In general, the systems and methods described in this application relate to laser-induced nucleation in continuous flow. A method of laser-induced nucleation in continuous flow includes injecting a saturated solution, undersaturated solution, or supersaturated solution through an inlet of a device. The method can include converting the saturated solution or undersaturated solution into supersaturated solution by changing a temperature of the saturated solution or undersaturated solution. The method can include passing one or more laser pulses through the supersaturated solution within the device. The method can include flowing the saturated solution, undersaturated solution, or the supersaturated solution through an outlet of the device.

Provided is a method for producing a crystal fiber which can suppress the occurrence of stress birefringence even while distributing a light emission center so as to concentrate on a cross-sectional middle portion. The method for producing a crystal fiber comprises the steps of: using, as a preform, the crystal fiber comprising a light emission center that volatilizes from a melted portion upon the melting of a crystal, and heating a portion or a plurality of portions of the side of the preform, whereby the portion or the plurality of portions of the preform are melted such that only a given amount of the inside of the portion or the plurality of portions of the preform is not melted, to form the melted portion; and sequentially transferring the melted portion in the longitudinal direction of the preform, and cooling the melted portion, whereby the melted portion is continuously recrystallized to form a recrystallized region.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method for growing a large-size crystal by laser assisted heating and a dedicated device. The device comprises a laser core heating device, a xenon lamp surface heating device, a base, a vacuum cavity and etc. When a crystal is prepared, seeding and crystal growing are implemented by a xenon lamp-laser synergetic heating mode. According to the present invention, the structure and functions of the dedicated device are designed to introduce, at the center of a float melting zone, a laser heating source having high precision and strong controllability, so that a composite heating mode with xenon lamp surface heating and laser core heating is formed; and combined with the control of process, the method and the device solve the difficulty in growing a large-size test crystal bar and enable the growth of the crystal bar having a diameter up to 35 mm so as to facilitate engineering uses.

Methods of manufacturing or repairing a turbine blade or vane are described. The airfoil portions of these turbine components are typically manufactured by casting in a ceramic mold, and a surface made up of the cast airfoil and at the least the ceramic core serves as a build surface for a subsequent process of additively manufacturing the tip portions. The build surface is created by removing a top portion of the airfoil and the core, or by placing an ultra-thin shim on top of the airfoil and the core. The overhang projected by the shim is subsequently removed. These methods are not limited to turbine engine applications, but can be applied to any metallic object that can benefit from casting and additive manufacturing processes. The present disclosure also relates to finished and intermediate products prepared by these methods.

Methods of manufacturing or repairing a turbine blade or vane are described. The airfoil portions of these turbine components are typically manufactured by casting in a ceramic mold, and a surface made up of the cast airfoil and at the least the ceramic core serves as a build surface for a subsequent process of additively manufacturing the tip portions. The build surface is created by removing a top portion of the airfoil and the core, or by placing an ultra-thin shim on top of the airfoil and the core. The overhang projected by the shim is subsequently removed. These methods are not limited to turbine engine applications, but can be applied to any metallic object that can benefit from casting and additive manufacturing processes. The present disclosure also relates to finished and intermediate products prepared by these methods.

A method for producing a single crystal having a diameter of 200 mm or greater in which: (1) a seed crystal is provided; (2) an upper surface of the seed crystal is melted with an infrared ray supplied obliquely from above to create a melt covering the upper surface of the seed crystal; and (3) a powder raw material is supplied from above the seed crystal onto an area of the melt that is 90% or less of a diameter of the seed crystal, and the powder raw material supplied onto the melt is melted with the infrared ray supplied obliquely from above to melt the powder raw material while, simultaneously, a lower surface of the melt is solidified on the seed crystal. The infrared ray is applied to an area of the melt that is within 90% of the diameter of the seed crystal.

A method for producing a single crystal having a diameter of 200 mm or greater in which: (1) a seed crystal is provided; (2) an upper surface of the seed crystal is melted with an infrared ray supplied obliquely from above to create a melt covering the upper surface of the seed crystal; and (3) a powder raw material is supplied from above the seed crystal onto an area of the melt that is 90% or less of a diameter of the seed crystal, and the powder raw material supplied onto the melt is melted with the infrared ray supplied obliquely from above to melt the powder raw material while, simultaneously, a lower surface of the melt is solidified on the seed crystal. The infrared ray is applied to an area of the melt that is within 90% of the diameter of the seed crystal.

Provided is a method for producing a crystal fiber which can suppress the occurrence of stress birefringence even while distributing a light emission center so as to concentrate on a cross-sectional middle portion. The method for producing a crystal fiber comprises the steps of: using, as a preform, the crystal fiber comprising a light emission center that volatilizes from a melted portion upon the melting of a crystal, and heating a portion or a plurality of portions of the side of the preform, whereby the portion or the plurality of portions of the preform are melted such that only a given amount of the inside of the portion or the plurality of portions of the preform is not melted, to form the melted portion; and sequentially transferring the melted portion in the longitudinal direction of the preform, and cooling the melted portion, whereby the melted portion is continuously recrystallized to form a recrystallized region.

A method of method of forming or repairing a superalloy article having a columnar or equiaxed or directionally solidified or amorphous or single crystal microstructure includes emitting a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of a diode laser fiber array corresponding to a pattern of a layer of the article onto a powder bed of the superalloy to form a melt pool; and controlling a temperature gradient and a solidification velocity of the melt pool to form the columnar or single crystal microstructure.

A method of method of forming or repairing a superalloy article having a columnar or equiaxed or directionally solidified or amorphous or single crystal microstructure includes emitting a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of a diode laser fiber array corresponding to a pattern of a layer of the article onto a powder bed of the superalloy to form a melt pool; and controlling a temperature gradient and a solidification velocity of the melt pool to form the columnar or single crystal microstructure.