Study of the characteristics of plasma spray sealing aluminum silicon-polyester coatings

Abstract

This study shows the homologation of the plasma spray parameters of soft abrasive AlSi - Polyester seals so that they can be applied on the TV2 - 117A compressor engines. The research has aimed at substituting existing sealants with a new class of materials in order to increase the sealing effect under the highest levels of pressure and to provide the air flow temperature of 100-125°C through the compressor. The Metco 601NS material and plasma spray technology were applied on the air labyrinth ring as a part of the TV2-117A turbojet engine compressor in order to obtain soft sealing. The deposit parameters were carefully selected in order to obtain coatings with the best characteristics depending on their application.The flow of helium was taken as a basic parameter in the parameter selection procedure. The coating with the best mechanical and structural properties was deposited on the air labyrinth ring to examine the effect of the coating application in an assembly. The microstructures of deposited layers were estimated with a light microscope and a (SEM) Scanning Electron Microscope. The microstructural analysis of deposited layers was performed according to the Pratt - Whitney standard. The assessment of the mechanical properties of the coatings was done by examining the macrohardness of the sealing layers with the HR15Y method. The coating bond strength was tested by tensile testing. The effect of the air labyrinth ring sealing was tested inside the TV2-117A engine compressor on the test station for a period of 42 hour.