Braze Filler Feed Channels for Narrow-Gap Superalloy Joints
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for brazing, such as welding, can cause distortion or micro-cracking in superalloy materials, and struggle with achieving precise tolerances in narrow gaps, particularly in tooling lugs of turbine nozzles, where the diameter of holes must be within tight tolerances to ensure proper machining and assembly.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a braze chamber and internal channels in one component to feed a braze filler into a gap between components, allowing the filler to flow and solidify, creating a strong, precise braze joint with controlled gap sizes, using nickel-based braze fillers that are difficult to form due to low ductility, and eliminating detrimental phases like eutectic phases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If welding is used to plug and re-drill holes in tooling lugs, then hole position and diameter can be corrected to meet tolerance requirements, but distortion or micro-cracking occurs in the superalloy material
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the joining process parameter from welding to brazing, using a filler metal with lower melting point than the superalloy tooling lug material. This allows the hole to be filled and re-drilled without subjecting the superalloy to welding temperatures that cause distortion and micro-cracking, while still achieving the required hole position and diameter tolerances
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a filler metal as an intermediary material in the brazing process. This filler metal acts as a mediator that joins the tooling lug to the fixture pin, allowing correction of hole position and diameter without directly welding the superalloy material itself, thereby avoiding thermal damage
2Strength
If conventional brazing methods are used to fill void spaces between metal items, then joining strength is achieved, but precise control of gap size and filler flow is difficult in narrow gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the brazing system into three distinct components: a braze chamber for holding the filler metal, internal channels for controlled delivery, and the braze gap for joining. This segmentation allows precise control of filler metal flow into narrow gaps while maintaining joint strength
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary action by pre-positioning the filler metal in a braze chamber and pre-forming internal channels within the tooling lug before the actual brazing operation. This preparation enables controlled delivery of filler metal to the braze gap, ensuring precise gap size control and complete filling without excess material
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables high-quality, narrow-gap braze joints with tight tolerances, reducing distortion and micro-cracking, and facilitating easier assembly and control of braze gap sizes, resulting in excellent mechanical properties and uniformity.
Implementation Method 1
The filler braze metal material melts and flows into a joint between the two metal items or into a crack or gap within a metal item. The filler braze metal material ideally flows into the joint, crack, or gap by capillary action.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A method includes heating a brazing material (32) in a braze chamber (20) of a first component (10) to a braze temperature to melt the brazing material (32). The brazing material (32) flows from the braze chamber (20), through at least one internal channel (22) of the first component (10), and into a braze gap (18) between the first component (10) and a second component (16) to braze the first component (10) to the second component (16). In a further aspect, a brazed article (40) includes a first component (10) having a braze chamber (20) and at least one internal channel (22) extending from the braze chamber (20) to an external surface (12), a second component (16) having at least one braze surface (14) separated from the external surface (12) of the first component (10) by a braze gap (18), and a braze material (42) in the braze gap (18). Further, a braze assembly (30) includes a first component (10), a second component (16), and a brazing material (32) in the braze chamber (20).