System and method for applying multiple heat treatments to workpieces and associated turbomachinery components - Patents.com

Abstract

To provide a turbomachine component, including: a base portion configured to be mounted on a rotor; and an airfoil portion having a first end coupled to the base portion, and a second end opposite the first end.SOLUTION: A creep resistance in an airfoil portion 102 is greater than that in a base portion 116, and fracture toughness in the airfoil portion 102 is less than that in the base portion 116. A tip portion 112 may be coupled to the second end of the airfoil portion 102. A creep resistance in the tip portion 112 is less than that in the airfoil portion 102 and greater than that in the base portion 116. Fracture toughness in the tip portion 112 is less than that in the base portion 116 and greater than that in the airfoil portion 102.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally 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 turbomachinery components. Additionally, the present disclosure relates to turbomachinery components and turbomachines having associated structural characteristics. [Background technology]

[0002] Some aircraft and / or power plant systems, such as certain jet aircraft, or nuclear, simple cycle, and combined cycle power plant systems, use turbines (also called turbomachinery) in their design and operation. Some of these turbines use 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 from these fluid flows as part of the generation of electricity (e.g., generating thrust, converting kinetic energy to mechanical energy, converting thermal energy to mechanical energy, etc.). As a result of this interaction and conversion, the material properties and aerodynamic characteristics and losses of these airfoils affect the operation, performance, thrust, efficiency, and power of the system and the turbine.

[0003] Turbine airfoils, specifically turbine blades, in various applications are exposed to extreme stresses and high temperature environments. The stresses and exposed temperatures vary throughout the part. During operation, different regions of a single turbomachinery component may be prone to different mechanical factors, e.g., long-term mechanical creep, in one region compared to immediate stresses in another region. This problem arises in part from conventional heat treatment systems that apply uniform treatments to turbomachinery components prior to deployment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a system for thermal treatment of a workpiece, the system including an enclosure having an interior sized to surround the workpiece and configured to maintain a vacuum or pressurized atmosphere within the interior, and a plurality of thermal applicators including a first thermal applicator in thermal communication with a first portion of the interior and configured to apply a first thermal treatment to the first portion of the workpiece within the first portion of the interior, and a second thermal applicator in thermal communication with a second portion of the interior distinct from the first portion of the interior and configured to apply a second thermal treatment to the second portion of the workpiece within the second portion of the interior, the second thermal applicator being operatively independent from the first thermal applicator.

[0005] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a system for thermal treatment of a workpiece, the system including an enclosure having an interior sized to surround the workpiece and configured to maintain a vacuum or pressurized atmosphere within the interior, and a plurality of thermal applicators including a first thermal applicator in thermal communication with a first portion of the interior and configured to apply a first thermal treatment to the first portion of the workpiece in the first portion of the interior, a second thermal applicator in thermal communication with a second portion of the interior distinct from the first portion of the interior and configured to apply a second thermal treatment to the second portion of the workpiece in the second portion of the interior, the second thermal applicator being operatively independent from the first thermal applicator, and a third thermal applicator in thermal communication with a third portion of the interior distinct from the first and second portions of the interior and configured to apply a third thermal treatment to the third portion of the workpiece in the third portion of the interior, the third thermal applicator being operatively independent from the first and second thermal applicators.

[0006] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for heat treatment of a workpiece formed of a superalloy material, the method including: enclosing the workpiece within an enclosure from the environment, the enclosure maintaining a vacuum or pressurized atmosphere within, the workpiece including a base portion and an airfoil portion coupled 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, the first heat treatment being limited to impact 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, the second heat treatment being limited to impact on the base portion of the workpiece.

[0007] A fourth aspect of the disclosure provides a turbomachine component including a base portion configured for attachment to a rotor, an airfoil portion having a first end coupled to the base portion and a second end opposite the first end, the airfoil portion having a creep resistance greater than the base portion and a fracture toughness less than the base portion, and a tip portion coupled to the second end of the airfoil portion, the tip portion having a creep resistance less than the airfoil portion and greater than the base portion, and the tip portion having a fracture toughness less than the base portion and greater than the airfoil portion.

[0008] A fifth aspect of the disclosure provides a turbomachine having an internal flow passage, the turbomachine including: a rotor; and a plurality of rotatable blade structures coupled to the rotor and positioned within the internal flow passage, at least one of the plurality of blade structures including an airfoil portion having a base portion having an inner radial surface coupled to the rotor, an inner radial end coupled to the base portion, and an outer radial end opposite the inner radial end, wherein a creep resistance of the airfoil portion is greater than that of the base portion and a 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 a creep resistance of the tip portion is less than that of the airfoil portion and greater than that of the base portion, and a fracture toughness of the tip portion is less than that of the base portion and greater than that of the airfoil portion.

[0009] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for heat treating a turbomachine component formed of a superalloy material, the method comprising: applying a first heat treatment to a base portion of the turbomachine component, the base portion configured for attachment to a rotor, the first heat treatment including 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, independent of the first heat treatment, to an airfoil portion of the turbomachine component, the airfoil portion having a first end coupled to the base portion and a second end opposite the first end, the second heat treatment heating the airfoil portion to a second temperature different from the first temperature. applying a third heat treatment to a tip portion of the turbomachine component, independent of the first and second heat treatments, the tip portion being coupled to the airfoil portion, the third heat treatment including 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.

[0010] The illustrative aspects of the present disclosure are designed to solve the problems described herein and / or other problems not discussed.

[0011] These and other features of the present disclosure will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a three-dimensional, partially cut-away perspective view of a portion of a turbomachine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; [Diagram 2] 1 is a three-dimensional depiction of a workpiece in the form of an exemplary turbomachine component, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for heat treatment of a workpiece in the form of a turbomachinery component according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; [Figure 4] 2 is an exemplary diagram of particle distribution within a workpiece in the form of a turbomachinery component, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 4A-4C are exemplary diagrams of particle distribution within different portions of a workpiece in the form of a turbomachinery component, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for heat treatment of multiple workpieces in the form of multiple turbomachine components according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram of a controller for a system for heat treating a workpiece according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] It should be noted that the drawings of the present disclosure are not drawn to scale. The drawings are intended to illustrate only typical aspects of the present disclosure and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In the drawings, like numbers represent like elements between the drawings.

[0014] As a first issue, in order to clearly explain the state of the art, it becomes necessary to select specific terminology when referring to and describing the various systems, components, and related machine components in other embodiments of the present disclosure. Wherever possible, common industry terminology is used and utilized with the same meaning as its accepted meaning. Unless otherwise noted, such terminology 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 appreciate that in many cases, a particular component may be referred to using several different or overlapping terms. What may be described herein as being a single part may include and be referred to in other contexts as being made up of multiple components. Alternatively, what may be described herein as including multiple components may be referred to elsewhere as a single part.

[0015] In addition, certain descriptive terms may be used in this specification in a regular manner, and it will prove useful to define these terms at the beginning of this section. These terms and their definitions are as follows, unless otherwise stated. As used herein, "downstream" and "upstream" are terms that indicate a direction relative to the flow of a working fluid through a turbine engine, or a fluid, such as, for example, the flow of air through a combustor, or a coolant through one of the turbine's component systems. The term "downstream" corresponds to the direction of fluid flow, and the term "upstream" refers to the opposite direction of flow. The terms "forward" and "aft" refer to directions, unless otherwise stated, with "forward" referring to the front or compressor end of the engine and "aft" referring to the rear or turbine end of the engine.

[0016] It is often desired to describe components located 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 located closer to the axis than a second component, the first component is described herein as being "radially inward" or "inward" of the second component. On the other hand, if a first component is located farther from the axis than the second component, the first component may be described herein as being "radially outward" or "outward" 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 will be appreciated that such terms may be applied in relation to the central axis of the turbine.

[0017] In addition, certain descriptive terms may be used in the present specification in an orderly manner, as described below: The terms "first," "second," and "third" may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another, and are not intended to denote the location or importance of the individual components.

[0018] The terminology used herein is merely for the purpose of describing certain embodiments and is not intended to limit the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural unless otherwise specified. It will be further understood that the terms "comprise" and / or "comprising" as used herein 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 sets thereof. "Optional" or "optionally" means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and the description includes instances in which the event occurs and instances in which it does not occur.

[0019] When an element or layer is referred to as "on," "engaged," "connected," or "coupled" to another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected, or coupled to the other element or layer, or there may be intervening elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as "directly on," "directly engaged," "directly connected," or "directly coupled" to another element or layer, there may not be intervening elements or layers. Other words used to describe relationships between elements should be interpreted similarly (e.g., "directly between" versus "between," "directly adjacent to" versus "directly adjacent to," etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0020] As indicated above, the present disclosure provides systems and methods for applying multiple heat treatments to a workpiece, and further embodiments provide turbomachinery 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, the system may include an enclosure having an interior sized to surround the workpiece and configured to generate a vacuum or pressurized atmosphere within the enclosure interior. Multiple heat applicators may be in thermal communication with first and second portions 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 within the first portion of the interior. The second heat applicator may apply a second heat treatment to a second portion of the workpiece within the second portion of the interior, either sequentially or simultaneously, independent of the first heat treatment. A method according to the present disclosure may include, for example, applying first and second heat treatments to first and second portions of a workpiece using one or more embodiments of the systems discussed herein. Further embodiments of the present disclosure provide turbomachine components, turbomachines, and / or other structures with different portions having different properties resulting from multiple heat treatments.

[0021] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective partial cutaway view of a turbomachine 10 (e.g., a steam turbine) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The view of the turbomachine 10 may represent a high pressure (HP), intermediate pressure (IP), or low pressure (LP) turbine, with it being understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure may be particularly applicable to HP and IP turbines. The turbomachine 10 includes a rotor 12 including 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 section 21 is shown including a plurality of static nozzles 22 circumferentially around the shaft 14, the nozzles 22 being axially positioned between adjacent rows of the blades 20. The static nozzles 22 cooperate with the blades 20 to form a stage of the turbomachine 10 and define a portion of a flow path through the turbomachine 10. As shown, static nozzle section 21 at least partially surrounds rotor 12 (shown in this cutaway view).

[0022] It is understood that the illustrated turbomachine 10 is a dual-flow turbomachine 10 including an axially centered inlet port feeding two sets of turbine stages. It is understood that the various teachings can be applied to an axial turbine, for example an axial inlet gas turbine that receives combustion gases at a first axial end and exits the combustion gases at a second axial end after the gases perform mechanical work on the turbine. In operation, a working fluid, such as steam 24, enters the turbomachine 10 at an inlet 26 and flows through a stationary nozzle 22. The nozzle 22 directs the steam 24 toward the blades 20. The steam 24 passes through the remaining stages, imparting force to the blades 20 and rotating the shaft 14. At least one end of the turbomachine 10 may extend axially away from the rotor 12 and may be attached to a load or machine (not shown), such as, but not limited to, an electrical generator and / or another turbine.

[0023] In one embodiment, the turbomachine 10 may include five stages. The five stages are designated L0, L1, L2, L3, and L4. Stage L4 is the first stage and is the smallest (radially) of the five stages. Stage L3 is the second stage and is the next stage axially. Stage L2 is the third stage and is shown intermediate the five stages. Stage L1 is the fourth stage and is the penultimate stage. Stage L0 is the last stage and is the largest (radially). It should be understood that five stages are shown by way of example only and each turbine may have more or less than five stages. Also, as described herein, the teachings of the present disclosure do not require a multi-stage turbine. In other embodiments, the turbomachine 10 may comprise an aircraft engine or an industrial gas turbine used to generate thrust. Embodiments of the present disclosure may include turbomachines 10 with blades 20 and / or other structures characterized by various properties as a result of multiple heat treatments applied to different portions of each blade 20 and / or other components.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 2, a schematic three-dimensional depiction of a turbomachine component (or simply, component) 100 according to various embodiments is shown. The component 100 may represent a device, such as a static or rotatable blade adapted to be mounted in a flowpath (FP) of a turbomachine 10 (FIG. 1). In some cases, the component 100 may be a static nozzle included in an annulus of a static nozzle of a stage of a turbine (e.g., turbomachine 10). During operation of the turbine (e.g., turbomachine 10), the component 100 in the form of a static nozzle may remain stationary to direct a flow of a working fluid (e.g., gas or steam) to one or more moving blades (e.g., blades 20), which initiate the rotation of a rotor shaft (e.g., shaft 14). Regardless of whether the component 100 is provided as a moving blade (e.g., blades 20) or a static component such as a nozzle, embodiments of the present disclosure may be operable to heat treat the component 100. It is understood that the component 100 is configured to couple (mechanically coupled via fasteners, welds, slots / grooves, etc.) with a plurality of similar or separate nozzles (e.g., component 100 or other nozzles) to form an annulus of nozzles at a stage of a turbine. The component 100 may be formed of a single alloy or superalloy material, as the case may be. A superalloy material, also known as a "high performance alloy," generally refers to one or more alloys that meet a variety of sets of mechanical criteria, e.g., mechanical strength, surface stability, corrosion resistance, etc. Classifications of superalloy materials may include, for example, nickel-based, cobalt-based, and / or iron-based superalloy materials. Nickel-based superalloy materials in particular may be capable of forming gamma prime phase precipitates under the application of heat, as discussed herein.

[0025] The turbine component 100 includes an airfoil 102 having a suction side 104 and a pressure side 106 (partially obscured in FIG. 2 ) opposite the suction side 104. The component 100 may also include a leading edge 108 between the pressure side 106 and the suction side 104, and a trailing edge 110 opposite the leading edge 108 and between the pressure side 106 and the suction side 104. The airfoil 102 may have a hollow interior (not shown), and thus the airfoil 102 may include a contoured wall surrounding the hollow interior therein. The term "axial width", sometimes referred to as "chordal width", may refer to the distance from one reference point (e.g., the leading edge 108) to another reference point (e.g., a portion of the suction side 104) directly through the airfoil 102 along axis A. Axial width may sometimes refer to the axial distance along axis A between a location on the pressure side 106 and a corresponding location relative to the airfoil 102. For example, the axial width may be measured along axis A as the distance from the leading edge 108 of the airfoil 102 to a point tangentially aligned with the trailing edge 110. The span of the airfoil 102 along the radial axis "r" is the width of the airfoil portion P of the component 100. A In various embodiments discussed herein, the airfoil portion P A may be formed to include distinct material properties as compared to one or more other portions of component 100.

[0026] As shown, the component 100 may include a tip 112 connected with the airfoil 102, for example. In some cases, the tip 112 may include a shroud 114, for example, for inclusion and / or coupling to an outer ring for structural support of the component 100. The tip 112 may connect with the airfoil 102 along the suction side 104, the pressure side 106, the trailing edge 110, and the leading edge 108. The span of the tip 112 along the radial axis "r" from the airfoil 102, including the shroud 114, if applicable, is referred to as the tip portion P of the component 100. T In various embodiments discussed herein, the tip portion P T may be connected to one or more other portions of the component 100, such as the airfoil portion P A, may be formed to include distinct material properties compared to.

[0027] The component 100 may also include a base 116 coupled to the airfoil 102, for example, at a location opposite the tip 112. In various embodiments, a fillet 118 connects the airfoil 102 to the base 116. The fillet 118 may be formed via machining from an initial structure, and in some cases, the fillet 118 may be formed by welding, brazing, or the like. In the case of a rotatable structure, such as a blade 20 (FIG. 1), the base 116 of the component 100 may be structured to mechanically couple to the shaft 14 (FIG. 1) of the turbomachine 10 (FIG. 1) by any now known or later developed component for mechanically coupling the component 100 to other portions of the turbomachine 10, such as a wheel and diaphragm assembly. The span of the base 116 between the airfoil 102 and the opposing ends of the base 116 along the radial axis "r" is the base portion P of the component 100. B In various embodiments discussed herein, the base portion P B may be connected to one or more other portions of the component 100, such as the airfoil portion P A and tip portion P T , may be formed to include distinct material properties compared to.

[0028] 1 and 2, the component 100 may be positioned in the first stage (L4) or the second stage (L3). In certain embodiments, the component 100 may be positioned in a second stage nozzle (L3), where a concentrated flow profile across the component 100 reduces the incoming fluid flow into the second stage (L3) or from the second stage (L3) to a subsequent stage. In various embodiments, the turbomachine 10 may include a set of the component 100 in only the second stage (L3) of the turbomachine 10, or in only the first stage (L4) and the second stage (L3) of the turbomachine 10. Each portion P of the component 100 may include a plurality of nozzles 110, each of which may include a nozzle 110, ... B , P A , P Tmay have different properties by being subjected to different heat treatments, as discussed herein. Accordingly, further embodiments of the present disclosure may include turbomachinery 10 having at least one blade 20, nozzle, and / or other structure that has been treated using multiple heat treatments and thus features different material properties in each region.

[0029] With reference to FIG. 3, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a system 200 for heat treatment of a workpiece. In the description following FIG. 3, the workpiece treated in the system 200 is illustratively shown to be one embodiment of the component 100. However, it is understood that the system 200 may be operable to perform heat treatments on a variety of other workpieces, for example, with little or no modification to the various sub-components of the system 200 described herein. For clarity of explanation, an exemplary workpiece in the system 200 is shown and is referred to herein as the component 100. The component 100 may be mechanically coupled to an inner surface of an enclosure 202, for example, by one or more coupling components (not shown) adapted to hold the component 100 in a desired position, which may in some cases be a fixed position. The component 100 may be surrounded by the enclosure 202 having an interior 204 sized to enclose the component 100 from an external environment 206. The enclosure 202 may take the form of a vacuum chamber capable of removing all air particles from the interior 204, and in an exemplary embodiment, may substantially eliminate all pressure within the interior 204. In an exemplary embodiment, the enclosure 202 may be a vacuum chamber capable of maintaining a pressure of up to about 0.013 millibar. In an alternative embodiment in which the enclosure 202 is configured to maintain a pressurized atmosphere, the interior 204 may be maintained at a pressure of about 1.0 bar to 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 enclosure 202 may be manufactured to include a seal, i.e., any sealing component capable of fluidly isolating the interior 204 from the environment 206. Thus, the component 100 may undergo heat treatment within the system 200 without interference from the temperature, pressure, composition, etc., of the environment 206. The enclosure 202 may be sealed from the environment 206 by one or more sealing components, for example, by being manufactured to include an epoxy-based seal, a glass-to-metal seal, a ceramic-to-metal seal, or the like.

[0030] The interior 204 may be subdivided into multiple portions based on the location of the components 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 be divided into a first portion of the components 100 (e.g., a base portion P B ) of the component 100, and a second portion of the component 100 (e.g., airfoil portion P A ) and / or a third portion of component 100 (e.g., tip portion P T ) may include a third portion S3 sized to accommodate the first and second portions S1, S2. In various further embodiments, the interior 204 may include only two portions (e.g., first and second portions S1, S2) or may have more than three portions, e.g., five portions, ten portions, one hundred portions, etc. By way of example, the base portion P B may cross the first portion S1 of the interior 204 and the airfoil portion P A can cross the second portion S2 of the interior 204, and the tip portion P T can traverse a third portion S3 of the interior 204. In further examples, each portion 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 portion S1, S2, S3, and / or by dividing features such as barriers, insulating dividers, and / or other subcomponents. The system 200 can apply different heat treatments to different portions P of the component 100 located in each portion S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204. B , P A , P T It can be configured to apply to.

[0031] To perform various thermal treatments on the component 100, the system 200 can include a heat applicator 210 in thermal communication with the interior 204 of the enclosure 202 at various locations. The heat applicator 210 can take a variety of forms, but can be configured and implemented for heating and / or cooling of respective locations within the interior 204 of the enclosure 202. According to an example, the one or more heat applicators 210 can include, for example, one or more heating elements 212 in combination with one or more cooling elements 214, each of which can be in thermal communication with a subsection of the component 100. The heating element 212 of the heat applicator can include, for example, an induction heating coil and / or other type of electric heating element. In the case of induction heating and cooling, the heating element 212 can be formed of graphite, molybdenum, molybdenum-lanthanum alloy, silicon carbide, molybdenum disilicide, and / or any now known or later developed material operable for use in an induction heating coil. The heating element 212 may also include any other now known or later developed heating device, including non-electrical heating devices, such as fan heaters, gas-based heaters, heat exchangers, and / or any other device capable of increasing the temperature within the respective portions S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204.

[0032] The heat applicator 210 may also include one or more cooling elements 214 configured to reduce the temperature within the respective 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 a case, the cooling element 214 may be in fluid communication with a cooling fluid supply 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, for example, one or more of a heat pump, a solid refrigerant circuit, and the like. Although the heating and cooling elements 212, 214 of the heat applicator 210 are illustratively shown as structurally independent of one another, it will 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 within the interior 204.

[0033] The heating element 212 and the cooling element 214 may be configured for independent heating and cooling of the component 100 within the interior 204. That is, the heating element 212 may be capable of operating independently of the cooling element 214, and vice versa, even though the heating element 212 and the cooling element 214 together constitute one heat applicator 210 of the system 200. Additionally, each heat applicator 210 may be positioned in only one portion S1, S2, or S3 of the interior 204. In operation, embodiments of the system 200 may use the heat applicators 210 to apply different types of heat treatments to different portions P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7, P8, P9, P10, P11, P12, P13, P14, P15, P16, P17, P18, P29, P20, P21, P22, P23, P24, P25, P26, P27, P28, P29, P30, P31, P32, P33, P34, P35, P36, P37, P38, P49, P40, P41, P42, P43, P44, P45, P46, P47, P48, P49, P50, P51, P52, P53, P64, P65, P66, P67, P70, P71, P72, P73, P74, P75, P76, P77, P78, P79, P80, P81, P91, P92, P93, P94, P95, P96, P97, P98, P99, P100, P101, P102, P103, P104, P105, P106, B , P A , P T can be applied to.

[0034] To control the various heat treatments applied to the component 100, the system 200 may include a controller 220 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 configured to electrically control various operational settings of the heat applicator 210. According to an example, the controller 220 may be electrically coupled to the various heating elements 212 and control the thermal energy output of one or more heating elements 212 within the interior 204. In an example where the heating elements 212 take the form of induction heating coils, each heating element 212 may be electrically adjustable 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 and / or conversion components between the heating elements 212 and the controller 220 may be modified as necessary to convert the electrical signals into modifications to the applicable type of operation of the heating elements 212. In yet another embodiment, the heating element 212 may be operated and / or adjusted manually without the controller 220 .

[0035] The controller 220 may also be coupled to a set of cooling fluid supplies and / or valves 222 to control the amount of cooling fluid extracted from at least one cooling fluid supply 216. Each valve may control the amount of cooling fluid provided to a respective cooling element 214 (e.g., cooling fluid injector) via various fluid couplings. For example, one valve 222 may control the amount of cooling fluid delivered from a respective cooling fluid supply 216 via a first passage 224 to a cooling element 214 in a first portion S1 of the interior 204. Another valve 222 may control the amount of cooling fluid delivered from another cooling fluid supply 216 via a second passage 226 to a cooling element 214 in a second portion S2 of the interior 204. Yet another valve 222 may control the amount of cooling fluid delivered from another cooling fluid supply 216 via a third passage 228 to a cooling element 214 in a third portion S3 of the interior 204. Each cooling fluid supply 216 may include a separate gas such that a different cooling gas is injected into each portion S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204. By way of 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 valves 222 may be embodied as two-way valves for controlling the amount of cooling fluid directed to the different portions S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204. The valves 222 in further embodiments may include a system of valves in each passage 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 valves 222 may be electrically or electromechanically adjustable via the controller 220 to modify variables such as cooling temperature and / or cooling rate during operation. In this case, the controller 220 can manage the operation of each heat applicator 210 when the system 200 is operated and according to various operating methodologies as discussed herein. In yet another embodiment, the cooling gas supplies 216 and their respective valves 222 can be operated or adjusted manually without the controller 220.

[0036] According to one non-limiting example, the controller 220 may be communicatively coupled to multiple 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 respective amounts of heating and cooling to different portions of the component 100, such as the base portion P1, the base portion P2, the base portion P3, the base portion P4, the base portion P5, the base portion P6, the base portion P7, the base portion P8, the base portion P9, the base portion P11, the base portion P12, the base portion P13, the base portion P14, the base portion P15, the base portion P16, the base portion P17, the base portion P18, the base portion P29, the base portion P21, the base portion P22, the base portion P23, the base portion P24, the base portion P25, the base portion P26, the base portion P27, the base portion P28, the base portion P30, the base portion P40, the base portion P41, the base portion P50, the base portion P61, the base portion P7, the base portion P8, the base portion P9, the base portion P11, the base portion P12, the base portion P13, the base portion P14, the base portion P15, the base portion P16, the base portion P27, the base portion P17, the base portion P28, the base portion P29, the base portion P30, the base portion P41, the base portion P42, the base portion P50, the base portion P61, the base portion P19, the base portion P2 ...19, the base portion P29 B , airfoil section P A , and / or tip portion P T In operation, the heat applicator 210 in the first portion S1 of the interior 204 applies a first heat treatment to a selected portion of the component 100, such as the base portion P. B The first heat treatment may include heating a 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 / sec. Continuously or simultaneously, the heat applicator 210 in the second portion S2 of the interior 204 may apply a second heat treatment to another selected portion of the component 100, such as the airfoil portion P2. A The second heat treatment may itself 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. By way of 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 up to 150°C / sec. Thus, the first and second temperatures, time spans, and cooling rates may be different from one another, and each portion P of the component 100 may be heated to a second temperature. B , P A In a further example, embodiments of the present disclosure may perform a third heat treatment on another portion of component 100, such as tip portion P TThe third heat treatment may include simultaneously and / or sequentially using a heat applicator 210 at a third portion S3 of the interior 204 to apply a heat source to the third portion S3 of the interior 204. The third heat treatment, like other heat treatments, may be defined in terms of its operating parameters. Specifically, the third heat treatment may include heating the selected portion to a third temperature (e.g., about 1100-1240° C.), maintaining the third temperature for a third time span (e.g., about 3-5 hours), and then cooling the component 100 at a third cooling rate (e.g., about 75° C. per second to about 150° C. per second), each of which may be different from the corresponding parameters of the first and second heat treatments.

[0037] To prevent deviation from the desired parameters of each heat treatment, the system 200 may be structured to prevent deviation from the desired parameters of the heat treatment as the component 100 undergoes each heat treatment. In operation, the positions of the heat applicators 210 within the portions S1, S2, S3 of the interior 204 may be such that each heat treatment does not substantially affect portions of the component 100 outside of the respective regions. For example, two adjacent heat applicators 210 positioned in respective portions S1, S2 of the interior 204 may be spaced apart by a distance D. 1-2 , for example, at least 50 centimeters apart. Similarly, two adjacent heat applicators 210 positioned in respective portions S2, S3 of the interior 204 may be spaced apart by a distance D 2-3, for example, at least 25 centimeters apart. The separation distance between adjacent heat applicators 210 in different portions S1, S2, S3 may be any amount sufficient to prevent adjacent portions of component 100 from being affected by adjacent heat treatments. According to various embodiments, "substantially unaffected" may be interpreted as a portion of component 100 having up to 2 percent of its material composition that includes properties induced by heat treatments applied to other portions of component 100. Such properties may include, for example, creep resistance, fracture toughness, precipitate distribution, etc., as discussed elsewhere herein. The term "substantially unaffected" 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 a non-target portion of component 100.

[0038] 3-5 together, multiple heat treatments are performed via system 200 on different portions of component 100 (e.g., portion P B , P A , P T ) can result in different material properties in a single unit of component 100. FIG. 4 shows the structure of base part P on a micrometer (μm) scale after applying a first heat treatment. B FIG. 5 shows an exemplary grain composition of airfoil section P on a μm scale after applying the second heat treatment. A 4, a first heat treatment with a first temperature, heating time, and cooling rate may result in a material with a coarse grain size and distribution. In the example of FIG. 5, a second heat treatment with a second temperature greater than the first temperature, a second cooling rate greater than the first cooling rate, and a second heating time may result in a finer grain size arranged in a more uniform distribution. In such an example, the base portion P of component 100 may have a grain size distribution that is greater than the first temperature. B (FIG. 4) may be characterized by an average superalloy grain size of about 0.25 μm to about 0.75 μm. In metallurgy, the grain size may be considered "coarse" because it has a diameter of more than 1 μm. In contrast, the airfoil portion P of component 100 may be characterized by an average superalloy grain size of about 0.25 μm to about 0.75 μm. Acan be characterized by a combination of coarse and "fine" superalloy grains, i.e., having diameters up to 1 μm. FIG. 5 illustrates a combination of grains having a coarse diameter, e.g., about 2 μm, and grains having a fine diameter, e.g., about 0.4 μm. Airfoil portion P of component 100 A The coarse superalloy particles therein may, for example, make up up to about 10 percent of the material composition, while the remaining fine superalloy particles may be known as "gamma prime phase precipitates."

[0039] The different material properties resulting from 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 subcomponents of a particular component 100. For example, the portion of the component 100 that has undergone the second heat treatment may be characterized by a greater creep resistance, i.e., the ability to withstand small stresses and strains applied over an extended period of time, than other portions of the component 100 that have undergone the first 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 a material to fail after a given period of time, most often 10,000 or 100,000 hours. Thus, the second heat treatment may be used to improve the mechanical properties of the airfoil portion P. A and / or may be particularly suited to any portion of component 100 in fluid communication with flow path FP (FIG. 2).

[0040] The portion of the component 100 that has undergone a first heat treatment may be characterized by different material advantages and disadvantages compared to that of the portion that has undergone a second heat treatment. For example, the portion of the component 100 that has undergone a first heat treatment may be characterized by a fracture toughness that is greater than the fracture toughness of the portion that has undergone a different type of heat treatment. Fracture toughness refers to the toughness of a material that can accumulate before fracture occurs. Fracture toughness may be measured, for example, in Joules per square centimeter (J / cm 2), which refers to the amount of energy absorbed per surface area upon fracture. The first heat treatment may be appropriate for any portion of component 100 that experiences higher immediate stresses and / or strains, such as bonding components for attachment to other components, e.g., rotor 12 (FIG. 1).

[0041] Gamma phase precipitates may consist of metals used to strengthen the alloy composition, e.g., nickel (Ni). Gamma prime phase precipitates are intermetallic compounds where the particles are located, e.g., lattice planes or edges within the superalloy material. When gamma prime phase precipitates aggregate, they align to form a cubic structure, thereby lowering the energy state. Such a structure results in a substantially uniform distribution of gamma phase precipitates. Have In view of these properties, the first and second heat treatments may differ, for example, in that the first heat treatment does not produce a uniform distribution of gamma prime phase precipitates within the heat treated material, and the second heat treatment produces a uniform distribution of gamma prime phase precipitates within the heat treated material. For example, the base portion P of FIG. B As shown in, the absence of a uniform distribution of gamma prime phase precipitates can provide greater ductility due to a predominant (e.g., greater than 50 percent) concentration of coarse superalloy particles therein. Due to such properties, the creep resistance of the material treated with the third heat treatment can be less than that of the material treated with the second heat treatment, but greater than that of the material treated with the first heat treatment. In addition, the material treated with the third heat treatment can be characterized by a fracture toughness that is less than that of the material treated with the first heat treatment, but greater than that of the material treated with the second heat treatment.

[0042] If applicable, a third heat applicator 210 of the system 200 may apply a third heat treatment to another portion of the component 100 (e.g., tip portion P T, which may include the tip 112 and, in some cases, the shroud 114) to obtain different material properties than the first or second heat treatments. The third heat treatment may include raising a portion of the interior 204 (e.g., the third portion S3) to a temperature higher than that of the first heat treatment and cooling the component 100 in 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 distinct properties, e.g., a mixture of fine and coarse grains with a non-uniform distribution of gamma prime phase grains. 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 grains between about 20 percent and about 40 percent, and a concentration of fine superalloy grains between about 60 percent and about 80 percent.

[0043] 6, further embodiments of the system 200 are shown. The enclosure 202 of the system 200 may include an interior 204 sized to surround and seal multiple components 100 from the environment 206 at once, for example. In such a case, the enclosure 202 may remain capable of forming a vacuum or pressurized atmosphere within the interior 204. Although four components 100 are shown as an example, any possible number of components 100 may be included within the interior 204 based on the size of the enclosure 202. The thermal applicators 210 may be positioned in thermal communication with the components 100 from multiple orientations and at multiple locations within the interior 204 of the enclosure 202. In one example, a controller 220 is coupled to each thermal applicator 210, including a heating element 212 and its cooling element 214, and may apply a first, second, and / or third thermal treatment to the multiple components 100. In a further example, each thermal applicator 210 may be independently and / or manually operated. Such heat treatment may be performed on each component 100 and its respective portions (e.g., portions P B , P A , P T) simultaneously and / or sequentially on successive components 100 and / or portions thereof. The embodiment of system 200 shown in FIG. 6 may provide greater scalability than embodiments configured to apply multiple thermal treatments to a single component 100. Additionally, the enclosure 202 of system 200 may be sized such that each thermal treatment does not substantially affect other portions of the same component 100 and / or other components, as discussed elsewhere herein, e.g., with respect to FIG. 3.

[0044] 7 illustrates an exemplary environment including system 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example to better illustrate various features of controller 220 in some embodiments. According to one embodiment, controller 220 includes a computer infrastructure capable of implementing various process steps described herein to apply multiple thermal treatments to different portions of a workpiece, such as component 100. In particular, the computer infrastructure of controller 220 may include a computing device 230 comprising a thermal treatment system 232, such that computing device 230 is capable of applying various thermal treatments to component 100 by implementing process steps of the present disclosure.

[0045] The computing device 230 is shown as including a memory 242, a processor (PU) 236, an input / output (I / O) interface 240, and a bus 244. Additionally, the computing device 230 is shown to communicate with external I / O devices / resources 246 and a storage system 248. As known in the art, generally, the processor 236 executes computer program code, such as the thermal treatment system 232, stored in the memory 242 and / or the storage system 248. While executing the computer program code, the processor 236 may read and / or write data 300 from / to the memory 242, the storage system 248, and / or the I / O interface 240. The data 300 may include, for example, multiple recipes for defining parameters of various thermal treatments. A first recipe 302 may define parameters of a first thermal treatment (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 can define parameters of a second heat treatment (e.g., a second heating temperature, a second time span for holding the second temperature, a second cooling rate, etc.). A third recipe 306 of the data 300 can define parameters of a third heat treatment (e.g., a third heating temperature, a third time span for holding the third temperature, a third cooling rate, etc.). The bus 244 provides a communication link between each of the components of the computing device 230. The I / O devices 246 can comprise any device that allows a user to interact with the computing device 230 or any device that allows 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.) can be coupled to the system directly or through intervening I / O controllers.

[0046] In any event, the computing device 230 may comprise any general-purpose computing product (e.g., a personal computer, a server, a handheld device, etc.) capable of executing user-installed computer program code. However, it will be understood that the computing device 230 and the thermal processing system 232 are merely representative of various possible equivalent computing devices that may perform the various process steps of the present disclosure. In this regard, in other embodiments, the computing device 230 may comprise any special purpose computing product that includes hardware and / or computer program code for performing particular functions, any computing product that includes a combination of special purpose and general purpose hardware / software, etc. In any event, the program code and hardware may be created using standard programming and engineering techniques, respectively.

[0047] Similarly, the controller 220 with the computing device 230 is merely illustrative of various types of computer infrastructure for implementing the present disclosure. For example, in one embodiment, the computer controller 220 comprises two or more computing devices (e.g., a server cluster) that communicate over any type of wired and / or wireless communication link, such as a network, shared memory, etc., to implement the various process steps of the present disclosure. When the communication link comprises a network, the network can 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 can also be coupled to the system such that the data processing system can be coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks. Modems, cable modems, and Ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters. Regardless, communication between the computing devices can utilize any combination of various types of transmission technologies.

[0048] The controller 220 may include a thermal treatment system 232 that executes a thermal treatment program 250 to perform various methods according to the present disclosure by controlling and / or acting on the enclosure 202, the thermal applicator 210, etc. The thermal treatment program 250 may in turn include various modules 252, e.g., 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 now known or later developed algorithms, e.g., to cause the thermal applicator 210 coupled to the controller 220 to heat and cool the component 100 according to various parameters, as reflected in the data 300. As shown, the computing device 230 may be communicatively coupled to the thermal applicator 210 and perform heating and cooling, e.g., as defined by the various parameters for each thermal treatment in the data 300.

[0049] The modules 252 of the thermal treatment program 250 may, in some cases, use calculations, look-up tables, and similar tools stored in the memory 242 to process, analyze, and manipulate data to perform their respective functions, e.g., to maintain a desired temperature for a particular 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. Thus, 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. While executing the computer program code, the processor 236 may read and / or write data from / to 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 of the computing device 230. I / O device(s) 246 may comprise any device that allows a user to interact with computing device 230 or that allows computing device 230 to communicate with equipment described herein (e.g., other parts of system 200) and / or other computing devices.

[0050] A technical effect of the present disclosure is to provide a workpiece, e.g., turbomachinery component, and a system for heat treating the turbomachinery component having different properties resulting from different heat treatments applied thereto. During operation, the stresses and temperatures exposed to the component may vary throughout the component. Embodiments of the present disclosure apply different heat treatments to the component to provide different amounts of fracture toughness and creep resistance depending on the intended use of the component. Embodiments of the present disclosure allow different regions of a single workpiece, e.g., turbomachinery component, to more easily withstand different mechanical factors, e.g., mechanical creep, in one region compared to immediate stresses in another region. Thus, embodiments of the present disclosure also include turbomachinery and / or other devices that include multiple components that undergo different heat treatments in different locations and thus have different material properties in different locations.

[0051] An advantage of the present disclosure may provide a single heat treatment system for obtaining components with non-uniform amounts of creep resistance and fracture toughness. A controller for such a system may independently operate various heat applicators to apply different amounts and / or rates of heating and cooling to create different material properties within an initially homogeneous component. Such different properties may include various grain sizes and / or phase distributions within the material, including, in some cases, gamma prime phase precipitates.

[0052] As used herein throughout the specification and claims, approximation language can be applied to modify any quantitative expression that can be reasonably varied without causing a change in the basic function involved. Thus, values ​​modified by terms such as "approximately," "about," and "substantially" are not limited to the exact value specified. In at least some instances, approximation language can correspond to the precision of the instrument for measuring the value. Here, and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations can be combined and / or substituted, and such ranges are identified and include all subranges encompassed therein, unless the context and language dictate otherwise. "About" as applied to a particular value in a range applies to both ends of the value and can indicate + / - 10% of the stated value, unless otherwise dependent on the precision of the instrument for measuring the value.

[0053] The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means-plus-function or step-plus-function elements in the following claims are intended to encompass any structures, materials, or acts for performing that function in combination with other specifically claimed claim elements. The description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the disclosed form. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The present embodiment has been chosen and described in order to best explain the principles and practical application of the disclosure, and to enable others skilled in the art to understand the disclosure in its various embodiments with various modifications as appropriate for the particular use envisaged. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10. Turbomachinery 12 Rotor 14 Shaft 18 Rotor Wheel 20 Blades 21 Static Nozzle Section 22 Stationary nozzle 24 Steam 26 Entrance 100 Turbine Machine Components 102 Airfoil section 104 Negative pressure side 106 Pressure side 108 Leading Edge 110 Trailing edge 112 Tip part 114 Shroud 116 Base part 118 Fillet 200 Systems 202 Enclosure 204 Internal 206 External environment 210 Heat Applicator 212 Heating Element 214 Cooling element 216 Cooling fluid supply unit, cooling gas supply unit 220 Computer Controller 222 Valve 224 First Passage 226 Second Passage 228 Third Passage 230 Computing Devices 232 Heat Treatment System 236 Processor (PU) 240 Input / Output (I / O) Interface 242 Memory 244 Bus 246 External I / O devices and resources 248 Memory Systems 250 Heat Treatment Program 252 Modules 300 Data 302 First Recipe 304 Second Recipe 306 Third Recipe A-axis L0 stage L1 stage L2 stage L3 stage L4 stage S1 First part S2 Second part S3 Third part D 1-2 distance D 2-3 distance FP flow path P A airfoil section P B Base P T Tip part r radial axis

Claims

1. A turbomachinery blade (20), comprising: a base portion (116) configured to be attached to the rotor (12); an airfoil portion (102) having a first end coupled to said base portion (116) and a second end opposite said first end, said airfoil portion (102) having a creep resistance greater than said base portion (116) and a fracture toughness less than said base portion (116); a tip portion (112) coupled to the second end of the airfoil portion (102), the tip portion (112) having a creep resistance less than the airfoil portion (102) and greater than the base portion (116), and the tip portion (112) having a fracture toughness less than the base portion (116) and greater than the airfoil portion (102); wherein each of the base portion (116), the airfoil portion (102), and the tip portion (112) of the turbomachine blade (20) are formed from a single alloy or superalloy material.

2. 2. The turbomachine blade of claim 1, wherein a material composition of the airfoil portion includes a substantially uniform distribution of gamma prime phase precipitates, and a material composition of the base portion and a material composition of the tip portion do not include a substantially uniform distribution of gamma prime precipitates.

3. The turbomachine blade (20) of any preceding claim, wherein the tip portion (112) contains a greater proportion of coarse particles having a diameter greater than 1 μm than the airfoil portion (102).

4. The turbomachine blade (20) of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the base portion (116) includes a greater proportion of coarse grains having diameters greater than 1 μm than the airfoil portion (102).

5. The turbomachine blade (20) of any preceding claim, wherein the ductility of the base portion (116) is greater than the ductility of the airfoil portion (102) and the ductility of the tip portion (112).

6. The turbomachinery blade (20) of claim 1, further comprising a shroud (114) portion coupled to the tip portion (112), the fracture toughness and creep resistance of the shroud (114) being approximately equal to those of the tip portion (112).

7. A turbomachine (10) having an internal flow path (FP), A rotor (12); a plurality of rotatable blade structures coupled to the rotor (12) and positioned within the internal flowpath (FP), at least one of the plurality of blade structures being a turbomachine blade (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 6; A turbomachine (10) comprising:

8. 8. The turbomachine (10) of claim 7, wherein the at least one of the plurality of blade structures further comprises a shroud (114) portion coupled to the tip portion (112), the shroud (114) having a fracture toughness and creep resistance approximately equal to the tip portion (112).

9. 1. A method for heat treating a turbomachine blade (20) formed of a superalloy material, comprising the steps of: applying a first heat treatment to a base portion (116) of the turbomachine blade (20), the base portion (116) being configured for attachment to a rotor (12), the first heat treatment comprising 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; applying a second heat treatment to an airfoil portion (102) of the turbomachine blade (20) independent of the first heat treatment, the airfoil portion (102) having a first end coupled to the base portion (116) and a second end opposite the first end, the second heat treatment including heating the airfoil portion (102) to a second temperature higher than 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 greater than the first cooling rate; applying a third heat treatment to a tip portion (112) of the turbomachine blade (20), independent of the first heat treatment and the second heat treatment, the tip portion (112) being coupled to the airfoil portion (102), the third heat treatment including heating the tip portion (112) to a third temperature higher than the first temperature but lower than 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 higher than the first cooling rate but lower than the second cooling rate; A method comprising:

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