초록 ▼

A method of laser shock peening a gas turbine engine object continuously firing a stationary laser beam, which repeatably pulses between relatively constant periods, on a portion of the object with a low power laser beam, on the order of 3-10 joules, to vaporize material on the surface of a portion

A method of laser shock peening a gas turbine engine object continuously firing a stationary laser beam, which repeatably pulses between relatively constant periods, on a portion of the object with a low power laser beam, on the order of 3-10 joules, to vaporize material on the surface of a portion of a part made of a strong hard metal, such as a titanium alloy. Laser pulses around small laser beam spots, on the order of 1 mm in diameter, are used to vaporize material on the surface of the portion of the object with the pulses around laser beam spots formed by the laser beam on the surface and form a region having deep compressive residual stresses extending into the object from the laser shock peened surface. Flowing a curtain of water over the surface upon which the laser beam is firing while preferably moving the object until the laser shock peened surface is completely covered by laser beam spots at least once. The surface may be coated with an ablative coating such as a paint which is suitable to produce the plasma or the surface may be unpainted and the metal of the object is used to produce the plasma.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A method of laser shock peening a hard metallic object, said method comprising the following steps:using a laser beam with a power of between 3-10 joules to vaporize material on a laser shock peened surface on a portion of the object,the laser beam is fired with the pulses around l

[ We claim:] [1.] A method of laser shock peening a hard metallic object, said method comprising the following steps:using a laser beam with a power of between 3-10 joules to vaporize material on a laser shock peened surface on a portion of the object,the laser beam is fired with the pulses around laser beam spots having a diameter of about 1 mm formed by the laser beam on the surface to form a region having deep compressive residual stresses extending into the object from the laser shock peened surface, andflowing a curtain of water over the surface upon which the laser beam is firing.