Systems and methods for applying multiple heat treatments to workpieces and related turbine components

Abstract

The invention is entitled "Systems and methods for applying multiple heat treatments to a workpiece and related turbine components." Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a turbine component (100) comprising a base portion (116) configured for mounting on a rotor (12), an airfoil portion (102) having a first end coupled to the base portion (116) and a second end opposite the first end. The airfoil portion (102) has a greater creep resistance than the base portion (116), and the airfoil portion (102) has a lower fracture toughness than the base portion (116). A tip portion (112) can be coupled to the second end of the airfoil portion (102). The tip portion (112) has a lower creep resistance than the airfoil portion (102) and a greater creep resistance than the base portion (116). The tip portion (112) has a lower fracture toughness than the base portion (116) and a greater fracture toughness than the airfoil portion (102).

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This patent application relates to U.S. Patent Application 16 / 712,130, filed on December 12, 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Background Technology

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

[0004] Some aircraft and / or power plant systems (such as certain jet aircraft, or nuclear, simple cycle, and combined cycle power plant systems) employ turbines (also known as turbines) in their design and operation. Some of these turbines employ airfoils (e.g., fixed 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 from these fluid flows (e.g., creating thrust, converting kinetic energy into mechanical energy, converting thermal energy into mechanical energy, etc.) as part of power generation. Due to this interaction and conversion, the material properties of these airfoils, as well as their 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 throughout the component. During operation, different regions of an individual turbine component may tend to have different mechanical characteristics, such as long-term mechanical creep in one region compared to immediate stress in another. This problem is partly caused 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 this disclosure provides a system for heat treatment of a workpiece, the system comprising: an encapsulation having an interior sized to enclose the workpiece and configured to maintain a vacuum or pressurized atmosphere within 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 within the first portion of the interior; and a second heat applicator thermally connected to a second portion of the interior, distinct from the first portion of the interior, and configured to apply a second heat treatment to a second portion of the workpiece within the second portion of the interior, wherein the second heat applicator is operatively independent of the first heat applicator.

[0007] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a system for heat treatment of a workpiece, the system comprising: an encapsulation having an interior sized to enclose the workpiece and configured to maintain a vacuum or pressurized atmosphere within the interior; a plurality of heat applicators including: 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 within 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 within 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 within the third portion of the interior, wherein the third heat applicator is operably independent of the first and second heat applicators.

[0008] A third aspect of this disclosure provides a method for heat treatment of a workpiece formed of a superalloy material, the method comprising: encapsulating the workpiece from the environment within an enclosure that maintains a vacuum or pressurized atmosphere therein, 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 in thermal communication with 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 in thermal communication with 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 this disclosure provides a turbine component comprising: a base portion configured for mounting on a rotor; an airfoil portion having a first end portion connected to the base portion and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion, wherein the creep resistance of the airfoil portion is greater than that of the base portion, and wherein the fracture toughness of the airfoil portion is less than that of the base portion; and a tip portion connected to the second end portion of the airfoil portion, wherein the creep resistance of the tip portion is less than that of the airfoil portion and greater than that of the base portion, and wherein the fracture toughness of the tip portion is less than that of the base portion and greater than that of the airfoil portion.

[0010] A fifth aspect of this disclosure provides a turbine having an internal flow path, the turbine comprising: a rotor; and a plurality of rotatable blade structures coupled 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 coupled to the rotor; an airfoil portion having an inner radial end coupled to the base portion and an outer radial end opposite to the inner radial end, wherein the creep resistance of the airfoil portion is greater than that of the base portion, and wherein the fracture toughness of the airfoil portion is less than that of the base portion; and a tip portion coupled to the outer radial end of the airfoil portion, wherein the creep resistance of the tip portion is less than that of the airfoil portion and greater than that of the base portion, and wherein the fracture toughness of the tip portion is less than that of the base portion and greater than that of the airfoil portion.

[0011] A sixth aspect of this disclosure provides a method for heat treatment of 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 includes heating the base portion to a first temperature, holding the base portion at the first temperature for a first time span, and cooling the base portion at a first cooling rate; and applying a second heat treatment, independently of the first heat treatment, to an airfoil portion of the turbine component, 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 includes heating the airfoil portion to a temperature different from the first heat treatment. The first heat treatment includes heating the tip portion to a second temperature, holding 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 heat treatment to the tip portion of the turbine component, which is connected to the airfoil portion, independently of the first and second heat treatments, wherein the third heat treatment includes heating the tip portion to a third temperature different from the first and second temperatures, holding the tip portion at the third temperature for a third time span different from the first and second time spans, and cooling the airfoil portion at a third cooling rate different from the first and second cooling rates.

[0012] Exemplary aspects of this disclosure are designed to address the problems described herein and / or other problems not discussed herein. Attached Figure Description

[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 in conjunction with the accompanying drawings depicting various embodiments thereof, wherein:

[0014] Figure 1 A three-dimensional partial cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of a turbine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0015] Figure 2 A three-dimensional depiction of an exemplary turbine component in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

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

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

[0018] Figure 5 An illustrative diagram is shown of 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 of a system for heat treatment of multiple workpieces in the form of multiple turbine components, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, is shown; and

[0020] Figure 7 An exemplary diagram of a controller for a system for heat treatment of a workpiece according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] It should be noted that the accompanying drawings of this disclosure are not drawn to scale. The drawings are intended to depict only typical aspects of this disclosure and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of this disclosure. In the drawings, similar numbers denote similar elements between the figures. Detailed Implementation

[0022] First, in order to clearly describe the present art, it will be necessary to select certain terms when referring to and describing related machine parts within the various systems, components, and other embodiments of this 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 this application and the scope of the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will understand that several different or overlapping terms may generally be used to refer to a particular part. An object that can be described herein as a single part may include multiple parts and is referred to in another context as being composed of multiple parts. Alternatively, an object that can be described herein as comprising multiple parts may elsewhere be referred to as a single part.

[0023] In addition, several descriptive terms may be used periodically throughout this document, and it should prove helpful to define these terms at the beginning of this section. Unless otherwise stated, these terms and their definitions are as follows. As used herein, “downstream” and “upstream” are terms indicating the direction of fluid flow, such as through the working fluid of a turbine engine, or, for example, through the airflow of a combustor or through the coolant of one of the turbine's component systems. The term “downstream” corresponds to the direction of fluid flow, and the term “upstream” refers to the direction opposite to the flow. Without any other particularity, the terms “front” and “rear” refer to directions, where “front” refers to the front end of the engine or the compressor end, and “rear” refers to the rear end of the engine or the turbine end.

[0024] It is often necessary to describe parts positioned at different radial locations relative to the central axis. The term "radial" refers to movement or position perpendicular to the axis. For example, if a first part is closer to the axis than a second part, this document will describe the first part as "radially inward" or "inner" of the second part. On the other hand, if the first part resides further away from the axis than the second part, this document may describe the first part as "radially outward" or "outer" of the second part. The term "axial" refers to movement or position parallel to the axis. Finally, the term "circumferential" refers to movement or position about the axis. It should be understood that such terms can be applied relative to the central axis of the turbine.

[0025] In addition, several descriptive terms may be used regularly in this document, 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 location or importance of a single component.

[0026] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that, when used in the specification, the terms “comprising” and / or “including” specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. “Optional” or “optionally” means that an event or condition subsequently described may or may not occur, and the description includes instances where the event occurs and instances where the event does not occur.

[0027] When an element or layer is referred to as “on,” “joined to,” “connected to,” or “linked to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, joined to, connected to, or linked to the other element or layer, or an intermediary element or layer may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as “directly situated on,” “directly joined to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly linked to” another element or layer, an intermediary element or layer may not be present. Other terms used to describe relationships between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., “between” vs. “directly between,” “adjacent” vs. “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, this 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 or cooling rate to produce desired material properties. In various embodiments, a system may include an encapsulation having an interior sized to enclose a workpiece and configured to create a vacuum or pressurized atmosphere within the encapsulation. Multiple heat applicators may be in thermal communication with a first and a second portion of the interior. The first and second heat applicators may independently heat and cool the first and second portions of the interior. The first heat applicator may apply a first heat treatment to a first portion of the workpiece in the first portion of the interior. The second heat applicator may apply a second heat treatment sequentially or simultaneously to a second portion of the workpiece in the second portion of the interior, independently of the first heat treatment. Methods according to this disclosure may include, for example, applying the first and second heat treatments to the first and second portions of the workpiece using one or more embodiments of the system discussed herein. Further embodiments of this disclosure provide a turbine component, a turbine, and / or other structures having different parts that have different properties resulting from multiple heat treatments.

[0029] Refer to the attached diagram. Figure 1A partial sectional perspective 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 are particularly applicable to HP and IP turbines. The turbine 10 includes a rotor 12 comprising 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 comprising 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 the flow path through the turbine 10. As shown, the static nozzle portion 21 at least partially surrounds the rotor 12 (shown in this sectional view).

[0030] It should be understood that the turbine 10 shown is a dual-flow turbine 10 including an axially centered inlet nozzle that supplies two sets of turbine stages. It should be understood that various teachings can be applied to axial turbines, such as axially inlet gas turbines, which input combustion gas from a first axial end and output combustion gas to a second axial end after the gas has performed mechanical work on the turbine. During operation, an operating fluid, such as steam 24, enters the 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, which in turn causes 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, turbine 10 may include five stages. These five stages are referred to as L0, L1, L2, L3, and L4. Stage L4 is the first stage and is the smallest of the five stages (in the radial direction). Stage L3 is the second stage and is the next stage in the axial direction. Stage L2 is the third stage and is shown as being in the middle of the five stages. Stage L1 is the fourth and penultimate 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 fewer than five stages. Moreover, as will be described herein, the teachings of this disclosure do not require multi-stage turbines. In other embodiments, turbine 10 may include an aircraft engine or an industrial gas turbine for generating thrust. Embodiments of this disclosure may include turbine 10 having blades 20 and / or other structures characterized by varying properties due to multiple heat treatments applied to different portions of each blade 20 and / or other component.

[0032] Go to Figure 2 This illustration 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 an apparatus (e.g., turbine 10). Figure 1 The component 100 is a static or rotatable blade within the flow path (FP) of a turbine. In some cases, component 100 may be a static nozzle included in an annulus of a fixed nozzle in a turbine stage (e.g., turbine 10). During operation of the turbine (e.g., turbine 10), component 100 (in the form of a static nozzle) may remain stationary to direct the flow of working fluid (e.g., gas or steam) to one or more movable blades (e.g., blade 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 this disclosure are 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 known as “high-performance alloys”) generally refer to one or more alloys that meet various sets of mechanical standards (e.g., mechanical strength, surface stability, corrosion resistance, etc.). Superalloy materials can be classified as, for example, nickel-based superalloys, cobalt-based superalloys, and / or iron-based superalloys. Specifically, nickel-based superalloys may be able to form γ' phase precipitates under heat, as discussed herein.

[0033] Turbine component 100 includes an airfoil 102 having a suction-side surface 104 and a pressure-side surface 106 opposite to the suction-side surface 104. Figure 2(Partially blurred). 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 to the leading edge 108 and between the pressure-side surface 106 and the suction-side surface 104. Airfoil 102 may have a hollow interior (not shown), and therefore airfoil 102 may include corrugated walls therein enclosing the hollow interior. The term "axial width" (sometimes referred to as "chord width") may refer to the distance from one reference point (e.g., leading edge 108) directly along axis A through airfoil portion 102 to another reference point (e.g., a portion of suction-side surface 104). In some cases, axial width may refer to the axial distance along axis A between a location on pressure-side surface 106 and a corresponding location relative to airfoil 102. For example, axial width may be measured as the distance along axis A from leading edge 108 to a point tangentially aligned with trailing edge 110 of airfoil 102. The span of airfoil 102 along the radial axis "r" can constitute the airfoil portion P of component 100. A In the various implementation schemes discussed herein, the airfoil portion P A It can be formed to include material properties that are different from those of one or more other parts of component 100.

[0034] As shown, component 100 may include, for example, a tip 112 connected to airfoil 102. In some cases, tip 112 may include a shield 114, for example, for inclusion in and / or connection to an outer ring to provide structural support for component 100. Tip 112 may be connected to airfoil portion 102 along suction-side surface 104, pressure-side surface 106, trailing edge 110, and leading edge 108. Tip 112 (including shield 114 where applicable) may form tip portion P of component 100 by spanning a radial axis “r” from airfoil 102. T In the various embodiments discussed herein, the tip portion P T It can be formed to include one or more other parts of component 100 (e.g., airfoil part P). A (Compared to different material properties)

[0035] Component 100 may also include, for example, a base 116 that is 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 rotatable structures (e.g., blade 20... Figure 1In the case of component 100, the base 116 may be configured to be mechanically coupled to the turbine 10 by any currently known or later developed component for mechanically coupling component 100 to other parts of the turbine 10 (e.g., wheel and diaphragm assembly). Figure 1 ) axis 14 ( Figure 1 The span of the base 116 along the radial axis "r" between the airfoil 102 and the opposite ends of the base 116 can constitute the base portion P of the component 100. B In the various implementation schemes discussed herein, the base portion P B It can be formed to include one or more other parts of component 100 (e.g., airfoil part P). A and the tip part P T (Compared to different material properties)

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

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

[0038] The interior 204 may be subdivided into multiple portions based on the location of the component 100 therein and / or the locations 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 portion S1, the first portion being sized to accommodate a first portion of the component 100 (e.g., the base portion P). B The second part S2 is sized to accommodate the second part of component 100 (e.g., airfoil part P). A ); and / or a third portion S3, the third portion being sized to accommodate the third portion of member 100 (e.g., the tip portion P). T In various other embodiments, the interior 204 may include only two parts (e.g., a first part S1 and a second part S2), or it may have more than three parts, such as five parts, ten parts, one hundred parts, etc. According to one example, the base part P... BThe first part S1, which can traverse the interior 204, is the airfoil part P. A The second part S2, which can traverse the interior 204, and the tip part P T A third section S3 can traverse the interior 204. In another example, each section S1, S2, S3 can be distinguished from one another based on the location and / or number of heat applicators therein, the shape of the interior 204 within each section S1, S2, S3, and / or by means of separating features such as barriers, thermal insulation separators, and / or other sub-components. The system 200 can be configured to supply different portions P of the component 100 located in each section S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204. B P A P T Apply different heat treatments.

[0039] To achieve various heat treatments on component 100, system 200 may include heat applicators 210 in thermal communication with the interior 204 of package 202 at various locations. The heat applicators 210 may take various forms, however, and may be configured for heating and / or cooling corresponding locations within the interior 204 of package 202. According to one example, one or more heat applicators 210 may include one or more heating elements 212, for example, in conjunction with one or more cooling elements 214, each of which may be in thermal communication with a sub-part of component 100. The heating elements 212 of the heat applicators may include, for example, induction heating coils and / or other types of electric heating elements. In the case of induction heating and cooling, the heating elements 212 may be formed of graphite, molybdenum, molybdenum-lanthanum alloys, silicon carbide, molybdenum disulfide, and / or any currently known or later developed material operable for induction heating coils. The heating element 212 may also include any other heating device currently known or later developed, 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 configured to reduce the temperature within corresponding portions S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204. In various embodiments, the cooling element 214 may take the form of a cooling fluid injector in fluid communication with the interior 204. In such cases, the cooling element 214 may be in fluid communication with a cooling fluid supply source 216 having, for example, an inert gas capable of absorbing heat when injected into the interior 204. Such gases may include, for example, argon (Ar), helium (He), nitrogen (N), and / or air. In further examples, the cooling element 214 may include one or more of, for example, a heat pump, a solid refrigerant circuit, etc. Although the heating element 212 and cooling element 214 of the heat applicator 210 are shown by way of example as being structurally independent of each other, it should be understood that the heating element 212 and / or cooling element 214 may be combined into a single element for heating and / or cooling the component 100 within the interior 204.

[0041] Heating element 212 and cooling element 214 can be configured for independent heating and cooling of component 100 within interior 204. That is, although heating element 212 and cooling element 214 together constitute a heat applicator 210 of system 200, heating element 212 can operate independently of cooling element 214, and vice versa. Furthermore, each heat applicator 210 can be located in only a portion S1, S2, or S3 of interior 204. During operation, embodiments of system 200 can use the heat applicator 210 to apply heat to different portions P of component 100. B P A P T Apply different types of heat treatment.

[0042] To control the various heat treatments applied to component 100, system 200 may include a controller 220 communicatively coupled to heat applicator 210 of system 200. As discussed further in detail herein, controller 220 may take the form of a computing device configured to electrically control various operating settings of heat applicator 210. According to one example, controller 220 may be electrically coupled to various heating elements 212 to control the heat output of one or more heating elements 212 within interior 204. In an example where the heating elements 212 take the form of induction heating coils, each heating element 212 may be electrically regulated via 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, various connection components and / or conversion components between controller 220 and / or heating elements 212 and controller 220 may be modified as needed to translate electrical signals into modifications to the operation of heating elements 212 of the applicable type. In yet another embodiment, heating elements 212 may be manually operated and / or regulated without the aid of 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 controls the amount of cooling fluid supplied to a corresponding cooling element 214 (e.g., a cooling fluid injector) via various fluid connections. For example, one valve 222 controls the amount of cooling fluid delivered from a corresponding cooling fluid supply source 216 to a cooling element 214 in a first portion S1 of the interior 204 via a first channel 224. Another valve 222 controls the amount of cooling fluid delivered from another cooling fluid supply source 216 to a cooling element 214 in a second portion S2 of the interior 204 via a second channel 226. Yet another valve 222 controls the amount of cooling fluid delivered from another cooling fluid supply source 216 to a cooling element 214 in a third portion S3 of the interior 204 via a third channel 228. Each cooling fluid supply source 216 may include a different gas, such that different cooling gases are injected into each portion S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204. According to one example, the first section S1 may receive only helium from the cooling element 214, the second section S2 may receive only nitrogen from the cooling element 214, and the third section S3 may receive only air from the cooling element 214. Valve 222 may be embodied as a two-way valve for controlling the amount of cooling fluid directed to the different sections S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204. In another embodiment, 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 supplied to each cooling element 214 of the system 200. Valve 222 may be electrically or electromechanically regulated via controller 220 to modify variables such as cooling temperature and / or cooling rate during operation. In this case, controller 220 may manage the operation of each heat applicator 210 when the system 200 is operating, and according to the various operating methods discussed herein. In yet another embodiment, the cooling gas supply source 216 and its corresponding valve 222 may be manually operated or regulated without the aid of controller 220.

[0044] According to a non-limiting example, the controller 220 may be communicatively coupled to a plurality of heat applicators 210. Each heat applicator 210 may be located in a corresponding portion S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204. Thus, the heat applicator 210 may apply heat to different portions of the component 100 (e.g., the base portion P). B Airfoil section P A and / or tip portion P T Appropriate amounts of heating and cooling are applied. During operation, the heat applicator 210 in the first part S1 of the interior 204 can apply heat to selected portions of the component 100 (e.g., the base portion P). BA first heat treatment is applied. The first heat treatment may include heating a selected portion of component 100 to a first temperature, holding the first temperature for a first time span, and then cooling component 100 at a first cooling rate. According to a non-limiting example, the first heat treatment may include heating the component to a temperature of up to about 1100 degrees Celsius (°C), holding 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 interior 204 may apply heat to another selected portion of component 100 (e.g., airfoil component P). A Applying a second heat treatment. The second heat treatment itself may include heating the selected portion to a second temperature, holding 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), holding the second temperature for a time span of about three hours, and then cooling the component at a cooling rate of up to 150°C / second. Thus, the first temperature and the second temperature, the time span, and the cooling rate may differ from each other to apply heat treatment to each portion P of the component 100. B P A Different material properties are formed in the process. In another example, embodiments of this disclosure may include the simultaneous and / or sequential use of a 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 Apply a third heat treatment. Similar to other heat treatments, the third heat treatment can be defined according to its operating parameters. Specifically, the third heat treatment may include heating the selected portion to a third temperature (e.g., between about 1100°C and 1240°C); holding 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 these parameters may differ from the corresponding parameters of the first and second heat treatments.

[0045] To prevent deviations from the desired parameters for each heat treatment, system 200 can be configured to prevent deviations from the desired heat treatment parameters as component 100 undergoes each heat treatment. During operation, the positioning of the heat applicators 210 within portions S1, S2, S3 of interior 204 ensures that each heat treatment has substantially no effect on portions of component 100 outside the respective regions. For example, two adjacent heat applicators 210 located in corresponding portions S1, S2 of 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 the corresponding portions S2, S3 of the interior 204 can be separated by a distance D. 2-3For 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. Such properties may include, for example, creep resistance, fracture toughness, distribution of deposits, etc. The term "substantially no effect" can also refer to a heat treatment that causes a desired temperature change in the target portion of component 100 but not the same temperature change in non-target portions of component 100.

[0046] Now for joint 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), is provided after the application of the first heat treatment. B The exemplary particle composition, and Figure 5 Provided the airfoil portion P on a μm scale after the application of the second heat treatment. A Exemplary particle composition. In Figure 4 In the example, the first heat treatment, having a first temperature, heating time, and cooling rate, can be of a material with a coarse grain size and distribution. Figure 5 In one example, a second heat treatment having a second temperature greater than a first temperature, a second cooling rate greater than a first cooling rate, and a second heating time can produce a finer grain with a more uniform distribution. In such an example, the base portion P of component 100 B ( Figure 4 The characteristic of this type of superalloy is that the average superalloy grain size is between approximately 0.25 μm and approximately 0.75 μm. In metallurgy, grain size can be considered "coarse-grained" due to a diameter greater than 1 μm. In contrast, the airfoil portion P of component 100... A Its characteristics can be found in the combination of coarse superalloy particles and “fine” superalloy particles, namely those with a diameter of at most 1 μm. Figure 5 A combination of particles with a coarse diameter (e.g., about 2 μm) and particles with a fine diameter (e.g., about 0.4 μm) is shown. The airfoil portion P of component 100... A The coarse superalloy particles in the material can constitute up to about 10 percent of the composition. The remaining fine superalloy particles can be referred to as "γ' phase precipitates".

[0047] The different material properties resulting from each heat treatment can be associated with significantly different material properties. The applied heat treatment and the resulting properties can be selected based on their suitability for various parts and / or sub-parts of a particular component 100. For example, a part of component 100 undergoing a second heat treatment may be characterized by creep resistance, i.e., the ability to withstand small stresses and strains applied over a long period of time compared to other parts of component 100 undergoing the first and / or other heat treatments. Creep resistance or “creep strength” can be measured and expressed by the amount of stress (e.g., measured in kilopascals (kPa), which causes the material to fail after a predetermined period of time (most commonly 10,000 or 100,000 hours). Thus, the second heat treatment may be particularly suitable for the airfoil part P. A and / or any part of component 100 in fluid communication with the flow path FP ( Figure 2 ).

[0048] The portion of component 100 undergoing the first heat treatment may be characterized by different material strengths and weaknesses compared to those portions undergoing the second heat treatment. For example, the portion of component 100 undergoing the first heat treatment may be characterized by a greater fracture toughness than the portions undergoing different types of heat treatment. Fracture toughness refers to the material toughness that can accumulate before fracture occurs. Fracture toughness can be, for example, joules per square centimeter (J / cm²). 2 Measured in units of , it refers to the amount of energy absorbed per surface area at the time of fracture. The first heat treatment may be applied to any part of component 100 subjected to high instantaneous stress and / or strain, such as for mounting on other components (e.g., rotor 12). Figure 1 The connecting parts on the ))

[0049] γ-phase precipitates can be composed of metals used to reinforce the alloy composition (e.g., nickel (Ni)). γ'-phase precipitates are intermetallic materials in which particles reside, such as lattice planes or edges within superalloy materials. As γ'-phase precipitates aggregate, they lower their energy states by forming a cubic structure along alignments. Such structures provide greater fracture toughness compared to structures without substantially uniformly distributed γ'-phase precipitates. Considering these properties, the difference between the first and second heat treatments can be, for example, that the first heat treatment does not produce uniformly distributed γ'-phase precipitates within the heat-treated material, while the second heat treatment does produce uniformly distributed γ'-phase precipitates within the heat-treated material. The absence of uniformly distributed γ'-phase precipitates (e.g., as in…) Figure 4 The base part P BThe material shown in the diagram may provide greater ductility due to the concentration of coarse superalloy particles primarily (e.g., more than 50%) therein. This property can cause the material treated with the third heat treatment to have less creep resistance than any material treated with the second heat treatment, but more than any material treated with the first heat treatment. Furthermore, the material treated with the third heat treatment may be characterized by less fracture toughness than the material treated with the first heat treatment, but more than the material treated with the second heat treatment.

[0050] Where applicable, the third heat applicator 210 of system 200 can apply heat to another part of component 100 (e.g., the tip portion P). T This may include a tip 112, and in some cases, a shield 114) applying a third heat treatment to produce material properties different from the first or second heat treatment. The third heat treatment may include: raising the temperature of a portion of the interior 204 (e.g., the third portion S3) to a temperature higher than 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 and coarse particles with a non-uniformly distributed γ' phase microparticles. 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 20% and about 40%, and a concentration of fine superalloy particles between about 60% and about 80%.

[0051] refer to Figure 6 The diagram illustrates another embodiment of system 200. The encapsulation 202 of system 200 may include, for example, an interior 204 sized to enclose multiple components 100 at once and seal them relative to the environment 206. In such cases, the encapsulation 202 may maintain the ability to create a vacuum or pressurized atmosphere 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, depending on the size of the encapsulation 202. Heat applicators 210 may be arranged to be in thermal communication with the components 100 from multiple orientations and at multiple locations within the interior 204 of the encapsulation 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 operated independently and / or manually. Such heat treatment may be applied to each component 100 and its corresponding portion (e.g., its portion P). B P A P T They can be performed simultaneously on the same surface and / or sequentially relative to the continuous components 100 and / or portions thereof. Figure 6 The illustrated implementation of system 200 offers greater scalability than implementations configured to apply multiple heat treatments to a single component 100. Additionally, the dimensions of the package 202 of system 200 can be configured such that each heat treatment has substantially no effect on other parts and / or other components of the same component 100, as elsewhere herein, for example, relative to... Figure 3 The subject of discussion.

[0052] Figure 7 An exemplary environment including a system 200 according to embodiments 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 computer infrastructure capable of performing various process steps described herein for applying multiple heat treatments to different portions of a workpiece (e.g., component 100). Specifically, the computer infrastructure of the controller 220 may include a computing device 230 including a heat treatment system 232 that enables the computing device 230 to apply varying heat treatments to 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. Furthermore, the computing device 230 is shown to communicate with external I / O devices / resources 246 and a storage system 248. As is known in the art, generally, the processor 236 executes computer program code, such as a thermal processing system 232, stored in the memory 234 and / or the storage system 248. When executing the computer program code, the processor 236 may 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, various recipes for defining parameters of various thermal processes. A first recipe 302 may define parameters of a first thermal process (e.g., a first heating temperature, a time span for holding the first temperature, a first cooling rate, etc.). A second recipe 304 of the data 300 may define parameters of a second thermal process (e.g., a second heating temperature, a second time span for holding the second temperature, a second cooling rate, etc.). The third formula 306 of data 300 may define parameters for the third heat treatment (e.g., a third heating temperature, a third time span for maintaining the third temperature, a third cooling rate, etc.). Bus 244 provides a communication link between each component in computing device 230. I / O device 246 may include any means that enable a user to interact with computing device 230 or any means that enable 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 via an intermediate I / O controller.

[0054] In any case, 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, server, handheld device, etc.). However, it should be understood that computing device 230 and heat treatment system 232 merely represent various possible equivalent computing devices capable of performing the various process steps of this disclosure. In this regard, in other embodiments, computing device 230 may include any special-purpose computing article having hardware and / or computer program code for performing a specific function, any computing article including combinations of special-purpose and general-purpose hardware / software, etc. In each case, the program code and hardware may 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 implementing this disclosure. For example, in one embodiment, the computer controller 220 includes two or more computing devices (e.g., a server cluster) communicating via any type of wired and / or wireless communication link (such as a network, shared memory, etc.) to perform various process steps of this disclosure. When the communication link includes a network, the network may include any combination of one or more types of networks (e.g., the Internet, a wide area network, a local area network, a virtual private network, etc.). Network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to be coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices via intermediary private or public networks. Modems, cable modems, and Ethernet cards are just a few of the types of network adapters currently available. In any case, communication between computing devices can utilize any combination of various types of transmission technologies.

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

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

[0058] The technical advantage of this disclosure is that it provides a system for heat treatment of workpieces, such as turbine components, and turbine components that exhibit varying properties due to the application of varying heat treatments. During operation, the stress and exposure temperature of the component can vary throughout the component. Depending on the intended application of the component, embodiments of this disclosure apply varying heat treatments to the component to provide varying amounts of fracture toughness and creep resistance. Embodiments of this disclosure allow different regions of a single workpiece (e.g., a turbine component) to more readily withstand varying mechanical factors, such as mechanical creep in one region compared to instantaneous stress in another region. Therefore, embodiments of this disclosure also include turbines and / or other devices comprising multiple components that undergo different heat treatments at different locations and thus possess different material properties at different locations.

[0059] The advantage of this disclosure is that it provides a single heat treatment system for producing components with non-uniform creep resistance and fracture toughness. The controller of such a system can independently operate various heat applicators to apply different amounts and / or rates of heating and cooling, thereby producing different material properties within an initially homogeneous component. In some cases, such different properties may 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 can be used to modify any quantitative expression that allows for variation without causing a change in its underlying function. Therefore, values ​​modified by one or more terms (such as “about,” “approximately,” and “substantially”) are not limited to specified exact values. In at least some cases, approximate language may correspond to the precision of the instrument used to measure the value. Range limitations are combinable and / or interchangeable herein and throughout the specification and claims; these ranges are identified and include all subranges contained therein unless otherwise indicated by context or language. The term “about” applied to a specific value within a range applies to both ends of the range and may indicate + / - 10% of said value unless otherwise dependent on the precision of the instrument used to measure the value.

[0061] All means or steps plus functional elements in the following claims are intended to include any structure, material, action, and equivalent for performing a function in conjunction with other claimed elements of a particular claim. This disclosure has been described for purposes of illustration and description, but it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Embodiments have been selected and described to best explain the principles and practical application of this disclosure and to enable others skilled in the art to understand various embodiments of this disclosure with various modifications suitable for the intended particular use.

Claims

1. A turbine component (100), comprising: A base portion (116) configured for mounting on a rotor (12); An airfoil portion (102) having a first end connected to the base portion (116) and a second end opposite to the first end, wherein the airfoil portion (102) has greater creep resistance than the base portion (116) and wherein the airfoil portion (102) has less fracture toughness than the base portion (116). and A tip portion (112) is connected to the second end of the airfoil portion (102), wherein the creep resistance of the tip portion (112) is less than that of the airfoil portion (102) and greater than that of the base portion (116), and wherein the fracture toughness of the tip portion (112) is less than that of the base portion (116) and greater than that of the airfoil portion (102); Each of the base portion (116), the airfoil portion (102), and the tip portion (112) of the airfoil (102) component is formed of a single alloy or superalloy material.

2. The turbine component (100) according to claim 1, wherein the material composition of the airfoil portion (102) comprises substantially uniformly distributed γ' phase precipitates, and wherein the material composition of the base portion (116) and the material composition of the tip portion (112) do not include the substantially uniformly distributed γ' precipitates.

3. The turbine component (100) according to claim 1, wherein the grain size of the material composition of the tip portion (112) is greater than the grain size of the material composition of the airfoil portion (102).

4. The turbine component (100) according to claim 3, wherein the grain size of the material composition of the base portion (116) is greater than that of the airfoil portion (102) and smaller than that of the material composition of the base portion (116).

5. The turbine component (100) according to claim 1, wherein the base portion (116) has greater ductility than the airfoil portion (102) and the tip portion (112).

6. The turbine component (100) according to claim 1, wherein the airfoil component (102) further comprises a shield (114) portion connected to the tip portion (112), wherein the fracture toughness and creep resistance of the shield (114) are approximately equal to those of the tip portion (112).

7. A turbine (10) having an internal flow path (FP), the turbine (10) comprising: Rotor (12); and A plurality of rotatable blade (20) structures, the plurality of rotatable blade structures being coupled to the rotor (12) and positioned within the internal flow path (FP), at least one of the plurality of blade (20) structures comprising: The base portion (116) has an inner radial surface connected to the rotor (12); An airfoil portion (102) having an inner radial end connected to the base portion (116) and an outer radial end opposite to the inner radial end, wherein the creep resistance of the airfoil portion (102) is greater than that of the base portion (116), and wherein the fracture toughness of the airfoil portion (102) is less than that of the base portion (116), and A tip portion (112) is connected to the outer radial end of the airfoil portion (102), wherein the creep resistance of the tip portion (112) is less than that of the airfoil portion (102) and greater than that of the base portion (116), and wherein the fracture toughness of the tip portion (112) is less than that of the base portion (116) and greater than that of the airfoil portion (102); Each of the base portion (116), the airfoil portion (102), and the tip portion (112) is formed of a single alloy or superalloy material.

8. The turbine (10) according to claim 7, wherein the material composition of the airfoil portion (102) comprises substantially uniformly distributed γ' phase precipitates, and wherein the material composition of the base portion (116) and the material composition of the tip portion (112) do not include the substantially uniformly distributed γ' precipitates.

9. The turbine (10) according to claim 7, wherein the grain size of the material composition of the base portion (116) is greater than the grain size of the material composition of the airfoil portion (102).

10. The turbine (10) according to claim 9, wherein the grain size of the material composition of the tip portion (112) is greater than that of the airfoil portion (102) and smaller than that of the material composition of the base portion (116).

11. The turbine (10) according to claim 7, wherein the base portion (116) has greater ductility than the airfoil portion (102) and the tip portion (112).

12. The turbine (10) according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of blade (20) structures further comprises a shroud (114) portion connected to the tip portion (112), wherein the fracture toughness and creep resistance of the shroud (114) are approximately equal to those of the tip portion (112).

13. A method for heat-treating a turbine component (100) formed of a superalloy material, the method comprising: A first heat treatment is applied to the base portion (116) of the turbine component (100), the base portion (116) being configured for mounting on the rotor (12), wherein the first heat treatment includes heating the base portion (116) to a first temperature, holding the base portion (116) at the first temperature for a first time span, and cooling the base portion (116) at a first cooling rate; A second heat treatment is applied independently of the first heat treatment to the airfoil portion (102) of the turbine component (100), the airfoil portion (102) having a first end connected to the base portion (116) and a second end opposite to the first end, wherein the second heat treatment includes heating the airfoil portion (102) to a second temperature different from the first temperature, holding the airfoil portion (102) at the second temperature for a second time span different from the first time span, and cooling the airfoil portion (102) at a second cooling rate different from the first cooling rate; and And, independently of the first heat treatment and the second heat treatment, a third heat treatment is applied to the tip portion (112) of the turbine component (100), the tip portion (112) being coupled to the airfoil portion (102), wherein the third heat treatment includes heating the tip portion (112) to a third temperature different from the first temperature and the second temperature, holding the tip portion (112) 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 (102) at a third cooling rate different from the first cooling rate and the second cooling rate; Each of the base portion (116), the airfoil portion (102), and the tip portion (112) is formed of a single alloy or superalloy material.

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