Modified turbine buckets and methods for modifying turbine buckets

Abstract

Methods for modifying a turbine buckets include removing at least an original outer edge for an entire length of the slash face of the turbine bucket and adding a new material to the slash face to build a new outer edge, wherein the new outer edge extends the entire length of the slash face.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for modifying a turbine bucket, the method comprising:
 removing at least an original outer edge for an entire length of a slash face of the turbine bucket; and,   adding a new material to the slash face to build a new outer edge, wherein the new outer edge extends the entire length of the slash face.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising machining the new material after it is added to form the new outer edge. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the new outer edge extends further from the turbine bucket than the original outer edge. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the new material comprises a different material than an original material of the original outer edge. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the new material is more resistant to oxidation than the original material of the original outer edge. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein removing at least the original outer edge for the entire length of the slash face is performed at a removal depth of about 1.270 mm to about 1.016 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the new material is added via laser cladding. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 removing at least a second original outer edge for the entire length of a second slash face of the turbine bucket; and,   adding the new material to the second slash face to build a second new outer edge, wherein the second new outer edge extends the entire length of the second slash face.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising machining the new material after it is added to form the second new outer edge. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second new outer edge extends further from the turbine bucket than the second original outer edge. 
     
     
         11 . A modified turbine bucket comprising:
 an airfoil extending from a bucket platform;   a root portion extending from an opposite side of the bucket platform; and,   a slash face on the bucket platform, the slash face comprising a new outer edge;   wherein an original outer edge was removed for an entire length of the slash face of the turbine bucket prior to adding new material to the slash face to build the new outer edge; and,   wherein the new outer edge extends the entire length of the slash face.   
     
     
         12 . The modified turbine bucket of  claim 11 , wherein the new material was machined after being added to form the new outer edge. 
     
     
         13 . The modified turbine bucket of  claim 12 , wherein the new outer edge extends further from the turbine bucket than the original outer edge. 
     
     
         14 . The modified turbine bucket of  claim 11 , wherein the new material comprises a different material than the original material of the original outer edge. 
     
     
         15 . The modified turbine bucket of  claim 14 , wherein the new material is more resistant to oxidation than the original material of the original outer edge. 
     
     
         16 . The modified turbine bucket of  claim 11 , wherein the original outer edge was removed at a removal depth of about 1.270 mm to about 1.016 mm. 
     
     
         17 . The modified turbine bucket of  claim 11  further comprising:
 a second slash face comprising a second new outer edge; 
 wherein a second original outer edge was removed for the entire length of the second slash face of the turbine bucket prior to adding new material to the second slash face to build the second new outer edge; and, 
 wherein the second new outer edge extends the entire length of the second slash face. 
 
     
     
         18 . The modified turbine bucket of  claim 17 , wherein the new material was machined after being added to the second slash face to form the second new outer edge. 
     
     
         19 . The modified turbine bucket of  claim 18 , wherein the second new outer edge extends further from the turbine bucket than the second original outer edge. 
     
     
         20 . The modified turbine bucket of  claim 11 , wherein the modified turbine bucket comprises a first stage bucket.