION Aspects and advantages of the methods in accordance with the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the technology. In accordance with one embodiment, a method of repairing an article having a surface and a defect is provided. The method includes forming a groove in the article at the defect and the top surface. The method further includes providing a superalloy powder to the groove such that the superalloy powder at least partially fills the defect and the groove. The method further includes providing a braze powder on the superalloy powder at the groove and the surface. The method further includes heating the article such that the braze powder becomes a liquified braze material and infiltrates the groove and the defect. In accordance with another embodiment, a method of repairing a turbomachine component having a surface and a defect is provided. The method includes forming a groove in the article at the defect and the top surface. The method further includes providing a superalloy powder to the groove such that the superalloy powder at least partially fills the defect and the groove. The method further includes providing a braze powder on the superalloy powder at the groove and the surface. The method further includes heating the article to a temperature above a braze powder melting point and below a superalloy powder melting point. As a result, the braze powder becomes a liquified braze material and infiltrates the superalloy powder in the groove and the defect. These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present methods will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the technology and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the technology. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A full and enabling disclosure of the present methods, including the best mode of making and using the present systems and methods, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a turbomachine in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an article having a defect, in accordance with a first step in a method of repairing the defect in the article. FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an article having a defect, in accordance with a second step in a method of repairing the defect in the article. FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an article having a defect, in accordance with a third step in a method of repairing the defect in the article. FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an article having a defect