Thermal response of ceramic components during electron beam brazing

Ceramics are being used increasingly in applications where high temperatures are encountered such as automobile and gas turbine engines. However, the use of ceramics is limited by a lack of methods capable of producing strong, high temperature joints. This is because most ceramic-ceramic joining techniques, such as brazing, require that the entire assembly be exposed to high temperatures in order to assure that the braze material melts. Alternatively, localized heating using high energy electron beams may be used to selectively heat the braze material. In this work, high energy electron beam brazing of a ceramic part is modeled numerically. The part considered consists of a ceramic cylinder and disk between which is sandwiched an annular washer of braze material. An electron beam impinges on the disk, melting the braze metal. The resulting coupled electron and thermal transport equations are solved using Monte Carlo and finite element techniques. Results indicate that increased electron beam current decreases time to melt as well as required cooling time. Vacuum furnace brazing was also simulated and predicted results indicate increased processing times relative to electron beam brazing