There is provided a method of welding metal plates (22) comprising: i) undertaking friction stir welding using a friction stir welding machine (26) along a lower edge of a joint welding line (40) between adjoining metal plates (22, 22') weighing in excess of 50 tonnes so as to create a root pass weld (42) along the joint welding line (40), the friction stir welding machine (26) disposed beneath the plates (22, 22') so as to weld in an overhead position; and ii) after friction stir welding, undertaking electron beam welding using an electron beam gun (28) along an upper edge of the joint welding line (40) so as to create a welded seam between adjoining plates, the electron beam gun (28) disposed above the plates. At least three adjoining metal plates are welded together and formed into a tube with a diameter in excess of 11m.
B23K 15/00 - Soudage ou découpage par faisceau d'électrons
B23K 15/06 - Soudage ou découpage par faisceau d'électrons dans une enceinte sous vide
B23K 20/12 - Soudage non électrique par percussion ou par une autre forme de pression, avec ou sans chauffage, p. ex. revêtement ou placage la chaleur étant produite par frictionSoudage par friction
There is provided electron beam welding apparatus comprising an electron beam gun (50) associated with a welding chamber (54) configured for welding of a battery array (33) to a bus bar (32) and beam adjustment devices (56, 58) operative in response to a controller (60) to modify beam characteristics and position of an electron beam (52) generated by the electron beam gun (50), wherein at least two subsidiary chambers (70, 72) are disposed on opposing sides of the welding chamber (54), all chambers being evacuable to be under a vacuum, and a beam detector (61) is positioned proximal the welding chamber (54) to generate data relating to beam characteristics and position, the controller (60) configured to respond to data from the beam detector (61) to control synchronously the beam adjustment devices (56, 58) and to create a consistent welding penetration depth for welds formed between a bus bar (32) and a battery array (33) regardless of angle of incidence of an electron beam. An associated welding method is also provided.
H01M 50/213 - Bâtis, modules ou blocs de multiples batteries ou de multiples cellules caractérisés par leur forme adaptés aux cellules ayant une section transversale courbée, p. ex. ronde ou elliptique
H01M 50/516 - Procédés pour interconnecter les batteries ou cellules adjacentes par soudage, brasage ou brasage tendre
There is provided a welding system(10) comprising an evacuatable welding chamber (24), an electron beam gun (20) connected to the welding chamber (24), at least one detector (36) for acquiring X-ray images and at least two bodies (12, 14) to be welded together, the bodies (12, 14) adjoining along a connection interface (26) defining a path along which welding takes place, the connection interface (26) having a front portion (31) and a rear portion (61), wherein the at least one detector (36) comprises an input element (30) located proximal the front portion (31) of the connection interface (26) so as to detect X-rays emitted during welding. The electron beam gun (20) generates an electron beam (22) which travels along the connection interface (26) from the rear portion (61) to the front portion (31). A second detector (36') may be provided, the second detector (36') comprising a second input element (30') located proximal the rear portion (61) of the connection interface (26).
There is provided a welding system (16) comprising an evacuatable welding chamber (26), an electron beam gun (20) connected to the welding chamber (26), a control system (44) to modify the direction of an electron beam (22) generated by the electron beam gun (20) and a detector (40) for acquiring X-ray images, wherein first and second X-ray sources (14, 14') are positioned proximal a weld site (24) within the welding chamber (26). The control system (44) is configured to synchronise acquisition of X-ray images of the weld site (24) by the detector (40) with periodic generation of X-rays by the X-ray sources (14, 14') in response to an incident electron beam.
There is provided an electron beam emitting assembly comprising a cylindrical cathode element (32) and a current source (36), wherein an electrically conductive element (40, 94) connected to the current source (36) is positioned to contact a longitudinal axis (56) of the cathode element (32). A first portion of electrically conductive adhesive (60) is used to position wire (40) to contact the axis (56). A second portion of electrically conductive adhesive (62) is positioned part-way along the cylindrical cathode element (32), spaced apart from the first portion of electrically conductive adhesive (60), the second portion (62) establishing a second electrical connection with the current source (36).
H01J 1/148 - Cathodes thermo-ioniques solides caractérisées par le matériau constitutif avec des composés ayant des propriétés métalliques conductrices, p. ex. du borure de lanthane, comme matériau émissif
H01J 1/18 - SupportsDispositifs amortisseurs de vibrations
There is provided an electron beam deflector (32) for use in electron beam welding, the deflector (32) comprising a planar body (32) defining at least one channel (36) enabling passage of an electron beam (14) to a weld site, wherein at least one deflector element (44) in the form of an electromagnetic coil is disposed within the at least one channel (36) and the electromagnetic coil (44) is configured to modify the direction of travel of an electron beam so as to deflect the electron beam(14) to be incident substantially orthogonal to a weld site of a workpiece. The planar body (32) comprises a separate base portion (40) and lid portion (42).
There is provided laser welding apparatus (10) comprising an evacuatable chamber (12) incorporating a transparent window (16) through which laser radiation (14) is transmissible to heat a weld region (32) on a workpiece (30), wherein ionisation means (33) is disposed within the chamber (12) to ionise any particles emitted from the weld region (32) and deflection means (34; 70 ) is disposed within the chamber (12) and is configured to deflect ionised particles (54) away from the transparent window (16). In one embodiment, the ionisation means comprises first and second electrodes (34, 34') arranged to generate a high voltage arc across the laser beam. The deflection means comprises electrostatic field or magnetic field generation means.
There is provided laser welding apparatus (10) comprising an evacuatable chamber (12) incorporating a transparent region (16) through which laser radiation (14) is transmissible to heat a weld region (32) on a workpiece (26) and a gas knife (46) configured to generate a stream of gas (48), wherein the main chamber (40) and subsidiary chamber (42) are connected together by a transmission passage (44) to enable laser radiation (14) to reach the workpiece (26) and a pumping system (30) is connected to the subsidiary chamber (42) and is configured to draw the stream of gas (48) out of the subsidiary chamber (42). One end of the transmission passage (44) is situated between the gas knife (46) and pumping system (30). The pumping system (30) comprises an inlet (50) substantially axially aligned with a direction of travel of the stream of gas (48). An inner surface of the subsidiary chamber (42) has a smoothness value in range 0.8-1.6μm Ra and the subsidiary chamber (42) is maintained at a lower vacuum than the main chamber (40).
B23K 26/12 - Travail par rayon laser, p. ex. soudage, découpage ou perçage sous atmosphère particulière, p. ex. dans une enceinte
B23K 26/142 - Travail par rayon laser, p. ex. soudage, découpage ou perçage en utilisant un écoulement de fluide, p. ex. un jet de gaz, associé au faisceau laserBuses à cet effet pour l'enlèvement de résidus
B23K 26/16 - Enlèvement de résidus, p. ex. des particules ou des vapeurs produites pendant le traitement de la pièce à travailler
There is provided electron beam welding apparatus comprising an electron beam gun (50) associated with a welding chamber (54) configured for welding of a battery array (33) to a bus bar (32) and beam adjustment devices (56, 58) operative in response to a controller (60) to modify beam characteristics and position of an electron beam (52) generated by the electron beam gun (50), wherein at least two subsidiary chambers (70, 72) are disposed on opposing sides of the welding chamber (54), all chambers being evacuable to be under a vacuum, and a beam detector (61) is positioned proximal the welding chamber (54) to generate data relating to beam characteristics and position, the controller (60) configured to respond to data from the beam detector (61) to control synchronously the beam adjustment devices (56, 58) and to create a consistent welding penetration depth for welds formed between a bus bar (32) and a battery array (33) regardless of angle of incidence of an electron beam. An associated welding method is also provided.
There is provided an electron beam welding apparatus (10) comprising socket means (40) formed with a first channel (38) configured to receive a high-voltage supply member, wherein the socket means further comprises a tubular plug (42) having a second channel (39) configured to receive the high-voltage supply member, the diameter of the first channel (38) being greater than the diameter of the second channel (39). The tubular plug (42) comprises at least one internal conduit (96) to facilitate water cooling and comprises a fluid reservoir (90) to supply thermal transfer fluid to the first channel (38), the thermal transfer fluid being Silicone oil 200, 10 centi stokes.
There is provided an electron beam emitting assembly (12) comprising a filament element (40; 60) and a cathode element (42; 62), wherein the filament element (40; 60) is in direct physical contact with the cathode element (42; 62). The filament element (40; 60) is heatable to a temperature around the electron emission temperature of the cathode element (42; 62). The filament element is resistively heatable or inductively heatable. Also provided is a method of generating an electron beam comprising positioning a filament element and a cathode element in direct physical contact, and heating the filament element to a temperature around the electron emission temperature of the cathode element so as to cause the cathode element to emit electrons.
A welding head for a welding apparatus, the head comprising an outer face attachable to a welding device such as an electron beam gun or laser, an inner face sealable to a workpiece, and an outer sealing ring and an inner sealing ring situated within the inner face and disposed on either side of an evacuatable region, wherein the inner face has a teardrop-shaped profile. Outer and inner sealing rings can be inflatable or formed from different materials, the outer sealing ring being formed from a material with a Shore hardness of between 50 to 70 and the inner sealing ring being formed from a material with a Shore hardness of 20 to 40. A bridging seal can extend from within the inner sealing ring to the outer sealing ring.
B23K 15/06 - Soudage ou découpage par faisceau d'électrons dans une enceinte sous vide
B23K 26/12 - Travail par rayon laser, p. ex. soudage, découpage ou perçage sous atmosphère particulière, p. ex. dans une enceinte
B23K 26/14 - Travail par rayon laser, p. ex. soudage, découpage ou perçage en utilisant un écoulement de fluide, p. ex. un jet de gaz, associé au faisceau laserBuses à cet effet
There is provided a welding assembly comprising front (12) and rear (14) plates disposable to the front and rear of a joint to be welded, wherein each plate (12, 14) comprises an array of spaced apart evacuatable chambers (24, 24', 26, 26', 28, 28', 30, 30', 32, 32'), one of the chambers (32) being adapted to receive a welding gun (34). The evacuatable chambers (24, 24', 26, 26', 28, 28', 30, 30', 32, 32') are arranged so as to produce a pressure profile having a minimum pressure at the chamber (32) adapted to receive the welding gun (34). The front and rear plates (12, 14) have substantially identical configurations and spacings of chambers(24, 24', 26, 26', 28, 28', 30, 30', 32, 32'). Resilient sealing means (20, 20') in the form of a sheet extends over the internal face of each plate (12, 14) and are formed with apertures matching the array of chambers (24, 24', 26, 26', 28, 28', 30, 30', 32, 32').
An electron beam emitting assembly (80) comprising an emitter section (81) and a cathode section (82), wherein the cathode section (82) comprises a cathode (60) and a cathode shield (84) held in a fixed relationship to each other and the cathode section (82) is separable from the emitter section (81) whilst the cathode (60) and cathode shield (84) remain in a fixed relationship to each other. The cathode section (82) comprises an annular disc (90) to clamp the cathode (60) and the cathode shield (84) to each other.
H01J 37/067 - Éléments de rechange des canonsRéglage mutuel d'électrodes
H01J 37/075 - Canons à électrons utilisant l'émission thermo-ionique de cathodes chauffées par bombardement de particules ou par irradiation, p. ex. par laser
H01J 9/18 - Assemblage des parties constitutives des systèmes d'électrodes
There is provided a welding head (20) comprising an outer face attachable to an electron beam gun (16), an inner face sealable to a workpiece, a beam channel (34) for directing an electron beam to a workpiece and at least one exit channel (68), both the beam channel (34) and the at least one exit channel (68) extending between the outer and inner face (41, 50), wherein the at least one exit channel (68) is positioned relative to the beam channel (34) so as to be capable of removing molten material. The welding head (20) further comprises a receptor (32) for receiving an electron beam gun (16), the receptor (32) pivotally connected to the outer face (41). The receptor (32) is connected to the outer face by one or more adjustable joints (40, 40') so as to limit the range of pivotable movement.
B23K 15/00 - Soudage ou découpage par faisceau d'électrons
B23K 26/14 - Travail par rayon laser, p. ex. soudage, découpage ou perçage en utilisant un écoulement de fluide, p. ex. un jet de gaz, associé au faisceau laserBuses à cet effet
There is provided welding apparatus (10) having a welding head (20) comprising an outer face attachable to a welding device (16) such as an electron beam gun or laser, an inner face sealable to a workpiece (12), and an outer sealing ring and an inner sealing ring situated within the inner face and disposed on either side of an evacuatable region, wherein the outer and inner sealing rings are formed from different materials, the outer sealing ring being formed from a material with a Shore hardness of between 50 to 70 and the inner sealing ring being formed from a material with a Shore hardness of 20 to 40. The welding head can be circular or teardrop-shaped. A bridging seal can extend from within the inner sealing ring to the outer sealing ring.
B23K 26/14 - Travail par rayon laser, p. ex. soudage, découpage ou perçage en utilisant un écoulement de fluide, p. ex. un jet de gaz, associé au faisceau laserBuses à cet effet
There is provided a welding head (80) for a welding apparatus, the head (80) comprising an outer face attachable to a welding device such as an electron beam gun or laser, an inner face sealable to a workpiece, and an outer sealing ring (90) and an inner sealing ring (92) situated within the inner face and disposed on either side of an evacuatable region (94), wherein the inner face has a teardrop- shaped profile. Outer and inner sealing rings (90, 92) can be inflatable or formed from different materials, the outer sealing ring (90) being formed from a material with a Shore hardness of between 50 to 70 and the inner sealing ring (92) being formed from a material with a Shore hardness of 20 to 40. A bridging seal (100, 102) can extend from within the inner sealing ring (92) to the outer sealing ring (90).
B23K 26/14 - Travail par rayon laser, p. ex. soudage, découpage ou perçage en utilisant un écoulement de fluide, p. ex. un jet de gaz, associé au faisceau laserBuses à cet effet
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