Laser Welding By-Product Removal for Argon-Shielded Titanium Blades
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Solution Overview
Problem
During laser welding of hollow titanium fan blades, existing technologies fail to effectively remove by-products such as titanium vapors/soot from the argon environment, which can lead to oxidation and compromised structural integrity.
Innovation Solution
A laser welding by-product removal device featuring a housing with a first circumferential plenum for delivering argon gas and a second circumferential plenum with by-product outlet holes connected to a vacuum source to continuously remove vapors/soot, ensuring a controlled argon environment and preventing oxidation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If argon gas is used to protect the welding area, then oxidation is prevented, but by-products such as titanium vapors and soot accumulate and compromise structural integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts harmful by-products (titanium vapors and soot) from the argon protective atmosphere using a vacuum system with pumping ports. This removes the harmful factors while preserving the beneficial argon shielding function, preventing by-product accumulation that would compromise structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains an inert argon atmosphere around the welding area to prevent oxidation, while simultaneously using vacuum ports to remove combustion by-products. This combines inert atmosphere protection with active by-product removal to ensure both oxidation prevention and structural integrity.
2Reliability
If continuous argon flow is used to protect the fan blade, then oxidation during welding is prevented, but by-products rise to the top of the argon bath and cannot be effectively removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts by-products from the argon bath using vacuum pumping ports positioned to capture rising vapors and soot. This active extraction system overcomes the passive limitation of by-products simply rising to the top, enabling effective removal while maintaining continuous argon flow for oxidation prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum system acts as an intermediary between the argon protective atmosphere and the external environment, selectively removing harmful by-products while allowing the argon shielding function to continue uninterrupted. This mediator system resolves the conflict between maintaining argon protection and removing by-products.
3Reliability
If laser welding is performed in an open-top container filled with argon, then the welding area is protected, but by-products accumulate and require complex removal mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a relatively simple vacuum system with pumping ports to extract by-products from the argon-filled container. This extraction approach avoids complex removal mechanisms while effectively managing by-product accumulation, maintaining welding protection with minimal system complexity.
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
The device maintains a pristine argon environment around the welding area, preventing oxidation and ensuring the structural integrity of the titanium fan blades by effectively removing by-products during the welding process.
Implementation Method 1
A vacuum source is connected to the by-product outlet to draw flow through the by-product inlet holes and through the by-product outlet
Implementation Method 2
A first circumferential plenum circumscribes the peripheral sidewall at the proximate housing end and includes a gas inlet and a first circumferential plenum base surface that includes a plurality of gas outlet holes
Data Source
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AI summary
A laser welding by-product removal device comprises a housing that includes distal and proximate ends separated along a central axis by a peripheral sidewall. A first plenum circumscribes the peripheral sidewall at the proximate housing end and includes a gas inlet and a first plenum base surface that includes a plurality of gas outlet holes. A second plenum circumscribes the peripheral sidewall between the first plenum and the distal housing end, where the second plenum includes a second plenum base surface, radially inner and outer sidewalls that extend axially distal from the second plenum base surface. The second plenum includes a top surface extending between the radially inner and outer sidewalls, and a by-product outlet in the top surface, where at least one of the second plenum base surface and the radially outer sidewall includes a plurality of by-product inlet holes.