Patent ID: 11969962
Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Field: Materials, metallurgy (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B  C  F | IPC B  F

Claim 0:
1. A method for repairing composite components, the method comprising:
positioning repair material within a repair region of a composite component formed of a composite material;
placing the composite component within a vacuum chamber such that the repair region is exposed to a first zone of the vacuum chamber and a remaining portion of the composite component is at least partially exposed to a second zone of the vacuum chamber that is separated from the first zone of the vacuum chamber by a wall;
controlling an operation of a first heating element positioned within the first zone of the vacuum chamber to heat the repair region to a first temperature;
controlling an operation of a second heating element positioned within the second zone of the vacuum chamber to heat the remaining portion of the composite component to a second temperature; and
melt infiltrating the repair region with an infiltrant to densify the repair material,
wherein the first temperature is at or above a melting point of the infiltrant and the second temperature is less than the melting point.