IP Library Granted Patent US 12,285,804
Granted Patent B2
US 12,285,804 · App. 18/000,622 · Granted Apr 29, 2025

Method to produce an additively manufactured, graded composite transition joint

Inventors: Xingbo Liu (Morgantown, WV); Zhili Feng (Knoxville, TN); Yanli Wang (Knoxville, TN); David Novotnak (Mcdonald, PA); Haiyang Qian (Avon, CT)
Assignees: GE Infrastructure Technology LLC; UT Battelle, LLC; West Virginia University Board of Governors on Behalf of West Virginia University; Carpenter Technology Corporation
B22F7/062B22F7/002B22F10/28B22F10/38B23K35/22B33Y10/00B33Y80/00B22F2207/01B22F2301/35B22F2998/10B22F2999/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,285,804
App. No.
18/000,622
Granted
Apr 29, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for producing an additively manufactured, graded composite transition joint (AM-GCTJ) includes preparing a grating or lattice pattern from a first alloy A; the grating or lattice pattern includes pores in the grating or lattice patterns. The grating pattern is built from a first end to a second end being denser on the first end than on second end, and gradually reduces density by increasing the pore size and/or reducing density of the grating or lattice pattern; adding a second alloy B powder to the second end of grating or lattice pattern. The second alloy B powder is filled towards the first end. A composite is formed of first alloy A and second alloy B powder in the AM-GCTJ. The composite is subjected to hot isostatic pressing (HIP) to densify the composite. The second alloy B is graduated from the first end to the second end O of AM-GCTJ.

Claims (32)

1. A method for producing an additively manufactured, graded composite transition joint (AM-GCTJ), the method comprising:

preparing a grating or lattice pattern from a first alloy A, wherein the grating or lattice pattern includes pores in the grating or lattice pattern;

building the grating or lattice pattern from a first end to a second end of the grating or lattice pattern, the grating or lattice pattern having a density being more dense on the first end than the second end, and wherein the grating or lattice pattern gradually reduces the density by at least one of increasing the pore size from the first end to the second end or reducing the density of the grating or lattice pattern as the grating or lattice pattern is additively manufactured;

adding a second alloy B powder to the grating or lattice pattern

from the first end towards the second end of the grating or lattice pattern;

forming a composite of the first alloy A and the second alloy B powder in the AM-GCTJ; and

subjecting the composite to hot isostatic pressing (HIP) to densify the composite, wherein, the second alloy B powder has a graduated concentration from the first end to the second end of the AM-GCTJ.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preparing includes preparing the grating or lattice pattern by at least one of selective laser melting (SLM) or selective laser sintering (SLS).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adding includes vibrating the second alloy B to fall from the second end towards the first end of the grating or lattice pattern.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preparing includes preparing the grating or lattice pattern by additively building the grating or lattice pattern from the first end to the second end.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pores have a pore size with a diameter in the range from about tens of micrometers to about hundreds of micrometers.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the vibrating the second alloy B powder towards the first end of the grating or lattice pattern includes ultrasonic vibrating the second alloy B powder.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second alloy B powder is graduated from a concentration of about 0% at the first end of the grating or lattice pattern to about 100% at the second end of the grating or lattice pattern.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first alloy A includes an austenitic stainless steel and the second alloy B includes a creep strength enhanced ferritic steel.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first alloy A includes a creep strength enhanced ferritic steel and the second alloy B includes an austenitic stainless steel.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first alloy A includes a creep strength enhanced ferritic steel and the second alloy B includes a superalloy.

11. An additively manufactured, graded transition joint (AM-GCTJ), comprising:

a first alloy A;

a second alloy B;

a transition joint, wherein a larger concentration of the first alloy A is disposed at a first end of the transition joint, which also has a lower concentration of the second alloy B, and a larger concentration of the second alloy B is disposed at a second end of the transition joint, which also has a lower concentration of the first alloy A; and

a gradient composite transition of the first alloy A and the second alloy B is disposed between the first end of the transition joint and the second end of the transition joint, wherein the gradient composite transition of the first alloy A and the second alloy B includes a graded transition of the first alloy A and the second alloy B from the first end of the transition joint to the second end of the transition joint, and wherein the gradient composite transition includes a grating or lattice pattern of the first alloy A that includes pores with a size that increases from the first end of the transition joint to the second end of the transition joint.

12. The additively manufactured-graded transition joint (AM-GCTJ) of claim 11 , wherein the first alloy A is configured to be welded at the first end of the transition joint and the second alloy B is configured to be welded at the second end of the transition joint.

13. The additively manufactured-graded transition joint (AM-GCTJ) of claim 11 , wherein the graded transition from the first end of the transition joint to the second end of the transition joint is about 0% of the second alloy B at the first end to about 100% of the second alloy B at the second end.

14. The additively manufactured-graded transition joint (AM-GCTJ) of claim 11 , wherein the first alloy A includes a creep strength enhanced ferritic steel and the second alloy B includes an austenitic stainless steel.

15. The additively manufactured-graded transition joint (AM-GCTJ) of claim 11 , wherein the first alloy A includes a creep strength enhanced ferritic steel and the second alloy B includes a superalloy.

16. An additively manufactured, graded transition joint (AM-GCTJ), comprising:

a mixture of a first alloy A and a second alloy B;

the first alloy A includes a grating or lattice pattern having a graduated density of the first alloy A, the grating or lattice pattern having a first end and a second end, and the grating or lattice pattern includes at least one pore, the at least one pore has a pore size diameter in a range from between about tens of micrometers to about hundreds of micrometers; and

the grating or lattice pattern having a density of the first alloy A on the second end that is denser than the the density of the first alloy A at the first end, and the density has a graduated volumetric ratio from 0% to 100% by at least one of increasing the pore size from the second end to the first end or reducing the grating or the lattice pattern density as layers are additively built up from the second end towards the first end, and wherein the second alloy B is added to the grating or lattice pattern to form a composite with the grating or lattice pattern, wherein the composite has a concentration of the second alloy B from about 0% of the second alloy B at the second end to about 100% of the second alloy B at the first end of the AM-GCTJ.

17. The additively manufactured-graded transition joint (AM-GCTJ) of claim 16 , wherein the first alloy A includes a creep strength enhanced ferritic steel and the second alloy B includes an austenitic stainless steel.

18. The additively manufactured-graded transition joint (AM-GCTJ) of claim 16 , wherein the first alloy A includes a creep strength enhanced ferritic steel and the second alloy B includes a superalloy.

19. The additively manufactured-graded transition joint (AM-GCTJ) of claim 16 , wherein the first alloy A is configured to be welded at a first transition joint end and the second alloy B is configured to welded at a second transition joint end.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2023
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: GE INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 065727/0001 →
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Mar 6, 2023
From: WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CORPORATION
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 062885/0590 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 9, 2023
From: NOVOTNAK, DAVID
To: CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 062638/0390 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 3, 2023
From: FENG, ZHILI; WANG, YANLI
To: UT-BATTELLE, LLC
Reel/Frame 062585/0654 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 3, 2023
From: QIAN, HAIYANG
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 062585/0667 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 3, 2023
From: LIU, XINGBO
To: WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY BOARD OF GOVERNORS ON BEHALF OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 062585/0681 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62704965 · Jun 4, 2020
Related Publication 20230211415A1 · Jul 6, 2023
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