Welded Machine Assembly Refurbishment by Local Peening

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional overhauling techniques require disassembly of machine components, leading to increased costs, time, and effort, especially when thermal expansion and loading changes affect the distance between welded components, necessitating a method to refurbish assemblies without disassembly.

Innovation Solution

A method involving peening the flared aft portion and a part of the fore portion of machine components to plastically deform them from an initial to a desired final position relative to adjacent components, allowing for refurbishment within the assembled state using processes like ultrasonic, shot, water jet, or laser shock peening.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional overhauling techniques are used to refurbish machine components, then the components can be replaced, but it requires disassembly of the assembly which increases costs, time, and effort

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent replacementVSAvoiddisassembly time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The method applies peening treatment to the flared aft portion in advance to create a pre-distorted shape that compensates for thermal expansion and loading deformations. This preliminary action allows the component to self-adjust to the correct position during operation without requiring disassembly for adjustment or replacement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The peening process changes the physical parameters of the flared aft portion by introducing compressive residual stresses and plastic deformation. This parameter change allows the component to maintain proper positioning under varying thermal and mechanical conditions without disassembly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If traditional overhauling techniques are used to refurbish machine components, then the components can be replaced, but it entails additional costs and effort

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent replacementVSAvoidrefurbishment cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of discarding and replacing the entire component, the method recovers and refurbishes only the specific flared aft portion through peening treatment. This selective recovery approach reduces material waste and refurbishment costs while maintaining component reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Solution Approach 2:

The method replaces the mechanical system of disassembly and replacement with a peening process that uses controlled plastic deformation and residual stress introduction to achieve the same functional result at lower cost and without disassembly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Temperature

If thermal expansion differences exist between adjacent machine components, then expansion characteristics differ, but this results in plastic deformation and distance changes that affect assembly function

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal expansionVSAvoiddistance between components

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The peening process applies preliminary anti-action by introducing compressive residual stresses in the flared aft portion that counteract the tensile stresses caused by thermal expansion and loading. This pre-applied counter-force prevents excessive plastic deformation and maintains manufacturing precision during operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The method applies local quality by treating only the flared aft portion with peening while leaving the rest of the component unchanged. This localized treatment creates different stress states and mechanical properties in specific areas to compensate for differential thermal expansion between adjacent components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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

Enables quick, cost-effective refurbishment of machine assemblies by maintaining components in their assembled state, reducing downtime and subsequent service intervals, while imparting compressive residual stresses for enhanced resistance to loading.

Implementation Method 1

the flared aft portion and a part of the fore portion proximal to the flared aft portion of the first component is subject to peening until the flared aft portion is plastically deformed from an initial position to a desired final position

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPlastic deformation: Plasticity

Implementation Method 2

imparting compressive residual stresses for enhanced resistance to loading

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectResidual stress:

Data Source

PatentUS10914384B2Method for refurbishing an assembly of a machine

Publication Date: 2021.02.09 SOLAR TURBINES INC

AI summary

A method for refurbishing an assembly having a first component and a second component is provided. The first component has a fore portion welded to the second component and a flared aft portion in proximity with the second component. The method includes processing the assembly such that the flared aft portion and a part of the fore portion proximal to the flared aft portion of the first component is subject to peening until the flared aft portion is plastically deformed from an initial position to a desired final position with respect to the second component.