ND:YAG LASER CUTTING AND WELDING OF COMBUSTION CHAMBER MATERIALS

JET ENGINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS ROUTINELY REQUIRE REPAIR BY REMOVING CRACKED SECTIONS AND WELDING IN NEW ONES. LASER CUTTING AND WELDING MKE IT POSSIBLE TO PERFORM THESE REPAIRS MUCH FASTER. INTEGRATION OF THE LASER WITH A ROBOT WOULD MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO PERFORM THE REPAIRS SEMI-AUTOMATICALLY. THIS STUDY WILL EVALUATE THE PARAMETERS REQUIRED TO CUT AND WELD WITH A PULSED ND:YAG LASER THE MATERIALS USED IN PRATT AND WHITNEY TF30 COMBUSTION CHAMBERS. THESE MATERIALS CONSIST OF 0.045 INCH TO 0.090 INCH THICK HASTELLOY-X, HAYNES-188, AND STELLITE-31. THE CUTS AND WELDS PRODUCED WILL BE EVALUATED BY METALLOGRAPHY, MECHANICAL TESTING, MICROHARDNESS TESTING, AND ELEMENTAL MICROANALYSIS. IN ADDITION, THE CUTS AND WELDS WILL BE COMPARED WITH THOSE PRODUCED PREVIOUSLY WITH A CO(2) LASER IN A SEPARATE STUDY. RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE MDE ON THE SUITABILITY OF USING A PULSED MD:YAG LASER TO REPAIR JET ENGINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS.