BWD TURBINES LIMITED

 ADVANCED TURBINE TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE INDUSTRY  WORLDWIDE

Current R&D Programs

Coating Life Prediction Model for Gas Turbine Engines

 

High temperature turbine blade and vane coatings degrade by a number of processes; including high temperature oxidation, oxide scale spallation, hot corrosion, and thermal mechanical fatigue. The present research program will focus on development of a cyclic oxidation life model. It is anticipated that the oxidation life model will ultimately serve as one component of a more comprehensive coating life model which incorporates the other degradation mechanisms. The program goals are as follows.

 

1. Develop computer modeling techniques for predicting the oxidation lifetime of high temperature coatings under industrial gas turbine (IGT) service conditions. Coating lifetime is expressed as the time or number of startup cycles to reach (1) a critical aluminum concentration, or (2) zero volume fraction of aluminum-rich beta phase within the coating layer.

 

2. Use the computer model to make life predictions for commercially used IGT MCrAlY coating / Ni-base substrate alloy compositions (M = Ni, Co).  Input parameters to be assessed will include coating / substrate composition, exposure temperature, cycle time and coating thickness.

 

3. Develop an Excel spreadsheet for representation and comparison of the computer model output data in the form of coating life diagrams. The spreadsheet shall allow users to quickly and easily assess the effects of the various input parameters on predicted coating life and to calculate the remaining life of service-exposed coatings under specified engine operating conditions.

 

 

For more information contact:

 

Dr. Donald  Boone     boone@bwdturbines.com     (925) 938-4780

 

     Joe Daleo                daleo@bwdturbines.com      (905) 648-9262