IN SITU TIP REPAIR OF AN AIRFOIL TIP IN A GAS TURBINE ENGINE VIA FRICTIONAL WELDING

摘要

Methods for material build-up on a tip 69 of a blade 68 of a gas turbine engine 10 are provided. The method can include inserting a material supply 102 and an inflatable bladder 100 between the tip 69 and a shroud 76 such that the material supply 102 is exposed to the tip 69 and the inflatable bladder 100 is positioned between the material supply 102 and a shroud 76, inflating the inflatable bladder 100 to force contact between the material supply 102 and the tip 69, and causing relative movement between the material supply 100 and the tip 69. The relative movement, in combination with the radial biased contact between the material supply 102 and the tip 69, creates heat through friction. As such, the relative movement can frictionally weld new material from the material supply 102 onto the tip 69 of the blade 68. For example, the heat created can be sufficient to melt the surface of the material supply 102 to transfer material from the material supply 102 to the tip 69.