Blade protection and efficiency preservation of a turbine by a sacrificial material coating

Abstract

In order to preserve the efficiency and power of a gas turbine, the clearances between rotating blades and the interior casing should be as small as possible. To obtain that, one sprays a sacrificial material by an atmospheric plasma spraying torch and obtains a coating layer. During their rotation, the blades scrape the coating and tear off fine layers, creating a functional gap between the blades and the casing seal. The combustion gases do not escape through the clearance and contribute to the power production. The aim of this work is to investigate the behavior of a particular sacrificial material and its effect on turbine blade wear under operating conditions. For this purpose, we use the abradability test rig in which three functional parameters are varied. Blade wear or material displacement is shown on various graphs and on the wear map, which indicates the other observed phenomena.