Apparatus and method for manufacturing a turbocharger component

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a turbocharger component for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The method may include introducing a material into a mold, wherein the material includes at least one added alloying element. The method may further include applying a pressure to the material, and solidifying the material by cooling the material at a cooling rate, wherein the solidifying preserves an amount of the at least one added alloying element in solid solution in the material. The method may also include forming precipitates within the material by aging the material at an aging temperature.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a turbocharger component for an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:
 introducing a material into a mold, wherein the material includes at least one added alloying element;   applying a pressure to the material;   solidifying the material by cooling the material at a cooling rate, wherein the solidifying preserves an amount of the at least one added alloying element in solid solution in the material; and   forming precipitates within the material by aging the material at an aging temperature.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling rate is between about 5° C. per second and 200° C. per second. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the material is an aluminum-scandium alloy. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the aluminum-scandium alloy includes about 0.2 wt % scandium as the at least one added alloying element. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure is applied to the material during and after the material is introduced into the mold and until the material solidifies. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the precipitates are nanometer-sized precipitates of the at least one added alloying element randomly distributed throughout the turbocharger component. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mold includes a mold cavity, and wherein the solidifying occurs when the material fills the mold cavity. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein during the solidifying the material contacts a cooling mold. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the solidifying preserves a substantial amount of the at least one added alloying element in solid solution in the material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the mold includes a mold cavity, and wherein the material first contacts the cooling mold when the material fills the mold cavity. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the material is first introduced into a bottom portion of the mold. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a coolant is introduced into a coolant passage of a cooling mold disposed above the mold. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the turbocharger component is a compressor wheel. 
     
     
         14 . A component for a turbocharger of an internal combustion engine, wherein the component is manufactured by the method comprising:
 introducing a material into a mold, wherein the material includes at least one added alloying element;   applying a pressure to the material;   solidifying the material by cooling the material at a cooling rate, wherein the solidifying preserves an amount of the at least one added alloying element in solid solution in the material; and   forming precipitates within the material by aging the material at an aging temperature.   
     
     
         15 . The component of  claim 14 , wherein the cooling rate is between about 5° C. per second and 200° C. per second. 
     
     
         16 . The component of  claim 14 , wherein the material is an aluminum-scandium alloy including about 0.2 wt % scandium as the at least one added alloying element. 
     
     
         17 . The component of  claim 14 , wherein the precipitates are uniformly distributed nanometer-sized precipitates. 
     
     
         18 . The component of  claim 14 , wherein the aging temperature is between about 200° C. and 400° C. 
     
     
         19 . A component for an internal combustion engine, wherein the component comprises:
 an aluminum-scandium alloy having nanometer-sized precipitates, wherein the alloy includes about 0.2 wt % scandium.   
     
     
         20 . The component of  claim 19 , wherein the precipitates are randomly distributed throughout the component.