Inconel Blisk Repair Technology

Advanced aero engines use integrally bladed rotor (IBR)/blisks in the compressor. To maintain affordability, the need for weld repairs of either partial or full blades is warranted to avoid expensive IBR/blisk replacements resulting from foreign object damage (FOD) to the airfoils. Adequate repair technology for blisks due to FOD does not exist, and repaired blisks must meet the OEM design properties. Laser-based direct metal deposition (DMD) process has demonstrated that it can fabricate fully functional metal prototype parts, repair industrial tooling, die-casting and forging, and restore wear resistant and corrosion resistant surfaces for turbine blades. The DMD process equipped with proper sensors and numerically controlled devices can help in overcoming those hurdles to fabricate the blades. Not only thermal control to provide uniform heat flow, but spatial control of crystal texture of the blades by feedback control devices is also essential. The goals of proposal are, (1) to conceptualize, evaluate, and determine the feasibility of repair techniques that will restore the airfoils in an IBR/blisk to their original material properties after a FOD event, (2) to demonstrate cost-effectiveness of the proposed technique, (3) to identify hardware and tools needed for the procedure, and (4) evaluate improvements over current repair methodologies.