System and method for applying multiple heat treatments to workpieces and related turbine components

Abstract

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a system (200) comprising: a package having an interior (204) sized to enclose a workpiece and to form a vacuum and pressurized atmosphere within the interior (204). A plurality of heat applicators (210) may be thermally connected to a first portion and a second portion of the interior (204). A first heat applicator and a second heat applicator (210) may independently heat and cool the first portion and the second portion of the interior (204). The first heat applicator (210) may apply a first heat treatment to a first portion of the workpiece in the first portion of the interior (204). The second heat applicator (210) may apply a second heat treatment to a second portion of the workpiece in the second portion of the interior (204) independent of the first heat treatment.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This patent application is related to currently pending U.S. patent application 16 / 712,136 filed on December 12, 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to heat treatment of workpieces. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for applying multiple heat treatments to workpieces such as turbine components. Additionally, the present disclosure relates to turbine components and turbines having associated structural properties.

[0004] Some aircraft and / or power plant systems (e.g., certain jet aircraft, or nuclear, simple cycle, and combined cycle power plant systems) employ turbines (also referred to as turbomachines) in their design and operation. Some of these turbines employ airfoils (e.g., stationary or rotating turbine blades) that are exposed to fluid flows during operation. These airfoils are configured to aerodynamically interact with the fluid flows and generate shaft power (e.g., create thrust, convert kinetic energy to mechanical energy, convert thermal energy to mechanical energy, etc.) from these fluid flows as part of power generation. Due to this interaction and conversion, the material properties of these airfoils and the aerodynamic characteristics and losses will affect system and turbine operation, performance, thrust, efficiency, and power.

[0005] In various applications, turbine airfoils (and specifically, turbine blades) are subjected to extreme stress and high temperature environments. Stress and exposure temperature vary across the part. During operation, different areas of a single turbine component may tend to have different mechanical factors, such as long-term mechanical creep in one area compared to immediate stress in another area. This problem is caused in part by conventional heat treatment systems that apply a uniform treatment to the turbine component before it is deployed. Summary of the invention

[0006] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a system for thermally treating a workpiece, the system comprising: an enclosure having an interior sized to enclose the workpiece and configured to maintain a vacuum or pressurized atmosphere in the interior; and a plurality of heat applicators comprising: a first heat applicator thermally connected to a first portion of the interior and configured to apply a first heat treatment to a first portion of the workpiece in the first portion of the interior; and a second heat applicator thermally connected to a second portion of the interior different from the first portion of the interior and configured to apply a second heat treatment to a second portion of the workpiece in the second portion of the interior, wherein the second heat applicator is operable independently of the first heat applicator.

[0007] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a system for heat treatment of a workpiece, the system comprising: an enclosure having an interior sized to enclose the workpiece and configured to maintain a vacuum or pressurized atmosphere in the interior; a plurality of heat applicators comprising: a first heat applicator thermally connected to a first portion of the interior and configured to apply a first heat treatment to a first portion of the workpiece in the first portion of the interior; a second heat applicator thermally connected to a second portion of the interior different from the first portion of the interior and configured to apply a second heat treatment to a second portion of the workpiece in the second portion of the interior, wherein the second heat applicator is operably independent of the first heat applicator, and a third heat applicator thermally connected to a third portion of the interior different from the first and second portions of the interior and configured to apply a third heat treatment to a third portion of the workpiece in the third portion of the interior, wherein the third heat applicator is operably independent of the first heat applicator and the second heat applicator.

[0008] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for heat treatment of a workpiece formed of a superalloy material, the method comprising: enclosing the workpiece from the environment in an interior of an enclosure, the enclosure maintaining a vacuum or pressurized atmosphere inside, wherein the workpiece includes a base portion and an airfoil portion connected to the base portion; applying a first heat treatment to the base portion of the workpiece using a first heat applicator thermally connected to the base portion of the workpiece, wherein the first heat treatment has a limited effect on the airfoil portion of the workpiece; and applying a second heat treatment to the airfoil portion of the workpiece using a second heat applicator thermally connected to the interior of the enclosure and the airfoil portion of the workpiece, wherein the second heat treatment has a limited effect on the base portion of the workpiece.

[0009] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure provides a turbine component, comprising: a base portion configured to be mounted on a rotor; an airfoil portion having a first end connected to the base portion and a second end opposite to the first end, wherein the airfoil portion has a greater creep resistance than the base portion, and wherein the airfoil portion has a smaller fracture toughness than the base portion; and a tip portion connected to the second end of the airfoil portion, wherein the tip portion has a smaller creep resistance than the airfoil portion and greater than the base portion, and wherein the fracture toughness of the tip portion is smaller than the base portion and greater than the airfoil portion.

[0010] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure provides a turbine having an internal flow path, the turbine comprising: a rotor; and a plurality of rotatable blade structures connected to the rotor and positioned within the internal flow path, at least one of the plurality of blade structures comprising: a base portion having an inner radial surface connected to the rotor; an airfoil portion having an inner radial end connected to the base portion and an outer radial end opposite to the inner radial end, wherein the airfoil portion has greater creep resistance than the base portion, and wherein the airfoil portion has less fracture toughness than the base portion; and a tip portion connected to an outer radial end portion of the airfoil portion, wherein the tip portion has less creep resistance than the airfoil portion and greater than the base portion, and wherein the fracture toughness of the tip portion is less than the base portion and greater than the airfoil portion.

[0011] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for heat treating a turbine component formed of a superalloy material, the method comprising: applying a first heat treatment to a base portion of the turbine component, the base portion being configured for mounting on a rotor, wherein the first heat treatment comprises heating the base portion to a first temperature, maintaining the base portion at the first temperature for a first time span, and cooling the base portion at a first cooling rate; applying a second heat treatment to an airfoil portion of the turbine component independently of the first heat treatment, the airfoil portion having a first end coupled to the base portion and a second end opposite to the first end, wherein the second heat treatment comprises heating the airfoil portion to a temperature different from the first heat treatment. a second temperature from a first temperature to a second temperature, maintaining the airfoil portion at the second temperature for a second time span different from the first time span, and cooling the airfoil portion at a second cooling rate different from the first cooling rate; and applying a third thermal treatment to a tip portion of the turbine component independently of the first thermal treatment and the second thermal treatment, the tip portion being coupled to the airfoil portion, wherein the third thermal treatment includes heating the tip portion to a third temperature different from the first temperature and the second temperature, maintaining the tip portion at the third temperature for a third time span different from the first time span and the second time span, and cooling the airfoil portion at a third cooling rate different from the first cooling rate and the second cooling rate.

[0012] The exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are designed to solve the problems described herein and / or other problems not discussed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] These and other features of the present disclosure will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of various aspects of the present disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which depict various embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein:

[0014] Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional partially cut-away perspective view of a portion of a turbine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 2 shows a three-dimensional depiction of a workpiece in the form of an exemplary turbine component according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a system for thermal treatment of a workpiece in the form of a turbine component is shown according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 4 An illustration showing particle distribution within a workpiece in the form of a turbine component according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 5 An illustration showing particle distribution within another portion of a workpiece in the form of a turbine component according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating a system for thermally treating a plurality of workpieces in the form of a plurality of turbine components according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0020] Figure 7 An illustration of a controller of a system for thermally treating a workpiece according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] It should be noted that the drawings of the present disclosure are not drawn to scale. The drawings are intended to depict only typical aspects of the present disclosure and therefore should not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In the drawings, like numbers represent like elements between the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] First, in order to clearly describe the current technology, it will be necessary to select certain terms when referencing and describing the relevant machine parts within the various systems, components and other embodiments of the present disclosure. To the extent possible, common industry terms will be used and adopted in a manner consistent with the accepted meaning of the terms. Unless otherwise stated, such terms should be given a broad interpretation consistent with the context of the present application and the scope of the appended claims. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that several different or overlapping terms can generally be used to refer to specific parts. An object that may be described as a single part in this article may include multiple parts and be cited as consisting of multiple parts in another context. Alternatively, an object that may be described as including multiple parts in this article may be referred to as a single part elsewhere.

[0023] In addition, several descriptive terms may be used regularly herein, and it should prove helpful to define these terms at the beginning of this section. Unless otherwise indicated, these terms and their definitions are as follows. As used herein, "downstream" and "upstream" are terms indicating the direction relative to the flow of a fluid, such as a working fluid through a turbine engine, or, for example, an air flow through a combustor or a coolant through one of the component systems of a turbine. The term "downstream" corresponds to the direction of fluid flow, and the term "upstream" refers to the direction opposite to the flow. In the absence of any additional particularity, the terms "front" and "rear" refer to directions, where "front" refers to the front end or compressor end of the engine, and "rear" refers to the rear end or turbine end of the engine.

[0024] It is often necessary to describe parts that are disposed at different radial positions relative to a central axis. The term "radial" refers to movement or position perpendicular to the axis. For example, if a first component is closer to the axis than a second component, this document will describe the first component as being "radially inward" of the second component or "inside" the second component. On the other hand, if the first component resides farther away from the axis than the second component, this document may describe the first component as being "radially outward" or "outside" of the second component. The term "axial" refers to movement or position parallel to the axis. Finally, the term "circumferential" refers to movement or position around the axis. It should be understood that such terms may apply relative to the central axis of the turbine.

[0025] In addition, several descriptive terms may be used regularly herein, as described below. The terms "first," "second," and "third" may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to indicate the position or importance of individual components.

[0026] The terms used herein are only used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "a kind of" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that when used in the specification, the terms "include" and / or "comprise" specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups. "Optional" or "optionally" means that the event or situation described subsequently may or may not occur, and the description includes instances where the event occurs and instances where the event does not occur.

[0027] Where an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "engaged to," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged to, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer, or there may be intervening elements or layers. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0028] As noted above, the present disclosure provides a system and method for applying multiple heat treatments to a workpiece, and additional embodiments provide turbine components and related structures. As used herein, the term "heat treatment" refers to a combination of heating and cooling at a predetermined temperature, time span, and heating rate or cooling rate to produce desired material properties. In various embodiments, a system may include an enclosure having an interior, the dimensions of the interior being set to enclose the workpiece and configured to form a vacuum or pressurized atmosphere inside the enclosure. A plurality of heat applicators may be thermally connected to a first portion and a second portion of the interior. A first heat applicator and a second heat applicator may independently heat and cool the first portion and the second portion of the interior. A first heat applicator may apply a first heat treatment to a first portion of the workpiece in a first portion of the interior. A second heat applicator may be independent of the first heat treatment, and sequentially or simultaneously apply a second heat treatment to a second portion of the workpiece in a second portion of the interior. A method according to the present disclosure may include, for example, applying a first heat treatment and a second heat treatment to a first portion and a second portion of the workpiece using one or more embodiments of a system as discussed herein. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure provide a turbine component, turbine, and / or other structure having different portions having different properties resulting from multiple heat treatments.

[0029] With reference to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1A perspective, partially cut-away view of a turbine 10 (e.g., a steam turbine) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The view of the turbine 10 may represent a high pressure (HP), intermediate pressure (IP), or low pressure (LP) turbine, and it should be understood that embodiments of the present disclosure may be particularly applicable to HP and IP turbines. The turbine 10 includes a rotor 12, which includes a rotating shaft 14 and a plurality of axially spaced rotor wheels 18. A plurality of rotating blades 20 are mechanically coupled to each rotor wheel 18. More specifically, the blades 20 are arranged in rows extending circumferentially around each rotor wheel 18. A static nozzle portion 21 is shown to include a plurality of fixed nozzles 22 circumferentially around the shaft 14, and the nozzles 22 are axially positioned between adjacent rows of blades 20. The fixed nozzles 22 cooperate with the blades 20 to form a stage of the turbine 10 and define a portion of a flow path through the turbine 10. As shown, the static nozzle portion 21 at least partially surrounds the rotor 12 (shown in this cut-away view).

[0030] It should be understood that the turbine 10 shown is a dual-flow turbine 10 including an axially centered inlet nozzle that feeds two sets of turbine stages. It should be understood that the various teachings can be applied to an axial turbine, such as an axial inlet gas turbine, which inputs combustion gases from a first axial end and outputs the combustion gases to a second axial end after the gases have performed mechanical work on the turbine. During operation, an operating fluid such as steam 24 enters an inlet 26 of the turbine 10 and is directed through a fixed nozzle 22. The nozzle 22 directs the steam 24 against the blades 20. The steam 24 passes through the remaining stages, thereby exerting a force on the blades 20, thereby causing the shaft 14 to rotate. At least one end of the turbine 10 may extend axially away from the rotor 12 and may be attached to a load or machinery (not shown), such as, but not limited to, a generator and / or another turbine.

[0031] In one embodiment, the turbine 10 may include five stages. The five stages are referred to as L0, L1, L2, L3, and L4. Stage L4 is the first stage and is the smallest stage (in the radial direction) of the five stages. Stage L3 is the second stage and is the next stage in the axial direction. Stage L2 is the third stage and is shown in the middle of the five stages. Stage L1 is the fourth stage and the second to last stage. Stage L0 is the last stage and is the largest (in the radial direction). It should be understood that the five stages are shown only as an example, and each turbine may have more or less than five stages. Moreover, as will be described herein, the teachings of the present disclosure do not require a multi-stage turbine. In other embodiments, the turbine 10 may include an aircraft engine or an industrial gas turbine for generating thrust. The embodiments of the present disclosure may include a turbine 10 having blades 20 and / or other structures, which are characterized by having varying properties due to a variety of heat treatments applied to different parts of each blade 20 and / or other components.

[0032] Go to Figure 2 , shows a schematic three-dimensional depiction of a turbine component (or simply component) 100 according to various embodiments. Component 100 may represent a device suitable for placement in a device (e.g., turbine 10 ( Figure 1 )) of a flow path (FP). In some cases, component 100 may be a static nozzle in an annulus of fixed nozzles included in a stage of a turbine (e.g., turbine 10). During operation of the turbine (e.g., turbine 10), component 100 (which is in the form of a static nozzle) may remain fixed so as to direct a flow of a working fluid (e.g., gas or steam) to one or more movable blades (e.g., blades 20), thereby causing these movable blades to initiate rotation of a rotor shaft (e.g., shaft 14). Whether component 100 is provided as a movable blade (e.g., blade 20) or as a static component such as a nozzle, embodiments of the present disclosure may be operable to heat treat component 100. It should be understood that component 100 is configured to be coupled (mechanically coupled via fasteners, welding, slots / grooves, etc.) to a plurality of similar or different nozzles (e.g., component 100 or other nozzles) to form a nozzle annulus in a turbine stage. In some cases, component 100 may be formed of a single alloy or superalloy material. Superalloy materials (also referred to as "high performance alloys") generally refer to one or more alloys that meet various sets of mechanical criteria (e.g., mechanical strength, surface stability, corrosion resistance, etc.). Classifications of superalloy materials may include, for example, nickel-based superalloy materials, cobalt-based superalloy materials, and / or iron-based superalloy materials. In particular, nickel-based superalloy materials may be capable of forming γ' phase precipitates under the application of heat, as discussed herein.

[0033] The turbine component 100 includes an airfoil 102 having a suction side surface 104 and a pressure side surface 106 (at Figure 2The component 100 may also include a leading edge 108 between the pressure side surface 106 and the suction side surface 104, and a trailing edge 110 opposite the leading edge 108 and between the pressure side surface 106 and the suction side surface 104. The airfoil 102 may have a hollow interior (not shown), and thus the airfoil 102 may include a corrugated wall that encloses the hollow interior therein. The term "axial width" (sometimes referred to as "chord width") may refer to the distance from one reference point (e.g., the leading edge 108) along the axis A directly through the airfoil portion 102 to another reference point (e.g., a portion of the suction side surface 104). In some cases, the axial width may refer to the axial distance along the axis A between a position on the pressure side surface 106 and a corresponding position relative to the airfoil 102. For example, the axial width may be measured as the distance along the axis A from the leading edge 108 to a point that is tangentially aligned with the trailing edge 110 of the airfoil 102. The span of the airfoil 102 along the radial axis “r” may constitute the airfoil portion P of the component 100. A In various embodiments discussed herein, the airfoil portion P A May be formed to include different material properties than one or more other portions of component 100 .

[0034] As shown, the component 100 may include, for example, a tip 112 connected to the airfoil 102. In some cases, the tip 112 may include a shroud 114, for example, for inclusion in and / or coupling to an outer ring to provide structural support to the component 100. The tip 112 may be connected to the airfoil portion 102 along the suction side surface 104, the pressure side surface 106, the trailing edge 110, and the leading edge 108. The tip 112 (including the shroud 114, where applicable) may span from the airfoil 102 along the radial axis "r" to the tip portion P of the component 100. T In various embodiments discussed herein, the tip portion P T The component 100 may be formed to include one or more other portions (eg, the airfoil portion P A ) compared to different material properties.

[0035] Component 100 may also include, for example, a base 116 coupled to airfoil 102 at a location opposite tip 112. In various embodiments, fillet 118 connects airfoil 102 to base 116. Fillet 118 may be formed from the initial structure via machining, and in some cases, fillet 118 may be formed by welding, brazing, etc. In a rotatable structure (e.g., blade 20 ( Figure 1)), the base 116 of the component 100 may be configured for mechanical coupling to the turbine 10 by any currently known or later developed means for mechanically coupling the component 100 to other portions of the turbine 10 (e.g., the wheel and diaphragm assembly). Figure 1 ) of axis 14( Figure 1 The span of the base 116 along the radial axis “r” between the airfoil 102 and the opposite end of the base 116 may constitute the base portion P of the component 100. B In various embodiments discussed herein, the base portion P B The component 100 may be formed to include one or more other portions (eg, the airfoil portion P A and the tip part P T ) compared to different material properties.

[0036] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the component 100 may be positioned in the first stage (L4) or the second stage (L3). In a particular embodiment, the component 100 may be positioned in the second stage nozzle (L3), and the concentrated flow profile across the component 100 reduces the incident fluid flow in the second stage (L3) or from the second stage (L3) to a subsequent stage. In various embodiments, the turbine 10 may include a set of components 100 in only the second stage (L3) of the turbine 10, or only in the first stage (L4) and the second stage (L3) of the turbine 10. Each portion P of the component 100 B , P A , P T The different properties may be obtained by being subjected to different heat treatments, as discussed herein. Thus, additional embodiments of the present disclosure may include a turbine 10 having at least one blade 20, nozzle, and / or other structure that has been treated using multiple heat treatments and thus has different material properties in each region.

[0037] refer to Figure 3 , embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system 200 for thermally treating a workpiece. Figure 3In the following description, the workpiece processed in the system 200 is shown by way of example as an embodiment of the component 100. However, it should be understood that the system 200 is operable to perform heat treatment on various other workpieces, for example, with little modification to the various sub-components of the system 200 described herein. For the sake of clarity of explanation, an exemplary workpiece within the system 200 is indicated and referred to herein as the component 100. The component 100 may be mechanically coupled to the inner surface of the package 202, for example, by one or more coupling components (not shown) suitable for maintaining the component 100 in a desired position (in some cases, these desired positions may be fixed positions). The component 100 may be enclosed by the package 202, which has an interior 204 that is sized to enclose the component 100 from the external environment 206. The package 202 may take the form of a vacuum chamber capable of removing all air particles from the interior 204, and in one example, the implant may substantially eliminate all pressure within the interior 204. In an exemplary embodiment, the package 202 may be a vacuum chamber capable of maintaining a pressure of up to about 0.013 millibars. In an alternative embodiment, where the package 202 is configured to maintain a pressurized atmosphere, the interior 204 may be maintained at a pressure between about 1.0 bar and 12 bar. The external environment 206 may have an ambient temperature, pressure, and chemical composition (e.g., room temperature, atmospheric pressure, and atmospheric composition). The package 202 may be manufactured to include a seal, i.e., any sealing component capable of fluidically separating the interior 204 from the environment 206. Thus, the component 100 may be thermally processed within the system 200 without being disturbed by the temperature, pressure, composition, etc. of the environment 206. The package 202 may be sealed relative to the environment 206 by being manufactured to include one or more sealing components, such as epoxy-based seals, glass-to-metal seals, ceramic-to-metal seals, etc.

[0038] The interior 204 may be subdivided into a plurality of sections based on the location of the component 100 therein and / or the location of various heating and cooling components in thermal and / or fluid communication with the interior 204. For example, the interior 204 may include a first section S1 sized to accommodate a first portion (e.g., a base portion P100) of the component 100. B ); a second portion S2, the second portion is sized to accommodate a second portion of the component 100 (eg, the airfoil portion P A ); and / or a third portion S3, the third portion is sized to accommodate a third portion of the component 100 (eg, the tip portion P T ). In various other embodiments, the interior 204 may include only two parts (e.g., the first part S1 and the second part S2), or may have more than three parts, for example, five parts, ten parts, one hundred parts, etc. According to one example, the base part P BThe first portion S1 of the interior 204 may be traversed, the airfoil portion P A The second portion S2 of the inner portion 204 may be traversed, and the tip portion P T The third portion S3 of the interior 204 may be traversed. In other examples, each portion S1, S2, S3 may be distinguished from each other based on the location and / or number of heat applicators therein, the shape of the interior 204 within each portion S1, S2, S3, and / or by means of separation features such as barriers, thermally insulating separators, and / or other subcomponents. The system 200 may be configured to provide heat to different portions P of the component 100 located in each portion S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204. B , P A , P T Different heat treatments were applied.

[0039] In order to achieve various thermal treatments on the component 100, the system 200 may include a heat applicator 210 in thermal communication with the interior 204 of the package 202 at various locations. The heat applicator 210 may take a variety of forms, however, it may be configured to heat and / or cool corresponding locations within the interior 204 of the package 202. According to one example, one or more heat applicators 210 may include, for example, one or more heating elements 212 combined with one or more cooling elements 214, each of which may be in thermal communication with a sub-portion of the component 100. The heating elements 212 of the heat applicator may include, for example, induction heating coils and / or other types of electrical heating elements. In the case of induction heating cooling, the heating element 212 may be formed of graphite, molybdenum, molybdenum-lanthanum alloy, silicon carbide, molybdenum disulfide and / or any currently known or later developed material that is operable for induction heating coils. The heating element 212 may also include any other currently known or later developed heating device, including non-electric heating devices, such as fan heaters, gas-based heaters, heat exchangers and / or any other device capable of raising the temperature within the corresponding portions S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204.

[0040] The heat applicator 210 may also include one or more cooling elements 214, which are configured to reduce the temperature in the corresponding parts S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204. In various embodiments, the cooling element 214 may take the form of a cooling fluid injector that is fluidly connected to the interior 204. In such cases, the cooling element 214 may be fluidly connected to a cooling fluid supply source 216, which has, for example, an inert gas that can absorb heat when injected into the interior 204. Such gases may include, for example, argon (Ar), helium (He), nitrogen (N) and / or air. In another example, the cooling element 214 may include, for example, one or more of a heat pump, a solid-state refrigerant loop, etc. Although the heating element 212 and the cooling element 214 of the heat applicator 210 are shown as being structurally independent of each other by way of example, it should be understood that the heating element 212 and / or the cooling element 214 may be combined into a single element for heating and / or cooling the component 100 in the interior 204.

[0041] The heating element 212 and the cooling element 214 can be configured for independent heating and cooling of the component 100 within the interior 204. That is, although the heating element 212 and the cooling element 214 together constitute one heat applicator 210 of the system 200, the heating element 212 can be operated independently of the cooling element 214, and vice versa. In addition, each heat applicator 210 can be positioned in only a portion S1, S2, or S3 of the interior 204. During operation, embodiments of the system 200 can use the heat applicator 210 to apply heat to different portions P of the component 100. B , P A , P T Different types of heat treatments are applied.

[0042] To control the various heat treatments applied to the component 100, the system 200 may include a controller 220 that is communicatively coupled to the heat applicator 210 of the system 200. As discussed in further detail herein, the controller 220 may take the form of a computing device that is configured to electrically control various operational settings of the heat applicator 210. According to one example, the controller 220 may be electrically coupled to various heating elements 212 to control the thermal energy output of one or more heating elements 212 within the interior 204. In examples where the heating elements 212 take the form of induction heating coils, each heating element 212 may be electrically regulated via the controller 220 to modify variables such as heating temperature, heating time, heating rate, etc. during operation. In embodiments where the heating elements 212 take other forms, the controller 220 and / or various coupling components and / or conversion components between the heating elements 212 and the controller 220 may be modified as needed to convert electrical signals into modifications to the operation of the applicable type of heating element 212. In yet other embodiments, the heating elements 212 may be manually operated and / or regulated without the aid of the controller 220.

[0043] The controller 220 may also be coupled to a cooling fluid supply source and / or a set of valves 222 for controlling the amount of cooling fluid extracted from at least one cooling fluid supply source 216. Each valve may control the amount of cooling fluid provided to a corresponding cooling element 214 (e.g., a cooling fluid injector) via various fluid couplings. For example, one valve 222 may control the amount of cooling fluid delivered to a cooling element 214 in a first portion S1 of the interior 204 via a first channel 224 from a corresponding cooling fluid supply source 216. Another valve 222 may control the amount of cooling fluid delivered to a cooling element 214 in a second portion S2 of the interior 204 from another cooling fluid supply source 216 via a second channel 226. Yet another valve 222 may control the amount of cooling fluid delivered to a cooling element 214 in a third portion S3 of the interior 204 from another cooling fluid supply source 216 via a third channel 228. Each cooling fluid supply source 216 may include different gases so that different cooling gases are injected into each portion S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204. According to one example, the first portion S1 may receive only helium from the cooling element 214, the second portion S2 may receive only nitrogen from the cooling element 214, and the third portion S3 may receive only air from the cooling element 214. The valve 222 may be embodied as a two-way valve for controlling the amount of cooling fluid directed to the different portions S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204. In further embodiments, the valve 222 may include a valve system within each channel 224, 226, 228, and / or a multi-way valve configured to control the amount of cooling fluid provided to each cooling element 214 of the system 200. The valve 222 may be electrically or electromechanically regulated via the controller 220 to modify variables such as cooling temperature and / or cooling rate during operation. In this case, when the system 200 is operating, and according to various operating methods as discussed herein, the controller 220 may manage the operation of each heat applicator 210. In yet further embodiments, the cooling gas supply 216 and its corresponding valve 222 may be manually operated or regulated without the aid of the controller 220.

[0044] According to one non-limiting example, the controller 220 may be communicatively coupled to the plurality of heat applicators 210. Each heat applicator 210 may be positioned in a respective portion S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204. Thus, the heat applicators 210 may apply heat to different portions of the component 100 (e.g., the base portion P B , airfoil part P A and / or tip portion P T ) apply corresponding amounts of heating and cooling. During operation, the heat applicator 210 in the first portion S1 of the interior 204 may apply heat to a selected portion (e.g., the base portion P) of the component 100. B) is applied to the first heat treatment. The first heat treatment may include heating the selected portion of the component 100 to a first temperature, maintaining the first temperature for a first time span, and then cooling the component 100 at a first cooling rate. According to one non-limiting example, the first heat treatment may include heating the component to a temperature of up to about 1100 degrees Celsius (° C.), maintaining the temperature for a time span of about 5 hours, and then cooling the component at a cooling rate of up to 75° C. / second. Sequentially or simultaneously, the heat applicator 210 in the second portion S2 of the inner portion 204 may apply heat to another selected portion of the component 100 (e.g., the airfoil component P A ) is applied a second heat treatment. The second heat treatment itself may include heating the selected portion to a second temperature, maintaining the second temperature for a second time span, and then cooling the component 100 at a second cooling rate. According to one example, the second heat treatment may include heating the component to a temperature of at least about 1240 degrees Celsius (° C.), maintaining the second temperature for a time span of about three hours, and then cooling the component at a cooling rate of at most 150° C. / second. Thus, the first and second temperatures, time spans, and cooling rates may differ from one another to provide a second cooling rate at each portion P of the component 100. B , P A In another example, embodiments of the present disclosure may include simultaneously and / or sequentially using the heat applicator 210 in the third portion S3 of the interior 204 to apply heat to another portion of the component 100 (e.g., the tip portion P T ) is applied to the component 100. Similar to the other thermal treatments, the third thermal treatment may be defined according to its operating parameters. Specifically, the third thermal treatment may include heating the selected portion to a third temperature (e.g., between about 1100°C and 1240°C); maintaining the third temperature for a third time span (e.g., between about 3 hours and 5 hours) and then cooling the component 100 at a third cooling rate (e.g., between about 75°C / second and about 150°C / second), each of which may be different from the corresponding parameters of the first thermal treatment and the second thermal treatment.

[0045] To prevent deviation from the desired parameters of each heat treatment, the system 200 can be configured to prevent deviation from the desired heat treatment parameters when the component 100 undergoes each heat treatment. During operation, the location of the heat applicators 210 within the portions S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204 can be such that each heat treatment has substantially no effect on portions of the component 100 outside of the corresponding area. For example, two adjacent heat applicators 210 located in the corresponding portions S1, S2 of the interior 204 can be separated by a distance D 1-2 , for example, at least fifty centimeters. Similarly, two adjacent heat applicators 210 located in respective portions S2, S3 of the interior 204 may be separated by a distance D 2-3, for example, at least twenty-five centimeters. The separation distance between adjacent heat applicators 210 in different portions S1, S2, S3 can be any amount sufficient to prevent adjacent portions of component 100 from being affected by adjacent heat treatments. According to various embodiments, "substantially no effect" can be understood as a portion of component 100 in which at most two percent of the material composition includes properties induced by heat treatments applied to other portions of component 100. As discussed elsewhere herein, such properties may include, for example, creep resistance, fracture toughness, distribution of precipitates, etc. The term "substantially no effect" may also refer to a heat treatment that causes a desired temperature change in a target portion of component 100 without causing the same temperature change in non-target portions of component 100.

[0046] Now common reference Figures 3 to 5 , via system 200 to different parts of component 100 (e.g., part P B , P A , P T ) Applying multiple heat treatments can produce different material properties in a single unit of component 100. Figure 4 The base portion P measured in micrometers (μm) after applying the first heat treatment is provided. B An exemplary particle composition of Figure 5 The airfoil portion P measured in μm after applying the second heat treatment is provided. A An exemplary particle composition of Figure 4 In an example of, a first heat treatment having a first temperature, heating time and cooling rate may be a material having a coarse grain size and distribution. Figure 5 In an example of a second heat treatment having a second temperature greater than the first temperature, a second cooling rate greater than the first cooling rate, and a second heating time can produce fine grains arranged in a more uniform distribution. In such an example, the base portion P of the component 100 B ( Figure 4 ) may be characterized by an average superalloy grain size between about 0.25 μm and about 0.75 μm. In metallurgy, the grain size may be considered "coarse grained" due to having a diameter greater than 1 μm. In contrast, the airfoil portion P of component 100 A The alloy may be characterized by a combination of coarse superalloy particles and "fine" superalloy particles, ie, those having a diameter of up to 1 μm. Figure 5 A combination of particles having a coarse diameter (eg, about 2 μm) and particles having a fine diameter (eg, about 0.4 μm) is shown. A The coarse superalloy particles in the material may constitute, for example, up to about ten percent of the material composition. The remaining fine superalloy particles may be referred to as "γ' phase precipitates".

[0047] The different material properties produced by each heat treatment may be associated with significantly different material properties. The applied heat treatments and resulting properties may be selected based on their suitability for various portions and / or sub-components of a particular component 100. For example, a portion of a component 100 subjected to a second heat treatment may be characterized by creep resistance, i.e., the ability to withstand minute stresses and strains applied over a long period of time compared to other portions of the component 100 subjected to a first heat treatment and / or other heat treatments. Creep resistance or "creep strength" may be measured and expressed by the amount of stress (e.g., measured in kilopascals (kPa)) that causes the material to fail after a predetermined period of time (most commonly ten thousand hours or one hundred thousand hours). Therefore, the second heat treatment may be particularly suitable for airfoil portion P. A and / or any portion of component 100 in fluid communication with flow path FP ( Figure 2 ).

[0048] Portions of the component 100 subjected to the first heat treatment may be characterized by different material strengths and weaknesses than those portions subjected to the second heat treatment. For example, portions of the component 100 subjected to the first heat treatment may be characterized by a fracture toughness that is greater than the fracture toughness of portions subjected to the different type of heat treatment. Fracture toughness refers to the material toughness that can be accumulated before fracture occurs. Fracture toughness may be measured, for example, in Joules per square centimeter (J / cm 2 ) is measured in units of energy absorbed per surface area at fracture. The first heat treatment may be applied to any portion of the component 100 that is subject to high immediate stress and / or strain, such as for mounting on other components (e.g., rotor 12 ( Figure 1 )) on the connecting parts.

[0049] The γ phase precipitates may be composed of a metal used to strengthen the alloy composition, such as nickel (Ni). γ' phase precipitates are intermetallic materials in which particles are located, such as lattice planes or edges within a superalloy material. As the γ' phase precipitates aggregate, they reduce their energy state by forming a cubic structure along the alignment. Such a structure can provide greater fracture toughness than a structure without substantially uniformly distributed γ phase precipitates. With these properties in mind, the difference between the first heat treatment and the second heat treatment may be that, for example, the first heat treatment does not produce uniformly distributed γ' phase precipitates within the heat treated material, while the second heat treatment produces uniformly distributed γ' phase precipitates within the heat treated material. The absence of uniformly distributed γ' phase precipitates (e.g., as Figure 4 The base part P B) may provide greater ductility due to the coarse superalloy particles being primarily (e.g., greater than fifty percent) concentrated therein. Such properties may cause the material treated with the third heat treatment to have a creep resistance that is less than any material treated with the second heat treatment, but greater than any material treated with the first heat treatment. Additionally, the material treated with the third heat treatment may be characterized by a fracture toughness that is less than the material treated with the first heat treatment, but greater than the material treated with the second heat treatment.

[0050] Where applicable, the third heat applicator 210 of the system 200 may apply heat to another portion of the component 100 (eg, the tip portion P). T , which may include the tip 112, and in some cases, the shield 114) to apply a third heat treatment to produce material properties that are different from the first heat treatment or the second heat treatment. The third heat treatment may include: raising the temperature of a portion of the inner portion 204 (e.g., the third portion S3) to a temperature higher than the temperature of the first heat treatment; and cooling the component 100 within the third portion S3 at a cooling rate greater than the first cooling rate but less than the second cooling rate. The third heat treatment may cause the treated portion of the component 100 to have different properties, for example, a mixture of fine particles and coarse particles with an uneven distribution of γ' phase particles. According to one example, the portion of the component 100 to which the third heat treatment is applied may include, for example, a concentration of coarse superalloy particles between twenty percent and about forty percent, and a concentration of fine superalloy particles between about sixty percent and about eighty percent.

[0051] refer to Figure 6 , showing another embodiment of the system 200. The package 202 of the system 200 may include, for example, an interior 204 that is sized to enclose multiple components 100 at a time and seal the multiple components relative to an environment 206. In such cases, the package 202 may maintain a vacuum or pressurized atmosphere that can be formed within the interior 204. For illustrative purposes, four components 100 are shown, but any possible number of components 100 may be included within the interior 204 based on the size of the package 202. The heat applicator 210 may be arranged to be thermally connected to the component 100 from multiple orientations and at multiple locations within the interior 204 of the package 202. In one example, a controller 220 may be coupled to each heat applicator 210, including its heating element 212 and cooling element 214, to apply a first heat treatment, a second heat treatment, and / or a third heat treatment to the multiple components 100. In another example, each heat applicator 210 may be independently and / or manually operated. Such heat treatment may be performed at each component 100 and its corresponding portion (e.g., a portion P thereof). B , P A , P T ) and / or sequentially with respect to continuous component 100 and / or portions thereof. Figure 6 The embodiment of the system 200 shown may provide greater scalability than embodiments configured to apply multiple thermal treatments to a single component 100. In addition, the package 202 of the system 200 may be sized such that each thermal treatment has substantially no effect on other portions of the same component 100 and / or other components, as described elsewhere herein, for example with respect to Figure 3 discussed.

[0052] Figure 7 An exemplary environment including a system 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, for example, to better illustrate various features of a controller 220 in some embodiments. According to one embodiment, the controller 220 includes a computer infrastructure that can perform various process steps described herein for applying multiple thermal treatments to different portions of a workpiece (e.g., component 100). Specifically, the computer infrastructure of the controller 220 can include a computing device 230 that includes a thermal treatment system 232 that enables the computing device 230 to apply varying thermal treatments to the component 100 by performing the process steps of the present disclosure.

[0053] The computing device 230 is shown to include a memory 234, a processor (PU) 236, an input / output (I / O) interface 240, and a bus 244. In addition, the computing device 230 is shown to communicate with an external I / O device / resource 246 and a storage system 248. As known in the art, in general, the processor 236 executes computer program code stored in the memory 234 and / or the storage system 248, such as the thermal treatment system 232. When executing the computer program code, the processor 236 can read and / or write data 300 to / from the memory 234, the storage system 248, and / or the I / O interface 240. The data 300 may include, for example, a plurality of recipes for defining parameters of various thermal treatments. The first recipe 302 may define the parameters of the first thermal treatment (e.g., a first heating temperature, a time span for maintaining the first temperature, a first cooling rate, etc.). The second recipe 304 of the data 300 may define the parameters of the second thermal treatment (e.g., a second heating temperature, a second time span for maintaining the second temperature, a second cooling rate, etc.). The third recipe 306 of the data 300 may define the parameters of the third thermal treatment (e.g., a third heating temperature, a third time span for maintaining the third temperature, a third cooling rate, etc.). The bus 244 provides a communication link between each of the components in the computing device 230. The I / O device 246 may include any device that enables a user to interact with the computing device 230 or any device that enables the computing device 230 to communicate with one or more other computing devices. Input / output devices (including but not limited to keyboards, displays, pointing devices, etc.) may be coupled to the system directly or through an intermediate I / O controller.

[0054] In any case, the computing device 230 may include any general-purpose computing article capable of executing computer program code installed by a user (e.g., a personal computer, a server, a handheld device, etc.). However, it should be understood that the computing device 230 and the thermal processing system 232 are merely representative of various possible equivalent computing devices that can perform the various process steps of the present disclosure. In this regard, in other embodiments, the computing device 230 may include any special-purpose computing article with hardware and / or computer program code for performing specific functions, any computing article including a combination of special-purpose and general-purpose hardware / software, etc. In each case, the program code and hardware can be created using standard programming and engineering techniques, respectively.

[0055] Similarly, the controller 220 with computing device 230 only illustrates various types of computer infrastructure for realizing the present disclosure.For example, in one embodiment, computer controller 220 includes two or more computing devices (such as server clusters) that communicate to perform various process steps of the present disclosure through any type of wired and / or wireless communication link (such as network, shared memory, etc.).When the communication link includes a network, the network may include any combination of one or more types of networks (such as the Internet, wide area network, local area network, virtual private network, etc.).A network adapter may also be coupled to the system so that the data processing system can be coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through an intermediary dedicated or public network.Modems, cable modems, and Ethernet cards are only several of the network adapters of currently available types.In any case, the communication between the computing devices may utilize any combination of various types of transmission technologies.

[0056] The controller 220 may include a thermal treatment system 232 that executes a thermal treatment program 250 for implementing various methods according to the present disclosure by controlling and / or acting on the package 202, the heat applicator 210, etc. The thermal treatment program 250 may in turn include various modules 252, for example, one or more software components configured to perform different actions, including but not limited to: calculators, determiners, comparators, etc. The modules 252 may implement any currently known or later developed algorithms for causing the heat applicator 210 coupled to the controller 220 to heat and cool the component 100 according to various parameters reflected in, for example, the data 300. As shown, the computing device 230 may be communicatively coupled to the heat applicator 210 to implement heating and cooling as defined by, for example, the various parameters of each thermal treatment in the data 300.

[0057] In some cases, the modules 252 of the thermal treatment program 250 may use calculations, lookup tables, and similar tools stored in the memory 242 to process, analyze, and operate on data to perform their respective functions, such as maintaining a desired temperature for a specific period of time. In general, the processor 236 may execute computer program code, such as the thermal treatment program 250, which may be stored in the memory 242 and / or the storage system 248. Therefore, the memory 242 and / or the storage system 248 may represent any suitable memory or storage device (internal, external, cloud-based, etc.) on and / or associated with the controller 220. When executing the computer program code, the processor 236 may read and / or write data to or from the memory 242, the storage system 248, and / or the I / O interface 240. The bus 244 may provide a communication link between each of the components in the computing device 230. The I / O device 240 may include any device that enables a user to interact with the computing device 230 or any device that enables the computing device 230 to communicate with the equipment described herein (e.g., other parts of the system 200) and / or other computing devices.

[0058] The technical effect of the present disclosure is to provide a system for heat treatment of workpieces such as turbine components and turbine components having varying properties due to the application of varying heat treatments thereto. During operation, the stress and exposure temperature of the component may vary throughout the component. Depending on the intended application of the component, embodiments of the present disclosure apply varying heat treatments to the component to provide varying amounts of fracture toughness and creep resistance. Embodiments of the present disclosure allow different areas of a single workpiece (e.g., a turbine component) to more easily withstand varying mechanical factors, such as mechanical creep in one area compared to the immediate stress in another area. Therefore, embodiments of the present disclosure also include turbines and / or other devices that include multiple components that undergo different heat treatments at different locations and therefore have properties of different materials at different locations.

[0059] Advantages of the present disclosure can provide a single heat treatment system for producing parts with non-uniform amounts of creep resistance and fracture toughness. A controller of such a system can independently operate various heat applicators to apply different amounts and / or different rates of heating and cooling, thereby producing different material properties within an initially uniform part. In some cases, such different properties can include varying grain size and / or phase distribution within the material, including γ' phase precipitates.

[0060] As used throughout the specification and claims, approximate language may be used to modify any quantitative representation that may be permissibly varied without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Thus, values ​​modified by one or more terms, such as "about," "approximately," and "substantially," are not limited to the precise values ​​specified. In at least some cases, approximate language may correspond to the precision of the instrument used to measure the value. Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations may be combined and / or interchanged; unless the context or language indicates otherwise, these ranges are identified and include all subranges contained therein. "Approximately" applied to a particular value of a range applies to both end values ​​and may indicate + / -10% of the value unless otherwise dependent on the precision of the instrument for measuring the value.

[0061] The corresponding structures, materials, actions and equivalents of all means or steps plus function elements in the following claims are intended to include any structure, material or action for performing functions in conjunction with other claimed elements specifically claimed. A description of the present disclosure has been given for the purpose of illustration and description, but it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the disclosed form. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and essence of the present disclosure. Embodiments have been selected and described in order to best explain the principles and practical applications of the present disclosure, and to enable other persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand the various embodiments of the present disclosure with various modifications suitable for the intended specific use.

Claims

1. A system (200) for heat treatment of a workpiece, the system (200) comprising: an enclosure (202) having an interior (204) sized to enclose the workpiece and configured to maintain a vacuum or pressurized atmosphere within the interior (204); and A plurality of heat applicators (210), the plurality of heat applicators comprising: a first heat applicator (210) in thermal communication with a first portion of the interior (204) and configured to apply a first heat treatment to a first portion of the workpiece in the first portion of the interior (204), and a second heat applicator (210) in thermal communication with a second portion of the interior (204) different from the first portion of the interior (204) and configured to apply a second heat treatment to a second portion of the workpiece in the second portion of the interior (204), wherein the second heat applicator (210) is operable independently of the first heat applicator (210); wherein the first heat applicator (210) is positioned relative to the second heat applicator (210) such that the first heat treatment affects only the first portion of the interior (204), and such that the second heat treatment affects only the second portion of the interior (204); and The separation distance between the first heat applicator (210) and the second heat applicator (210) is sufficient to prevent the first portion and the second portion of the workpiece from being affected by adjacent heat treatments.

2. The system (200) of claim 1, wherein the workpiece comprises a turbine component (100) having a base portion (116) within the first portion of the interior (204) and a base portion (102) within the second portion of the interior (204).

3. The system (200) of claim 1, wherein each heat applicator of the plurality of heat applicators (210) comprises: at least one heating element in thermal communication with the first portion or the second portion of the interior (204); and At least one cooling fluid injector, the at least one cooling fluid injector being in fluid communication with the first portion or the second portion of the workpiece, wherein the at least one cooling fluid injector of the first heat applicator (210) injects a cooling fluid different from the at least one cooling fluid injector of the second heat applicator (210).

4. The system (200) of claim 3, wherein the at least one heating element comprises an induction heating coil comprising one of graphite, molybdenum, a molybdenum-lanthanum alloy, silicon carbide, or molybdenum disulfide.

5. The system (200) according to claim 3, wherein the at least one cooling fluid injector of the first heat applicator (210) or the at least one cooling fluid injector of the second heat applicator (210) injects one of argon (Ar), helium (He), nitrogen (N) or air.

6. The system (200) of claim 1, wherein: the first heat treatment applied by the first heat applicator (210) comprising: heating the first portion of the workpiece to a first temperature, maintaining the first portion of the workpiece at the first temperature for a first time span, and cooling the first portion of the workpiece at a first cooling rate, and The second heat treatment applied using the second heat applicator (210) includes: heating the second portion of the workpiece to a second temperature different from the first temperature, maintaining the second portion of the workpiece at the second temperature for a second time span different from the first time span, and cooling the second portion of the workpiece at a second cooling rate different from the first cooling rate.

7. A system (200) according to claim 1, wherein the interior (204) of the package (202) is sized to enclose a plurality of workpieces from an environment (206), wherein the first heat applicator (210) is further configured to apply the first heat treatment to a first portion of each of the plurality of workpieces, and wherein the second heat applicator (210) is further configured to apply the second heat treatment to a second portion of each of the plurality of workpieces using a plurality of second heat applicators (210).

8. The system (200) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of heat applicators (210) further comprises a third heat applicator (210) within a third portion of the interior (204) different from the first portion and the second portion of the interior (204), and the third heat applicator is configured to apply a third heat treatment to a third portion of the workpiece within the third portion of the interior (204) independently of the first heat treatment and the second heat treatment.

9. The system (200) of claim 8, wherein the workpiece comprises a turbine component (100) having a base portion (116) within the first portion of the interior (204), a base portion (102) within the second portion of the interior (204), and a tip portion (112) within the third portion of the interior (204).

10. The system (200) of claim 1, wherein the enclosure (202) is configured to maintain the vacuum at a pressure of at most 0.013 mbar.

11. The system (200) of claim 1, wherein the enclosure (202) is configured to maintain the pressurized atmosphere at a pressure between 1.0 bar and 12 bar.

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