• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    A drilling tool (112) is provided for use in machining a conductive workpiece. The tool includes a body portion (134), a front electrode (136) coupled to the body portion (134), and at least one side electrode (140, 144) coupled to the body portion (134). When electrical power is supplied to the front electrode (136) and the at least one side electrode (140, 144), material adjacent to the front electrode (136) and the at least one side electrode (140, 144) is removed from the conductive workpiece. The front electrode (136) and the at least one side electrode (140, 144) are selectively operable to form a bore having a variable geometry extending through the conductive workpiece when the material is removed therefrom.
    公开号:CH711389A2
    申请号:CH00954/16
    申请日:2016-07-22
    公开日:2017-01-31
    发明作者:Lee Trimmer Andrew；James Nieters Edward；Luo Yuanfeng；Frank Hoskin Robert；Gordon McNamara Jeremy；Michael Moricca Timothy
    申请人:Gen Electric；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    BACKGROUND
    [0001] The present disclosure relates generally to electrochemical machining (ECM), and more particularly, to systems and methods for forming a continuous variable geometry bore in a conductive workpiece.
    Circulating machines such as gas turbines are often used to generate electricity with electric generators. For example, gas turbines have a gas path that typically includes an air inlet, a compressor, a combustor, a turbine, and a gas outlet in a serial flow relationship. Compressor and turbine sections include at least one row of circumferentially spaced rotating vanes or vanes coupled within a housing. At least some known turbine engines are used in combined heat and power plants and power plants. Engines used in such applications may have a high specific power and power mass flow requirement. Furthermore, the efficiency of gas turbines is directly proportional to the temperature of the exhaust gas discharged from the combustion chamber and bypassing the rotating vanes or vanes of the turbine. As such, the extreme temperatures of the exhaust generally require that the static and rotating turbine blades be made of high temperature resistant materials and that cooling features be included.
    For example, turbine blades are typically cooled by directing the compressor discharge air through a plurality of cooling channels extending through the turbine blades. At least one known process for forming the cooling channels in the turbine blades is Shaped Tube Electrochemical Machining (STEM). STEM is a non-contact electrochemical machining process that uses a conductive workpiece (i.e., the turbine blades) as the anode and an elongated drill pipe as the cathode. Because the conductive workpiece is flooded with an electrolyte solution, material is oxidized and removed from the conductive workpiece near the leading edge of the drill pipe. STEM is generally effective in forming straight cooling channels that have large aspect ratios within turbine blades. However, the fixed orientation of an electrode tip located at the leading edge of the drill pipe and the rigidity of the elongate drill pipe generally limits the geometry in which the cooling channels can be formed within the turbine blades.
    SHORT DESCRIPTION
    [0004] In one aspect, a drilling tool is provided for use in machining a conductive workpiece. The tool includes a body portion, a front electrode coupled to the body portion, and at least one side electrode coupled to the body portion. When electrical power is supplied to the front electrode and the at least one side electrode, material adjacent to the front electrode and the at least one side electrode is removed from the conductive workpiece. Further, the front electrode and the at least one side electrode are selectively operable to form a bore having a variable geometry extending through the conductive workpiece when the material is removed therefrom.
    In another aspect, an electrochemical machining system for machining a conductive workpiece is provided. The system includes a power supply and a drilling tool that is electrically coupled to the power supply. The drilling tool comprises a body portion, a front electrode coupled to the body portion, and at least one side electrode coupled to the body portion. When electrical power is supplied to the front electrode and the at least one side electrode, material adjacent to the front electrode and the at least one side electrode is removed from the conductive workpiece. Further, the power supply is configured to selectively supply electrical power to the front electrode and the at least one side electrode to form a bore having a variable geometry extending through the conductive workpiece when the material is removed therefrom.
    In yet another aspect, a method of machining a conductive workpiece is provided. The method includes advancing a drilling tool within the conductive workpiece along a toolpath. The drilling tool comprises a body portion and a front electrode and at least one side electrode, each coupled to the body portion. The method further includes selectively supplying electrical power to the front electrode and the at least one side electrode so that material is removed from the conductive workpiece in more than one dimension. The front electrode and the at least one side electrode are selectively operable to form a bore having a variable geometry that extends through the conductive workpiece when the material is removed therefrom.
    DRAWINGS
    These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which reference characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:<Tb> FIG. 1 <SEP> is a schematic illustration of an exemplary electrochemical machining system;<Tb> FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary drilling tool that is identical to the one shown in FIG. 1 shown electrochemical processing system, can be used;<Tb> FIG. 3 <SEP> is a sectional view of the one shown in FIG. 2 is a drilling tool;<Tb> FIG. 4 is a logic diagram of an exemplary method of machining a conductive workpiece that is identical to the one shown in FIG. 1 can be used electrochemical machining system shown;<Tb> FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative drilling tool associated with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 can be used electrochemical machining system shown; and<Tb> FIG. 6 <SEP> is an illustration of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 5 is along the line 6-6.
    Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings provided herein are intended to illustrate features of embodiments of the disclosure. These features are believed to be applicable in a wide variety of systems, including one or more embodiments of the disclosure. As such, the drawings are intended to encompass all conventional features known to those of ordinary skill in the art required for practicing the embodiments disclosed herein.
    DETAILED DESCRIPTION
    In the following description and in the claims, reference will be made to a number of terms which are intended to have the following meanings.
    The singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
    "Optional" means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes examples where the event occurs and instances where it does not.
    Approximations, as used throughout the specification and claims herein, may be employed to modify any quantitative representation that could allowively vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it relates. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms such as "about," "approximately," and "substantially," should not be limited to the exact value indicated. In at least some cases, the approximation language may correspond to the precision of an instrument to measure the value. Here and throughout the description and claims range limits may be combined and / or interchanged. These areas are identified and include all sub-areas contained therein, unless the context or language indicates otherwise.
    As used herein, the term "computer" and related terms, such as. For example, "computing device" is not limited to integrated circuits, referred to in the art as a computer, but generally refers to a microcontroller, a microcomputer, a programmable controller (PLC), an application specific integrated circuit, and other programmable controllers, and these terms are used interchangeably herein.
    Further, as used herein, the terms "software" and "firmware" are interchangeable and include any computer program stored in memory for execution by personal computers, workstations, clients, and servers.
    As used herein, the term "non-transitory computer-readable media" is intended to be representative of any physical computer-based device used in any method or technology for short-term and long-term storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules and submodules, or others Data is implemented in any device. Therefore, the methods described herein may be encoded as executable instructions embodied in a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium including, without limitation, a memory device and / or a memory module. These instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform at least a portion of the methods described herein. Further, as used herein, the term "non-transitory computer-readable media" includes all physical computer-readable media including, without limitation, non-transitory computer storage devices including, without limitation, volatile and non-volatile media and removable and fixed media such as firmware, physical and virtual Storage, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and any other digital source such as a network or the Internet, as well as digital resources still to be developed with the sole exception of a transient propagating signal.
    Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electrochemical machining (ECM) system and methods of machining a conductive workpiece such as a turbine blade, blade, or blade. In particular, the ECM system includes a drilling tool having a body portion and a plurality of electrode surfaces coupled to the body portion in different orientations. Coupling the electrode surfaces to the body portion in different orientations allows the drilling tool to form a continuous variable geometry bore in the conductive workpiece. As used herein, "variable geometry" refers to dimensional changes in more than one plane. The drilling tool may also include a flexible guide member coupled to the body portion that facilitates guiding the drilling tool through the variable geometry continuous bore. Further, the ECM system may include a test device to provide real-time feedback regarding the position of the drilling tool that penetrates the conductive workpiece and an orientation of the bore extending therethrough. As such, in one embodiment, the real-time feedback is used to determine a position error of the drilling tool as compared to a nominal tool path and to facilitate proper toolpath design. For example, the real-time feedback is provided as a function of the rate of removal of the conductive workpiece, so corrective action can be implemented in a timely manner.
    FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary electrochemical machining system (ECM) 100 for machining a conductive workpiece 102. In the embodiment, the conductive workpiece 102 is coupled to a mounting platform 104 that is positioned within an electrolyte reservoir 106. As described in more detail below, a flow regulator 108 facilitates dispensing a flow of electrolytic liquid 109 from the electrolyte container 106 to the conductive workpiece 102 during the machining operations. In the embodiment, the mounting platform 104 is positioned such that the conductive workpiece 102 is above the electrolytic liquid 109 located. Alternatively, the mounting platform 104 is positioned such that the conductive workpiece 102 is at least partially immersed in the electrolytic liquid 109, or the electrolytic liquid 109 is supplied from a source remote from the conductive workpiece 102.
    The ECM system 100 includes a power supply 110 and a drilling tool 112 that is electrically coupled to the power supply 110. In particular, the power supply 110 is electrically coupled to the conductive workpiece 102, which acts as an anode in the machining process, and to the boring tool 112, which acts as a cathode in the machining process. Material is removed from the conductive workpiece 102 when the power supply 110 provides electrical power to the drilling tool 112, applying a potential to the conductive workpiece 102 and the drilling tool 112. The material removed from the conductive workpiece 102 by the boring tool 112 is flushed away by the flow of the electrolytic liquid 109 discharged toward the conductive workpiece 102. In particular, the flow regulator 108 is coupled to a pump 114 which facilitates the supply of electrolytic liquid 109 to the drilling tool 112 via a fluid supply line 116. As such, as described more fully below, the drilling tool 112 penetrates within the conductive workpiece 102 in more than one dimension along a toolpath to form a bore having a variable geometry 118 extending through the conductive workpiece 102 when the material is removed from it. In particular, the drilling tool 112 is capable of penetrating within the conductive workpiece 102 in more than one dimension (i.e., in a non-linear direction).
    The ECM system 100 further includes a robotic device 120 or any suitable hinge member coupled to the boring tool 112 that facilitates penetration of the boring tool 112 along the toolpath in the conductive workpiece 102. In the exemplary embodiment, the robotic device 120 is any suitable numerically-controlled computing device, such as an end-piece robotic coupling device, that allows the drilling tool 112 to advance along the toolpath in a controlled and automated manner. In particular, as further explained below, the robotic device 120 facilitates modifying an alignment of the drilling tool 112 in the bore 118 so that the bore 118 formed in the conductive workpiece 102 has a variable geometry. Alternatively, the alignment of the drilling tool 112 in the bore 118 without using the robotic device 120, for example, is manually modified by an operator.
    The ECM system 100 may also include a test device 122 for performing nondestructive testing on the conductive workpiece 102. The tester 122 is any nondestructive testing apparatus that enables the ECM system 100 to operate as described herein. Exemplary non-destructive inspection devices include, but are not limited to, an ultrasound inspection device, an X-ray examination device, and a computed tomography (CT) scanning device. As described in greater detail below, the test apparatus 122 operates either continuously or at predetermined intervals to determine at least one of the orientations of the bore 118 formed by the boring tool 112 or a position of the boring tool 112 along the toolpath. As such, a positional error of the boring tool 112 may be determined when the actual toolpath differs from a nominal toolpath of the boring tool 112.
    In some embodiments, the ECM system 100 includes an ion sensor 124 positioned proximate to an exit 126 of the bore 118. As described above, material removed from the conductive workpiece 102 by the boring tool 112 is flushed away by the flow of the electrolytic liquid 109 discharged toward the conductive workpiece 102. The ion sensor 124 measures an ion concentration in the electrolytic liquid 109 discharged from the exit 126 of the bore 118. As described in greater detail below, the ion concentration measurement is used to determine a chemical composition of the electrolytic liquid 109 that facilitates determining the state of preservation or operating condition of the drilling tool 112. Alternatively, a learning algorithm embodied in a memory of a controller 128 is used to determine the integrity or operating state of the drilling tool 112.
    In the embodiment, the flow regulator 108, the power supply 110, the robotic device 120, the test device 122 and the ion sensor 124 are either wired or communicatively coupled to the controller 128. The controller 128 includes a memory 130 (i.e., a non-transitory computer-readable medium) and a processor 132 coupled to the memory 130 for executing programmed instructions. The processor 132 may include one or more processing units (eg, in a multi-core configuration) and / or a cryptographic accelerator (not shown). The controller 128 is programmable to perform one or more operations described herein through the programming memory 130 and / or the processor 132. For example, the processor 132 may be programmed by encoding an operation as executable instructions and providing the executable instructions in the memory 130.
    The processor 132 may include, but is not limited to, a universal central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, a reduced instruction set processor (RISC processor), an open media application platform (OMAP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic controller (PLC) and / or any other controller or processor capable of performing the functions described herein. The methods described herein may be encoded as executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium including, without limitation, a memory device and / or a memory module. When executed by the processor 132, these instructions cause the processor 132 to perform at least a portion of the functions described herein. The above examples are merely exemplary and therefore not intended to limit in any way the definition and / or meaning of the term processor.
    The memory 130 is one or more devices that enable information such as executable instructions and / or other data to be stored and retrieved. The memory 130 may include one or more computer readable media such as, without limitation, Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), a solid state drive, and / or a hard disk. The memory 130 may be configured to store, without limitation, executable instructions, operating systems, applications, resources, installation scripts, and / or any other type of data suitable for use with the methods and systems described herein.
    Instructions for the operating systems and applications are in non-volatile memory 130 in a functional form for execution by the processor 132 to perform one or more of the processes described herein. These instructions in the various implementations may be embodied on different physical or physical computer readable media, such as memory 130 or other memory such as computer readable media (not shown), which may include, without limitation, a flash drive and / or a stick. Further, instructions may be in a functional form on non-transmittable computer-readable media including, without limitation, intelligent media (SM) memory, compact flash (CF) memory, secure digital (SD) memory, memory stick (MS). Memory, multimedia card (MMC) memory, embedded multimedia cards (e-MMC) and microdrive memory. The computer readable media may be selectively insertable into and / or removable from the controller 128 to allow access and / or execution by the processor 132. In an alternative implementation, the computer-readable media is not removable.
    FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the boring tool 112 that may be used with the ECM system 100 (shown in FIG. 1), and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the boring tool 112. In the embodiment, boring tool 112 includes a body portion 134 and a plurality of electrode surfaces coupled thereto. In particular, a front electrode 136 is coupled to an end portion 138 of the body portion 134 and at least one side electrode is coupled to the body portion 134. For example, a first side electrode 140 is coupled to a first side 142 of the body portion 134 and a second side electrode 144 is coupled to a second side 146 of the body portion 134. The front electrode 136 is aligned with the body portion 134 so that material aligned in a first direction 148 from the body portion 134 is removed from the conductive workpiece 102 (shown in FIG. 1) when electrical power is supplied to the front electrode 136. The removal of material oriented in the first direction 148 from the body portion 134 allows the boring tool 112 to move in a forward direction along the toolpath. Further, the at least one side electrode is aligned with the body portion 134 such that material oriented in a second direction 150 from the body portion 134 is removed from the conductive workpiece 102 when electrical power is supplied to the at least one side electrode. The removal of material oriented in the second direction 150 from the body portion 134 allows the toolpath of the drilling tool 112 to be directionally modified. As such, the bore 118 (shown in FIG. 1) formed by the boring tool 112 penetrating the conductive workpiece 102 has a variable geometry. Further, it is to be understood that any number of side electrodes may be used that allow the boring tool 112 to operate as described herein while the first and second side electrodes 140 and 144 are shown included. Furthermore, each of the multiple electrodes may be coupled to an independent power supply so that material from each electrode may be removed at different speeds. In one embodiment, the power supply 110 has a plurality of channels that may be used to independently supply power to the front electrode and the at least one side electrode. The power supply 110 is capable of providing a persistent current or may be pulsed in an "on-off-off" or "high-current-then-lower-current" manner.
    The drilling tool 112 also includes a plurality of bonding wires to electrically couple the electrode surfaces to the power supply 110 (shown in FIG. In particular, a first connection wire 152 electrically couples the front electrode 136 to the power supply 110, a second connection wire 154 electrically couples the first side electrode 140 to the power supply 110, and a third connection wire 156 electrically couples the second side electrode 144 to the power supply 110. As such, the front electrodes 136 and the first and second side electrodes 140 and 144, as described in more detail below, are selectively and independently operable to form the bore 118 having a variable geometry that extends through the conductive workpiece 102 when material is removed therefrom.
    In the embodiment, the boring tool 112 includes a spacer 158 positioned between the front electrode 136 and the first and second side electrodes 140 and 144. The spacer 158 facilitates electrically isolating the front electrode 136 from the first and second side electrodes 140 and 144. Further, a gap 160 between adjacent side electrodes is defined when more than one side electrode is coupled to the body portion 134. As such, the electrode surfaces are galvanically isolated from each other to facilitate limited formation of short circuits.
    The drilling tool 112 also includes a non-conductive bumper 162 which is coupled to the body portion 134. The non-conductive bumper 162 may be made of any material that allows the drilling tool 112 to operate as described herein. For example, in one embodiment, the non-conductive bumper 162 is made of a non-conductive polymeric material. The non-conductive bumper 162 extends a greater distance from the body portion 134 than the first and second side electrodes 140 and 144. As such, the non-conductive bumper 162 spaces the first and second side electrodes 140 and 144 from sidewalls of the bore 118 for limited formation short circuits between the first and second side electrodes 140 and 144 and the conductive workpiece 102 to facilitate.
    Furthermore, the drilling tool 112 includes a flexible guide member 164 coupled to the body portion 134. The flexible guide member 164 facilitates guiding the drilling tool 112 through the bore 118 that extends through the conductive workpiece 102. As described above, the electrode surfaces of the drilling tool 112 are selectively operable such that the variable geometry bore 118 extends through the conductive workpiece 102. As such, forming the flexible material guide member 164 allows the drilling tool 112 to maneuver along a variable geometry toolpath in the conductive workpiece 102. Exemplary flexible materials include, but are not limited to, rubber, silicone, nylon, polyurethane and latex. Further, in some embodiments, the flexible material is coated with a layer of copper to form an electrical lead along the guide member 164.
    Referring to FIG. 3, central flushing channel 166 extends through flexible guide element 164 and body section 134. Central flushing channel 166 is dimensioned such that a flow of electrolytic liquid 109 (shown in FIG. 1) is channeled therethrough to remove material from the substrate conductive workpiece 102 has been removed from the bore 118, rinse away. In particular, the front electrode 136 includes at least one purging port 168 defined therein. The purging port 168 couples the central flushing channel 166 into flow communication with the conductive workpiece 102. As such, the electrolytic fluid 109 directed through the central flushing channel 166 is discharged from the port 168 to remove material, which has been removed from the conductive workpiece 102, rinse away.
    In operation, the controller 128 controls the test apparatus 122 to perform a check of the conductive workpiece 102 prior to drilling. The pre-drilling inspection facilitates determining the dimensions of the conductive workpiece 102 to compare with the dimensions of a virtual conductive workpiece (i.e., a CAD drawing of a nominal conductive workpiece 102). In the exemplary embodiment, the virtual conductive workpiece includes a plurality of nominal toolpaths that correspond to toolpaths for forming bores 118 in the conductive workpiece 102 with the boring tool 112. Indwelling dimensional deviations between the conductive workpiece 102 and the virtual conductive workpiece cause the nominal toolpaths to be modified before being performed by the boring tool 112 to ensure that the bores 118 formed in the conductive workpiece 102 are within the dimensional tolerances being held. As such, the controller 128 determines deviations in the dimensions of the conductive workpiece 102 when compared to the dimensions of the virtual conductive workpiece and modifies the nominal toolpaths based on the deviations in the conductive workpiece 102. The modified nominal toolpaths are then performed by the boring tool 112 ,
    In particular, in one embodiment, the controller 128 directs the robotic device 120 to advance the drilling tool 112 in the conductive workpiece 102 along an actual tool path to form the bore 118. The controller 128 then controls the test apparatus 122 to perform a verification of the conductive workpiece 102 and to determine a position of the boring tool 112 along the toolpath, compares the toolpath to the corresponding modified nominal toolpath, and determines a positional error of the boring tool 112 Difference between the position of the drilling tool 112 compared to a desired position of the drilling tool 112 along the corresponding modified nominal tool path defined. Alternatively, the controller 128 controls the robotic device 120 to advance the drilling tool 112 along an arbitrary toolpath. Alternatively, the drilling tool 112 is further advanced manually along a toolpath.
    In some embodiments, the controller 128 executes a corrective action to reduce the position error by modifying at least one drilling parameter if the position error is greater than a first predetermined threshold. Exemplary drilling parameters include an amount of electrical current supplied to the plurality of electrode surfaces, an alignment of the drilling tool 112 within the bore 118, a scavenging pressure of the electrolytic fluid channeled through the central flushing groove 166 of the drilling tool 112, and a feed rate for the drilling tool 112, which penetrates into the bore 118. As such, the controller 128 performs corrective actions by modifying at least one of the drilling parameters for the drilling tool 112 if the position error is greater than the first predetermined threshold.
    In one embodiment, the controller 128 selects which drilling parameter to modify or modifies a drilling parameter to a certain extent based on an amount by which the position error is greater than the first predetermined threshold. For example, the controller 128 executes a low level corrective action if the position error is greater than the first predetermined threshold and less than a second predetermined threshold greater than the first predetermined threshold. An exemplary low level corrective action includes controlling the power supply 110 to supply varying amounts of electrical current to the electrode surfaces such that material oriented in the first and second directions 148 and 150 is removed from the conductive workpiece 102 at different rates. An alternative low level corrective action includes controlling the power supply 110 to supply a first electrical current to the front electrode 136 at a first time and controlling the power supply 110 to supply a second electrical current to the at least one side electrode at a second time does not overlap with the first time. In an alternative embodiment, the controller 128 controls the power supply 110 to supply electric current to the electrode surfaces so that bulges or turbulence (i.e., a square waveform) are formed in the bore 118.
    Furthermore, the controller 128, for example, performs a mean corrective action if the position error is greater than the first predetermined threshold and less than a third predetermined threshold greater than the second predetermined threshold. An exemplary mean corrective action includes controlling the power supply 110 to stop supplying electrical power to one or more of the electrode surfaces. An alternative median corrective action includes directing the robotic device 120 to modify the orientation of the drilling tool 112 in the bore 118. As such, performing intermediate corrective actions facilitates correcting position errors of the drilling tool 112 at a faster rate compared to the low level corrective actions.
    Any combination of low and medium level remedial actions may be implemented in a coordinated manner to facilitate advancement of the boring tool 112 along a toolpath.
    In some embodiments, the controller 128 stops operation of the drilling tool 112 when the position error is greater than a fourth predetermined threshold greater than the third predetermined threshold. In such an embodiment, low and intermediate level correction measures have been unable to return the position error to acceptable tolerances so that stopping the operation of the drilling tool 112 ensures that further deviations from a modified nominal tool path are terminated.
    Further, in some embodiments, the controller 128 receives ion concentration measurements from the ionic sensor 124 measured from the electrolytic liquid dispensed from the bore 118. The controller 128 then determines a chemical composition of the electrolytic liquid based on the ion concentration in the electrolytic liquid. As described above, determining the chemical composition of the electrolytic liquid facilitates determining the state of preservation or operating condition of the drilling tool 112. For example, the controller 128 determines whether an ion concentration of the electrode surface material measured in the electrolytic liquid is greater than a threshold. If so, a short circuit may have occurred and the controller 128 stops the operation of the drilling tool 112.
    FIG. 4 is a logic diagram of an exemplary method of machining the conductive workpiece 102 (shown in FIG. 1). As described above, the conductive workpiece 102 is checked either continuously or at predetermined intervals to determine a positional error of the boring tool 112 (shown in FIG. 1). The controller 128 (shown in FIG. 1) then performs one or more corrective actions to ensure that the toolpath is properly executed. As shown in FIG. 4, the process of executing the toolpath, inspecting the conductive workpiece 102, determining the position error, and performing corrective actions is embodied as a continuous cycle. As such, in one embodiment, the drilling tool 112 is advanced along the toolpath until it is completed.
    FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative drilling tool 170 that may be used with the electrochemical machining system 100 (shown in FIG. 1). In the embodiment, the drilling tool 170 includes the body portion 134 and a plurality of electrode surfaces coupled thereto. In particular, a front electrode 172 is coupled to the body portion 134, and at least one side electrode is coupled to the body portion 134. The front electrode 172 has a "cylinder" configuration with an outer radial portion 174 coupled to the body portion 134 and an inner radial portion 176 extending from a front surface 178 of the outer radial portion 174. Further, flushing groove 166 extends through outer and inner radial portions 174 and 176 to facilitate directing fluid toward conductive workpiece 102.
    The drilling tool 170 also includes a non-conductive bumper 180 positioned radially outward of the outer radial portion 174 of the front electrode 172. The non-conductive bumper 180 extends circumferentially over the outer radial portion 174 and at least a portion of the non-conductive bumper 180 extends beyond the front surface 178 of the outer radial portion 174 in the first forward direction 148. As such, when electric current is supplied to the front electrode 172, an electric field generated thereby is forced to move around the non-conductive bumper 180 before contacting the sidewalls of the bore 118 (shown in FIG. 1), facilitating the deposition rate of material from the conductive workpiece 102 that is closest to the outermost portions of the outer radial portion 174.
    Further, the inner radial portion 176 extending in the direction 148 from the front surface 178 expands the range of influence of the electric field generated by the front electrode 172 in the forward direction compared to a flat electrode supplying a similar amount to having electric current. Extending the range of influence of the electric field generated by the front electrode 172 facilitates increasing material removal from the conductive workpiece 102 without increasing an amount of electric current supplied to the front electrode 172. Moreover, having an outermost portion of the inner radial portion 176 disposed radially inward of the outer radial portion 174 facilitates reducing contact between the front electrode 172 and the conductive workpiece 102 as the bore 118 makes a turn within the conductive workpiece 102 ,
    FIG. 6 is an illustration of a portion of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, along the line 6-6. In the exemplary implementation, the drilling tool 170 includes a side electrode assembly 182 that is coupled to the body portion 134 (shown in FIG. 5). The side electrode assembly 182 includes a plurality of side electrodes 184 that are spaced apart and positioned circumferentially about the side electrode assembly 182. In particular, the side electrode assembly 182 also includes a non-conductive spacer 186 extending between adjacent side electrodes 184, which facilitates electrically isolating the side electrodes 184 from each other. Further, like the side electrodes 140 and 144, the side electrodes 184 are independently and selectively operable with one another such that the bore 118 formed in the conductive workpiece 102 (shown in FIG. 1, respectively) has a variable geometry.
    The systems and methods described herein relate to forming continuous variable geometry bores in a conductive workpiece. The system includes a drilling tool having a plurality of electrode surfaces that is capable of removing material from the conductive workpiece in more than one dimension. The system also includes a test device that provides real-time feedback on the position of the drilling tool within the conductive workpiece. The test apparatus is coupled to a controller that processes the real-time feedback and, in one embodiment, causes the drilling tool to perform corrective actions. As such, the system and methods described herein facilitate forming the variable geometry continuous bores in the conductive workpiece in a self-contained, correct and timely manner.
    An exemplary technical effect of the electrochemical machining system and method described herein includes at least one of: (a) providing a drilling tool capable of forming variable geometry holes in a conductive workpiece; (b) providing real-time position information of the drilling tool in the conductive workpiece; and (c) using the real-time position information to facilitate a corrective action for the drilling tool.
    Embodiments of the electrochemical machining system are described in detail above. The system is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but rather components of systems and / or method steps may be used independently and separately from other components and / or steps described herein. For example, the configuration of components described herein may also be used in combination with other processes, and is not limited to being practiced only with gas turbine engine components and associated methods as described herein. Rather, the embodiment may be implemented and used in conjunction with many applications where drilling in a conductive workpiece is desirable.
    Although particulars of various embodiments of the present disclosure may be shown in some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only. In accordance with the principles of embodiments of the present disclosure, each feature of a drawing in combination with each feature may be referenced and / or claimed by any other drawing.
    Some embodiments involve using one or more electronic or computing devices. These devices typically include a processor, processing device or controller such as a universal central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processor (GPU), a microcontroller, a reduced instruction set processor (RISC processor), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic controller (FIG. PLC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processing (DSP) device and / or any other circuit or device capable of performing the functions described herein. The methods described herein may be encoded as executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium including, without limitation, a memory device and / or a memory module. These instructions, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform at least a portion of the methods described herein. The foregoing examples are exemplary only and are therefore not intended to limit in any way the definition and / or meaning of the terms processor and processing device.
    This description uses examples to disclose the embodiments of the present disclosure, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice embodiments of the present disclosure, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods , The protectable scope of the embodiments described herein is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. These other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
    权利要求:
    Claims (10)
    [1]
    A drilling tool (112) for use in machining a conductive workpiece (102), the tool (112) comprising:a body portion (134);a front electrode (136) coupled to the body portion (134); andat least one side electrode (140, 144, 184) coupled to the body portion (134),wherein, when the front electrode (136) and the at least one side electrode (140, 144, 184) are energized, material adjacent the front electrode (136) and the at least one side electrode (140, 144, 184) is removed from the conductive workpiece (102 ) Will get removed,wherein the front electrode (136) and the at least one side electrode (140, 144, 184) are selectively operable to form a variable geometry bore extending through the conductive workpiece (102) when the material is removed therefrom.
    [2]
    The tool (112) of claim 1, wherein the front electrode (136) and the at least one side electrode (140, 144, 184) are selectively operable to form a bore (118) extending through the conductive workpiece (102) extends more than one dimension when the material is removed.
    [3]
    The tool (112) of claim 2, further comprising a non-conductive bumper (162) coupled to the body portion (134), the non-conductive bumper (162) extending a greater distance from the body portion (134) as the at least one side electrode (140, 144, 184), such that the at least one side electrode (140, 144, 184) is spaced from the sidewalls of the bore (118).
    [4]
    The tool (112) of claim 1, further comprising a flexible guide member (164) coupled to the body portion (134), wherein a central flush gutter (166) extends through the flexible guide member (164) and the body portion (134). and a flushing orifice (168) is defined in the front electrode (136) and the central flushing gutter (166) is configured to channel a flow of electrolytic liquid therethrough and the flushing orifice (168) is configured to direct the central flushing gutter (166). in fluid communication with the conductive workpiece (102).
    [5]
    The tool (112) of claim 1, further comprising a spacer (158) disposed between the front electrode (136) and the at least one side electrode (140, 144), the spacer (158) configured to configure the front electrode (158). 136) to be electrically isolated from the at least one side electrode (140, 144, 184).
    [6]
    An electrochemical machining system (100) for machining a conductive workpiece (102), the system (100) comprising:a power supply (110); and a boring tool (112) for use in machining a conductive workpiece (102), the tool (112) comprising:a body portion (134);a front electrode (136) coupled to the body portion (134); andat least one side electrode (140, 144, 184) coupled to the body portion (134),wherein, when the front electrode (136) and the at least one side electrode (140, 144, 184) are supplied with electrical current, material adjacent the front electrode (136) and the at least one side electrode (140, 144, 184) from the conductive workpiece (102 ) Will get removed,wherein the power supply (110) is configured to selectively supply the electrical current to the front electrode (136) and the at least one side electrode (140, 144, 184) to form a bore (118) extending through the conductive workpiece (102). extends in more than one dimension when the material is removed therefrom.
    [7]
    The system (100) of claim 6, wherein the power supply (110) is configured to supply varying amounts of electrical current to the front electrode (136) and the at least one side electrode (140, 144, 184) and second directions is removed from the conductive workpiece (102) at different speeds.
    [8]
    The system (100) of claim 6, wherein the power supply (110) is configured to supply a first electrical current to the front electrode (136) at a first time, and configured to apply a second electrical current to the at least one side electrode (140, 144, 184) at a second time, which does not overlap with the first time.
    [9]
    The system (100) of claim 6, further comprising:a flexible guide member (164) coupled to the body portion (134), the flexible guide member (164) configured to direct the drilling tool (112) through the bore (118) extending through the conductive workpiece (102); respectively;a central flush gutter (166) extending through the flexible guide member (164) and the body portion (134), the central flush gutter (166) configured to channel a flow of electrolytic liquid therethrough; anda purge port (168) defined in the front electrode (136), wherein the purge port (168) is configured to couple the central purge chute (166) into flow communication with the conductive workpiece (102).
    [10]
    The system (100) of claim 9, further comprising a test device (122) configured to determine a position of the drilling tool (112) along a toolpath.
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    US9925609B2|2018-03-27|
    US20170028491A1|2017-02-02|
    JP2017030141A|2017-02-09|
    CN106392213A|2017-02-15|
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    法律状态:
    2017-03-15| NV| New agent|Representative=s name: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH GLOBAL PATENT, CH |
    2019-11-15| AZW| Rejection (application)|
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    US14/814,237|US9925609B2|2015-07-30|2015-07-30|Drilling tool and method of machining a conductive work piece|
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