Methods and apparatus for fabricating gas turbine engines

Abstract

Methods and apparatus of fabricating a gas turbine engine component are provided. The method includes selecting a surface of a component to apply a wear-resistant material, applying a formed wear pad fabricated from a wear-resistant alloy and a braze material, and vacuum brazing the component and applied wear pad wherein the wear-resistant alloy is bonded to the component surface using the braze material.

1 - 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . A method in accordance with claim  0  wherein applying a wear resistant material comprises:
 alternately layering a braze layer and a wear-resistant alloy layer;   forming the wear pad to predetermined dimensions; and   sintering the wear pad to facilitate fusing the powder particles.   
     
     
         6 . A method in accordance with claim  0  wherein applying a wear resistant material comprises blending the braze material powder and the wear-resistant alloy powder to form a substantially uniformly dispersed mixture. 
     
     
         7 . A method in accordance with claim  0  wherein blending the braze material powder and the wear-resistant alloy powder to form a substantially uniformly dispersed mixture comprises blending between approximately 5% and 40% braze material, by weight and between approximately 60% and 95% wear-resistant alloy, by weight. 
     
     
         8 . A method in accordance with  claim 6  wherein blending the braze material powder and the wear-resistant alloy powder to form a substantially uniformly dispersed mixture comprises, blending between approximately 19% and 21%, by weight, of braze material powder and between approximately 79% and 81%, by weight, of wear-resistant alloy powder. 
     
     
         9 . A method in accordance with  claim 7  wherein blending a braze material powder and a wear-resistant alloy powder further comprises:
 forming the wear pad to predetermined dimensions; and   sintering the formed wear pad to fuse the powder particles.   
     
     
         10 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A newly manufactured component comprising:
 a surface; and   a wear-resistant material diffusion bonded to said surface using at least one of a wear pad that is pre-formed, a slurry, and a green tape, said wear-resistant material comprising a braze material powder and a wear-resistant alloy powder mixture, said wear-resistant material having a machined surface that defines a wear surface of said component, said wear-resistant material comprising said braze material and said wear-resistant alloy mixture.   
     
     
         14 . A newly manufactured component in accordance with claim  0  wherein said surface comprises a wear surface on a flange of a turbomachine shroud hanger member, said flange configured to support a shroud component of a turbomachine. 
     
     
         15 . A newly manufactured component in accordance with claim  0  wherein said wear-resistant material comprises between approximately 5% and 40% braze material, by weight and between approximately 60% and 95% wear-resistant alloy, by weight. 
     
     
         16 . A newly manufactured component in accordance with claim  0  wherein said wear-resistant material comprises between approximately 19% and 21% braze material, by weight and between approximately 79% and 81% wear-resistant alloy, by weight. 
     
     
         17 . A newly manufactured component in accordance with claim  0  wherein said braze material comprises, by weight, between approximately 22.5% and 24.25% chromium, between approximately 9.0% and 11.0% nickel, between approximately 6.5% and 7.5% tungsten, between approximately 3.0% and 4.0% tantalum, between approximately 2.6% and 3.0% boron, the remainder comprising cobalt, minor alloying elements, and incidental impurities. 
     
     
         18 . A newly manufactured component in accordance with claim  0  wherein said wear-resistant alloy comprises, by weight, between approximately 27% and 29% molybdenum, between approximately 16.5% and 17.5% chromium, between approximately 3.0% and 3.5% silicon, less than approximately 3% iron, less than approximately 3% nickel, the remainder comprising cobalt, minor alloying elements, and incidental impurities. 
     
     
         19 . A gas turbine engine turbine assembly comprising:
 a compressor;   a high-pressure turbine coupled to said compressor by a rotor shaft; and   a shroud assembly at least partially circumscribing said turbine, said shroud assembly comprising a shroud hanger member having a forward face having a surface and a wear-resistant material applied to said surface using a vacuum brazing process, said wear-resistant material comprising a mixture of between approximately 5% and 40% of a braze material, by weight and between approximately 60% and 95% of a wear-resistant alloy material, by weight, said braze material comprising, by weight, between approximately 20.0% and 25.0% chromium, between approximately 8.0% and 12.0% nickel, between approximately 5.0% and 9.0% tungsten, between approximately 2.0% and 5.0% tantalum, between approximately 1.5% and 5.0% boron, the remainder comprising cobalt, minor alloying elements, and incidental impurities, said wear-resistant alloy comprising, by weight, between approximately 25% and 30% molybdenum, between approximately 15.0% and 20.0% chromium, between approximately 2.0% and 4.0% silicon, less than approximately 4.0% iron, less than approximately 4.0% nickel, the remainder comprising cobalt, minor alloying elements, and incidental impurities.   
     
     
         20 . A gas turbine engine turbine assembly in accordance with  claim 18  wherein said wear-resistant material comprises a mixture of between approximately 19% and 21% of a braze material, by weight and between approximately 79% and 81% of a wear-resistant alloy material, by weight, said braze material comprising, by weight, between approximately 22.5% and 24.25% chromium, between approximately 9.0% and 11.0% nickel, between approximately 6.5% and 7.5% tungsten, between approximately 3.0% and 4.0% tantalum, between approximately 2.6% and 3.0% boron, the remainder comprising cobalt, minor alloying elements, and incidental impurities, said wear-resistant alloy comprising, by weight, between approximately 27% and 29% molybdenum, between approximately 16.5% and 17.5% chromium, between approximately 3.0% and 3.5% silicon, less than approximately 3% iron, less than approximately 3% nickel, the remainder comprising cobalt, minor alloying elements, and incidental impurities.