Refurbishing Inconel 738 blades in GE-Frame5 gas turbines through laser cladding and welding
محورهای موضوعی : Surface Engineering
Peyman Toosi
1
,
Hamid Zarepour
2
,
Mohammad-Ali Rezaei
3
1 - Modern Manufacturing Technologies Research Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
2 - Modern Manufacturing Technologies Research Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
3 - Department of Materials Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
کلید واژه: Laser welding, Laser cladding, Turbine blade refurbishment, Inconel 738,
چکیده مقاله :
This study aims to study the refurbishment of the first-stage Inconel 738 blades for GE-Frame 5 gas turbines through laser cladding and welding techniques. Laser welding employed a pulsed Nd:YAG system outfitted with a manual 0.7mm Inconel 625 filler wire feed. Meanwhile, laser cladding utilized a continuous fiber laser coupled to an automated powder injection system for Inconel 625. Process parameters such as scan speed, laser power output, and powder feeding rate were carefully optimized to refine the laser cladding protocol. Testing revealed laser settings of 400W power, 15g/s powder feed, and 8mm/s scan speed generated coats with superior geometry, eliminated hot cracking entirely, and minimized porosity. Preliminary welds determined optimal settings of 4mm/s scan speed at 5kW maximum power. Subsequently, 20 layers were deposited in simulation of worn blade tip repair welds. Both methods effectively reduced heat-impacted zones through refined parameters. Pulsed laser welding with filler material expanded repair options for gas turbine blades. However, surface hardness in treated areas was somewhat less than the base due to phase transformations during laser cladding and welding.
[1] Salwan GK, Subbarao R, Mondal S (2021) Comparison and selection of suitable materials applicable for gas turbine blades. Mater Today Proc 46:8864–8870. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2021.05.003
[2] Liu R, Wang Z, Sparks T, Liou F, Newkirk J (2017) Aerospace applications of laser additive manufacturing. In: Brandt M (ed) Laser Additive Manufacturing. Woodhead Publishing Elsevier, pp. 351–371. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100433-3.00013-0.
[3] Kataria R, Singh RP, Sharma P, Phanden RK (2021) Welding of super alloys: A review. Mater Today Proc 38:265–268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.07.198
[4] AL-Nafeay RH, AL-Roubaiy AO, Omidvar H (2021) Overview of joining and repairing techniques of Ni-based superalloy for industrial gas turbine applications. IOP Conf Ser: Mater Sci Eng 1094:012141
[5] Carter TJ (2005) Common failures in gas turbine blades. Eng Fail Anal 12:237–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2004.07.004
[6] Su CY, Chou CP, Wu BC, Lih WC (1997) Plasma transferred arc repair welding of the nickel-base superalloy IN-738LC. J Mater Eng Perform 6:619–627. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-997-0055-7
[7] Arjakine N, Bruck J, Gru¨ger B, Seeger DM, Wilkenhoener R (2008) Advanced weld repair of gas turbine hot section components. ASME Turbo Expo 2008: Power for Land, Sea, and Air (ASMEDC) 1: 559-564. https://doi.org/10.1115/GT2008-51534
[8] Xu H, Huang H, Liu Z (2021) Influence of plasma transferred arc remelting on microstructure and properties of PTAW-deposited Ni-based overlay coating. J Therm Spray Tech 30:946–958. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11666-021-01183-1
[9] Banerjee K, Richards NL, Chaturvedi MC (2005) Effect of filler alloys on heat-affected zone cracking in preweld heat-treated IN-738 LC gas-tungsten-arc welds. Metall Mater Trans A 36:1881–1890. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-005-0051-1
[10] Durocher J, Richards NL (2007) Characterization of the micro-welding process for repair of nickel base superalloys. J Mater Eng Perform 16:710–719. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-007-9112-5
[11] Keivanloo A, Naffakh-Moosavy H, Miresmaeili R (2021) The effect of pulsed laser welding on hot cracking susceptible region size and weld pool internal geometry of Inconel 718: Numerical and experimental approaches. CIRP J Manuf Sci Technol 35:787–794. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cirpj.2021.09.001
[12] Lippold JC, Kiser SD, DuPont JN (2011) Welding metallurgy and weldability of nickel-base alloys. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey
[13] Zhong M, Liu W (2010) Laser surface cladding: the state of the art and challenges. Proc Inst Mech Eng, Part C: J Mech Eng Sci 224:1041–1060. https://doi.org/10.1243/09544062JMES17
[14] Bielenin M, Bergmann JP, Sieber P (2017) Repair of nickel-based superalloys by pulsed Nd:YAG welding with wire feeding. Proc Lasers in Manuf Conf (LiM 2017) München, Germany
[15] Brandt M, Sun S, Alam N, Bendeich P, Bishop A (2009) Laser cladding repair of turbine blades in power plants: from research to commercialisation. Int Heat Treat Surf Eng 3:105–14. https://doi.org/10.1179/174951409X12542264513843
[16] Chen C, Wu HC, Chiang MF. Laser cladding in repair of IN738 turbine blades (2008) Int Heat Treat Surf Eng 2:140–6. https://doi.org/10.1179/174951508X446484
[17] Taheri M, Halvaee A, Kashani-Bozorg SF (2019) Effect of Nd:YAG pulsed-laser welding parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties of GTD-111 superalloy joint. Mater Res Express 6:076549. https://doi.org/10.1088/2053-1591/ab1534
[18] Kou S (2003) Welding metallurgy, 3rd edn. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey
[19] Cherif S, Zakaria B (2018) Effect of welding current on microstructures and mechanical properties of welded Ni-base superalloy INC738LC. World J Eng 15:14–20. https://doi.org/10.1108/WJE-03-2017-0064/FULL/XML
[20] Taheri M, Halvaee A, Golezani AS, Kashi AA (2020) Investigation of melting rate in welding of IN738 Nickel-based superalloy by Nd:YAG pulsed-laser method. Eng Res Express 2:045025. https://doi.org/10.1088/2631-8695/abcd0d
[21] Rezaei MA, Naffakh-Moosavy H (2018) The effect of pre-cold treatment on microstructure, weldability and mechanical properties in laser welding of superalloys. J Manuf Process 34:339–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2018.06.018
[22] Taheri M, Kashani-Bozorg SF, Alizadeh A, Beni MH, Jam JE, Khorram A (2021) Analysis of liquation and solidification cracks in the electron beam welding of GTD-111 nickel-base superalloy joint. Mater Res Express 8: 076507. https://doi.org/10.1088/2053-1591/ac1007
[23] Han S-W, Cho W-I, Na S-J, Kim C-H (2013) Influence of driving forces on weld pool dynamics in GTA and laser welding. Weld World 57:257–264. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-012-0020-4
