Thermal protection methods using barrier coatings with strain tolerance slots

Abstract

A method of forming a component. The method includes applying a heat barrier coating to the component in order to reduce heat transfer to the component, where the heat barrier coating includes at least one insulating layer and a metallic bond coating in contact with an outer surface of the component. The method further includes forming a plurality of slots in the at least one insulating layer of the thermal barrier coating to facilitate increasing a strain tolerance of the thermal barrier coating, where each slot of the plurality of slots extends a depth into the at least one insulating layer. The method further includes depositing a material within the plurality of trenches so as to increase an amount of thermal protection of the metal bond coating within the regions of the thermal barrier coating in which the plurality of trenches are formed.

Description

Background Art

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to thermal protective coatings for use with turbine engine components and, more particularly, to methods for depositing material in strain tolerance grooves of thermal barrier coatings applied to turbine engine components.

[0002] Turbine engines, such as gas turbine engines and / or steam turbine engines, are widely used in industrial and power generation operations. Known turbine engines are subject to high temperatures for extended periods of time, which may cause deformation of turbine engine components over time. In order to protect the components from the effects of heat, at least some known turbine engine components include a thermal barrier coating. Typically, a thermal barrier coating on a turbine engine component includes one or more thermal insulation layers and a metallic bond coat extending directly over a base metal of the component.

[0003] In order to facilitate improving the strain tolerance of the coating, at least some known thermal barrier coatings are formed with strain tolerance grooves extending on the turbine engine components. However, the presence of such grooves may result in a reduction in the thickness of the thermal barrier coating at the location of each formed groove on the turbine engine component. Therefore, when exposed to high operating temperatures at these locations, oxidation and degradation of the metallic bond coating are more likely to occur in or near the strain tolerance grooves. Therefore, there is a need for a method of depositing additional material into the strain tolerance grooves of the thermal barrier coating in order to improve the overall thermal protection of the turbine engine components. Summary of the invention

[0004] In one aspect, a method of forming a component is provided. The method includes applying a thermal barrier coating to the component to reduce heat transfer to the component, wherein the thermal barrier coating includes a metal bond coating and at least one thermal insulation layer, wherein the at least one thermal insulation layer extends over the metal bond coating, and wherein the metal bond coating is in contact with the outer surface of the component. The method also includes forming a plurality of grooves in the at least one thermal insulation layer of the thermal barrier coating to increase the strain tolerance of the thermal barrier coating, wherein each of the plurality of grooves extends to a certain depth into the at least one thermal insulation layer. The method also includes depositing material within the plurality of grooves to increase the amount of thermal protection of the metal bond coating in those areas of the thermal barrier coating in which the plurality of grooves are formed.

[0005] On the other hand, a method for manufacturing a turbine engine component is provided. The method includes applying a thermal barrier coating to the component to reduce heat transfer to the component, wherein the thermal barrier coating includes a metal bond coating and at least one thermal insulation layer, wherein the at least one thermal insulation layer extends over the metal bond coating, and wherein the metal bond coating is in contact with the outer surface of the component. The method also includes forming a plurality of grooves in the at least one thermal insulation layer of the applied thermal barrier coating to increase the strain tolerance of the thermal barrier coating, wherein each of the plurality of grooves extends along a line perpendicular to the metal bond coating to a certain depth into the at least one thermal insulation layer to the bottom of the groove. The method also includes depositing material in the plurality of grooves to increase the amount of thermal protection of the metal bond coating adjacent to the extension line of each of the plurality of grooves. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary turbine engine component including a thermal barrier coating.

[0007] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary turbine engine component including a thermal barrier coating having a plurality of strain tolerance grooves formed in a first layer thereof.

[0008] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary turbine engine component including a thermal barrier coating having a plurality of strain tolerance grooves formed in a first layer and a second layer thereof.

[0009] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary turbine engine component including a thermal barrier coating having a plurality of strain tolerance grooves formed in first and second layers thereof and in contact with a metal bond coating of the thermal barrier coating.

[0010] Figure 5A and Figure 5B yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a turbine engine component including material deposited into a plurality of strain tolerant grooves.

[0011] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a turbine engine component including material deposited into a plurality of strain tolerant grooves.

[0012] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B yes Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a turbine engine component including material deposited into a plurality of strain tolerant grooves. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Embodiments described herein relate to methods for depositing material in strain tolerance grooves of a thermal barrier coating to facilitate improved thermal protection of turbine engine components.

[0014] The methods described herein facilitate thermal protection of turbine engine components. Advantages of the methods described herein include at least: (i) improving thermal protection of a turbine engine component because the thermal barrier coating protects the component from thermal damage; (ii) improving strain tolerance of the thermal barrier coating on the turbine engine component because of the grooves in the thermal barrier coating; and (iii) improving thermal protection of the turbine engine component because oxidation and degradation of a metal bond coating of the thermal barrier coating adjacent to the strain tolerance grooves is reduced because of the material deposited into the strain tolerance grooves of the thermal barrier coating.

[0015] When introducing elements of the various embodiments disclosed herein, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

[0016] Unless otherwise indicated, approximate language as used herein, such as "substantially", "substantially" and "about" indicate that as those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize, the terms so modified may apply only to approximate degrees, rather than absolute or perfect degrees. Therefore, the values ​​modified by one or more terms (such as "about", "approximately" and "substantially") are not limited to the specified exact values. In at least some cases, approximate language may correspond to the precision of the instrument used to measure the value. In addition, unless otherwise indicated, the terms "first", "second" etc. are only used as marks in this article, and are not intended to impose order, position or hierarchical requirements on the items to which these terms are related. In addition, for example, the reference to the "second" item does not require or exclude the existence of, for example, the "first" or lower numbered items or the "third" or higher numbered items.

[0017] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary turbine engine component 100. Component 100 may be any of a variety of component types used in various turbine engine applications, such as, for example, components used in high temperature applications. In some embodiments, component 100 may be a turbine blade, a compressor blade, an impeller, a nozzle, a shroud, a rotor, a transition piece, and / or a rotor casing. In other embodiments, component 100 may be any other component of a turbine engine. In an exemplary embodiment, component 100 includes a base metal 102 and a thermal barrier coating 104. Thermal barrier coating 104 may facilitate improved thermal protection of base metal 102 from exposure to high temperatures during use.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, the thermal barrier coating 104 includes a metal bond coating 106 contacting the base metal 102. The thermal barrier coating 104 may also include a plurality of thermal insulation layers 108. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the thermal barrier coating 104 includes a first thermal insulation layer 108a and a second thermal insulation layer 108b. In some embodiments, the thermal barrier coating 104 may include more or less than two thermal insulation layers 108.

[0019] Generally, the thermal barrier coating 104 may include any material known in the art that facilitates the thermal protection methods described herein. For example, the first thermal insulation layer 108 and / or the second thermal insulation layer 108b may include one or more materials having one or more material properties that facilitate thermal protection of the metal bond coating 106 of the thermal barrier coating 104 from the high operating temperatures of the component 100. In an exemplary embodiment, the one or more materials included in the first thermal insulation layer 108 and / or the second thermal insulation layer 108b have material properties of chemical composition.

[0020] Typically, the chemical composition of one or more materials included in the first insulation layer 108 and / or the second insulation layer 108b may include any chemical composition characteristics that contribute to the thermal protection methods described herein. For example, adjusting the geometry (e.g., element geometry and / or component geometry), length and / or ratio (e.g., molar ratio, weight ratio and / or volume ratio) can adjust the size, shape and characteristics of one or more materials included in the first insulation layer 108 and / or the second insulation layer 108b. In some embodiments, the chemical composition may vary across the insulation layer 108. For example, the chemical composition of the first insulation layer 108 may be different from the chemical composition of the second insulation layer 108b. In other embodiments, the chemical composition of all insulation layers 108 may be substantially the same. For example, the chemical composition of the first insulation layer 108 may be substantially the same as the chemical composition of the second insulation layer 108b.

[0021] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary turbine engine component 200 . Figure 2 The component 200 shown in FIG. 1 is similar to ( Figure 1 ) component 100 shown in , except as described below, and therefore, Figure 2 Use with Figure 1 The same reference numerals are used to identify the same components. The high temperature of the component 200 may cause the structure of the thermal barrier coating 104 to strain. Therefore, as is known in the art, the thermal barrier coating 104 may include vertical microcracks to increase the strain tolerance of the thermal barrier coating 104. In an exemplary embodiment, the thermal barrier coating 104 includes a plurality of grooves 202, which help improve the strain tolerance of the thermal barrier coating 104.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, the grooves 202 extend from the upper surface 112 of the thermal barrier coating 104 inwardly toward the base metal 102 of the component 200 such that the depth 114 of each of the grooves 202 extends to the bottom 116 of the groove 202 defined within the second thermal insulation layer 108b of the thermal barrier coating 104. Figure 2 7 shows seven grooves 202, but the thermal barrier coating 104 may include more or less than seven grooves 202, and therefore, the illustration of a specific number of grooves 202 is not intended to be limiting. In addition, while the grooves 202 are depicted as each having substantially the same depth 114, in alternative embodiments, at least one groove 202 may be formed with a depth 114 that is different from at least one other groove 202. Moreover, while the grooves 202 are depicted as being substantially equally spaced on the component 200 and substantially parallel to each other, in alternative embodiments, the grooves 202 may be spaced apart in any orientation and / or may be aligned relative to each other in any direction, which enables the grooves 202 to contribute to improving the strain tolerance of the thermal barrier coating 104.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment, the shape of the grooves 202 is blunt or rounded at the bottom 116 to facilitate reducing cracking of the thermal barrier coating 104. For example, the bottom 116 of each groove 202 may be formed to have a radius or be semi-elliptical. In other embodiments, the grooves 202 may have any other shape, such as a generally triangular shape, which enables the grooves 202 to help improve the strain tolerance of the thermal barrier coating 104 without increasing the likelihood of crack formation.

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary turbine engine component 300 . Figure 3 The component 300 shown in FIG. 1 is similar to ( Figure 1 ) component 100 and ( Figure 2 ) component 200 shown in , with the differences being as described below, and therefore, Figure 3 Use with Figure 1 and Figure 2 The same reference numerals are used to identify the same components. The thermal barrier coating 104 includes a plurality of grooves 202 to improve the strain tolerance of the thermal barrier coating 104. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, each groove 202 extends from the upper surface 112 of the thermal barrier coating 104 inwardly toward the base metal 102 of the component 300, such that the depth 114 of each groove 202 is defined at the groove bottom 116 within the second thermal insulation layer 108b of the thermal barrier coating 104. Therefore, Figure 3 The depth 114 of each groove 202 is shown as Figure 2 The depth 114 of each groove 202 is shown to be deeper.

[0025] Figure 4is a schematic diagram of an exemplary turbine engine component 400 . Figure 4 The component 400 shown in FIG. 1 is similar to ( Figure 1 ) component 100, ( Figure 2 ) component 200 and ( Figure 3 ) component 300 shown in , with the differences being as described below, and therefore, Figure 4 Use with Figures 1 to 3 The same reference numerals are used to identify the same components. The thermal barrier coating 104 includes a plurality of grooves 202 to facilitate improving the strain tolerance of the thermal barrier coating 104. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, each groove 202 extends from the upper surface 112 of the thermal barrier coating 104 inwardly toward the base metal 102 of the component 300, such that the depth 114 of each groove 202 is defined at the groove bottom 116 at the joint 117 between the first thermal insulation layer 108 and the metal bond coating 106. Therefore, Figure 4 The depth 114 of each groove 202 is shown as Figure 2 and Figure 3 The depth 114 of each groove 202 is shown to be deeper.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment, the thickness 118 of the thermal barrier coating 104 is defined by the combined thickness of all individual thermal insulation layers 108 (e.g., the first thermal insulation layer 108a and the second thermal insulation layer 108b), as measured from the upper surface 112 of the thermal barrier coating 104 to the junction 117 defined between the first thermal insulation layer 108 and the metal bond coating 106. Figures 2 to 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the thickness 118 of the thermal barrier coating is defined as the combined thickness of the first thermal insulation layer 108 and the second thermal insulation layer 108b.

[0027] In this exemplary embodiment, each groove bottom 116 is defined to be an intermediate distance 120 from a junction 117 defined between the first thermal insulation layer 108 and the metallic bond coating 106. Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the intermediate thickness 120 is less than the total thickness 118 of the thermal barrier coating 104. Thus, at the bottom 116 of the slots 202, the thermal barrier coating 104 provides less thermal protection between the high ambient operating temperature of the component (e.g., components 200, 300, 400) and the metallic bond coating 106. Without the present invention, the metallic bond coating 106 would have an increased likelihood of oxidation and / or degradation relative to the thermal barrier coating 104 at such locations due to the increased proximity to the high operating temperatures (e.g., because the metallic bond coating 106 has less thermal barrier coating 104 extending thereover at each slot bottom 116).

[0028] 5-7 are schematic diagrams of turbine engine components (e.g., components 200, 300, 400) that include an insulating filler material 502 deposited within at least one of the plurality of slots 202 of the thermal barrier coating 104. In an exemplary embodiment, the insulating filler material 502 enhances the thermal protection provided at relative locations on the thermal barrier coating 104 where less of the thermal barrier coating 104 extends over the metallic bond coating 106 (e.g., such as at the bottom 116 of each slot 202).

[0029] In general, insulating filler material 502 may be any material known in the art that helps enhance thermal protection of components as described herein. For example, insulating filler material 502 may have one or more material properties that help enhance thermal protection of base metal 102 and metallic bond coating 106 of a component (e.g., components 200, 300, 400) from high ambient operating temperatures to which each component may be exposed.

[0030] In an exemplary embodiment, the insulating filler material 502 is variably selected to have inherent material properties of a desired chemical composition and porosity. For example, the selected material may be selected to have chemical composition properties that promote the desired level of thermal protection described herein. For example, adjusting the geometry (e.g., element geometry and / or component geometry), length and / or ratio (e.g., molar ratio, weight ratio and / or volume ratio) can enable the size, shape and properties of the insulating filler material 502 to be variably selected and adjusted.

[0031] Additionally, generally, insulating filler material 502 may be selected to include any porosity characteristics that facilitate the thermal protection methods described herein. For example, the material may be variably selected to include desired particle density, particle size distribution, and / or particle shape characteristics.

[0032] Figure 5A and Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of component 200, wherein insulating fill material 502 substantially fills (eg, Figure 5A as shown) and partially filled (as Figure 5B As shown) each slot 202. Fig. 6A and Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of component 300, wherein insulating fill material 502 substantially fills (eg, Fig. 6A as shown) and partially filled (as Figure 6B As shown) each slot 202. Fig. 7A and Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of component 400, wherein insulating fill material 502 substantially fills (eg, Fig. 7A as shown) and partially filled (as Figure 7B5 to 7 ). The slots 202 may include any amount of insulating fill material 502, such that at least some of the slots 202 may remain empty while other slots 202 are completely filled with insulating fill material 502. Therefore, the amount of insulating fill material 502 inserted into the slots 202 is not intended to be limited by the amount shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 .

[0033] In addition, the amount of insulating fill material inserted into the slot 202 may not be uniform across the entire component (e.g., components 200, 300, 400). Therefore, although Figures 5 to 7 show a substantially uniform amount of insulating fill material 502 inserted into the slot 202, these illustrations are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the amount and / or displacement of the insulating fill material 502 inserted into the slot 202. Typically, the amount of insulating fill material 502 accommodated in each slot 202 is based on, for example, the type, size and / or shape of the component (e.g., components 200, 300, 400). More specifically, certain types of components and / or specific areas of components may be more severely affected by high operating temperatures than other areas of the component, or exposed to higher ambient operating temperatures. Therefore, within such components, the slot 202 can accommodate an increased amount of insulating fill material 502 compared to other types and / or areas of the same component.

[0034] In an exemplary embodiment, the amount (e.g., depth) of the insulating fill material 502 deposited in the groove 202 may also depend on the application process used to deposit the insulating fill material 502. For example, in some embodiments, the insulating fill material 502 may be deposited in the groove 202 as a slurry, or sprayed on the component (e.g., component 200, 300, 400). In one embodiment, the insulating fill material 502 may be a yttria-based material applied in the form of a slurry. In some embodiments, the insulating fill material 502 may be an oxide-based mixture or slurry, such as, but not limited to, a zirconium oxide-based mixture or slurry. In other embodiments, the insulating fill material 502 may be a zirconium oxide-based mixture or slurry, which may also include silicon, aluminum, and / or rare earths.

[0035] The amount of insulating fill material 502 in the groove 202 can also be controlled by the type and / or amount of insulating fill material 502 applied. For example, to increase the amount of insulating fill material 502 (e.g., to increase the depth of insulating fill material 502 deposited in the groove 202), multiple spray applications can be performed. In some embodiments, a heat treatment can be applied to the component (e.g., component 200, 300, 400) after the insulating fill material 502 is deposited within the groove 202. In other embodiments, a reaction sintering process can be performed when the insulating fill material 502 is applied to the component (e.g., component 200, 300, 400).

[0036] The amount of insulating fill material 502 in the slot 202 may also be controlled by the type of mixture of insulating fill material 502. For example, the mixture of insulating fill material 502 may vary based on the powder size of the mixture to help improve the filling of the slot 202 with the insulating fill material 502. The powder size of the mixture may be increased or decreased to enable improved filling along the length of the slot 202, thereby helping to improve the depth of thermal protection (e.g., both oxidation protection and thermal protection) provided by the thickness of the coating in the slot 202.

[0037] An exemplary method for depositing an insulating filler material into a strain tolerance groove of a thermal barrier coating to improve thermal protection of a turbine engine component is described herein. The exemplary systems and methods as described herein may provide several advantages over conventional designs and processes, including improved thermal protection of a turbine engine component, improved strain tolerance of a thermal barrier coating extending over a turbine engine component, and extending the useful life of a turbine engine component by helping to reduce the effects of prolonged exposure to high operating temperatures, including reducing oxidation and degradation of the turbine component at the location of the strain tolerance groove formed within the thermal barrier coating.

[0038] The above description is intended to be exemplary only, and those skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosed invention. Modifications falling within the scope of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of a review of the present disclosure, and such modifications are intended to fall within the appended claims. The systems and methods described herein are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but rather portions of the various systems may be utilized independently and separately from other systems and methods described herein.

[0039] Although specific features of various embodiments of the present invention may be shown in some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only. In addition, reference to "one embodiment" in the above description is not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also include the described features. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, any feature of a drawing may be referenced and / or claimed in conjunction with any feature of any other drawing.

[0040] Further aspects of the invention are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses:

[0041] A method of forming a component, the method comprising: applying a thermal barrier coating to the component so as to reduce heat transfer to the component, wherein the thermal barrier coating comprises a metal bond coating and at least one thermal insulation layer, wherein the at least one thermal insulation layer extends over the metal bond coating, and wherein the metal bond coating contacts an outer surface of the component; forming a plurality of grooves in the at least one thermal insulation layer of the thermal barrier coating so as to increase the strain tolerance of the thermal barrier coating, wherein each of the plurality of grooves extends to a depth into the at least one thermal insulation layer; and depositing a material within the plurality of grooves so as to increase the amount of thermal protection of the metal bond coating in those areas of the thermal barrier coating where the plurality of grooves are formed.

[0042] A method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein depositing the material within the plurality of grooves comprises depositing the material in slurry form.

[0043] A method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein depositing the material within the plurality of grooves comprises depositing the material in the form of a spray.

[0044] A method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein applying the thermal barrier coating to the component comprises applying a first thermal insulation layer on the component and applying a second thermal insulation layer on at least a portion of the first thermal insulation layer.

[0045] A method as in any of the preceding clauses, wherein forming the plurality of grooves comprises forming the plurality of grooves such that at least some of the grooves extend into the second thermal insulation layer.

[0046] A method as in any of the preceding clauses, wherein forming the plurality of slots comprises forming the plurality of slots such that at least some of the slots extend through the second thermal insulation layer and at least partially into the first thermal insulation layer.

[0047] The method of any of the preceding clauses, wherein forming the plurality of grooves comprises forming the plurality of grooves such that at least some of the grooves extend through the second thermal insulation layer and the first thermal insulation layer to contact the metallic bond coating.

[0048] A method as in any of the preceding clauses, wherein depositing the material within the plurality of grooves further comprises depositing the material within the plurality of grooves so as to reduce an amount of degradation of the component within those areas of the thermal barrier coating that include the plurality of grooves.

[0049] A method as in any of the preceding clauses, wherein depositing the material within the plurality of trenches further comprises depositing the material to fill the entirety of each trench in the plurality of trenches.

[0050] A method as in any of the preceding clauses, wherein depositing the material within the plurality of trenches further comprises depositing the material to fill only a portion of the plurality of trenches.

[0051] A method as in any of the preceding clauses, wherein depositing the material within the plurality of trenches further comprises depositing the material within the plurality of trenches so as to reduce an amount of oxidation of the component within those areas of the thermal barrier coating that include the plurality of trenches.

[0052] A method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein forming the plurality of grooves comprises forming each groove having a bottom surface defined by a radius.

[0053] A method of manufacturing a turbine engine component, the method comprising: applying a thermal barrier coating to the component so as to reduce heat transfer to the component, wherein the thermal barrier coating comprises a metallic bond coating and at least one thermal insulation layer, wherein the at least one thermal insulation layer extends over the metallic bond coating, and wherein the metallic bond coating contacts an outer surface of the component; forming a plurality of grooves in the at least one thermal insulation layer of the applied thermal barrier coating so as to increase the strain tolerance of the thermal barrier coating, wherein each of the plurality of grooves extends along a line perpendicular to the metallic bond coating to a depth into the at least one thermal insulation layer to a bottom of the groove; and depositing material within the plurality of grooves so as to increase the amount of thermal protection of the metallic bond coating adjacent to the extension line of each of the plurality of grooves.

[0054] A method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein applying the thermal barrier coating to the component comprises applying a first thermal insulation layer on the component and applying a second thermal insulation layer on at least a portion of the first thermal insulation layer.

[0055] A method as in any of the preceding clauses, wherein forming the plurality of grooves comprises forming the plurality of grooves such that at least some of the grooves extend into the second thermal insulation layer.

[0056] A method as in any of the preceding clauses, wherein forming the plurality of slots comprises forming the plurality of slots such that at least some of the slots extend through the second thermal insulation layer and at least partially into the first thermal insulation layer.

[0057] The method of any of the preceding clauses, wherein forming the plurality of grooves comprises forming the plurality of grooves such that at least some of the grooves extend through the second thermal insulation layer and the first thermal insulation layer to contact the metallic bond coating.

[0058] A method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein depositing the material within the plurality of trenches further comprises depositing the material within the plurality of trenches so as to reduce an amount of degradation of the component adjacent the extension line of each of the plurality of trenches.

[0059] A method as in any of the preceding clauses, wherein depositing the material within the plurality of trenches further comprises depositing the material to fill the entirety of each trench in the plurality of trenches.

[0060] A method as in any of the preceding clauses, wherein depositing the material within the plurality of trenches further comprises depositing the material to fill only a portion of the plurality of trenches.

[0061] While the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method of forming a component, the method comprising: applying a thermal barrier coating to the component to facilitate reducing heat transfer to the component, wherein the thermal barrier coating comprises a metallic bond coating and at least one thermal insulation layer, wherein the at least one thermal insulation layer extends over the metallic bond coating, and wherein the metallic bond coating is in contact with an outer surface of the component; forming a plurality of grooves in the at least one thermal insulation layer of the thermal barrier coating so as to increase the strain tolerance of the thermal barrier coating, wherein each groove of the plurality of grooves extends to a depth into the at least one thermal insulation layer; as well as A material is deposited within the plurality of grooves so as to increase the amount of thermal protection of the metallic bond coating within those areas of the thermal barrier coating where the plurality of grooves are formed. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the material within the plurality of grooves comprises depositing the material in the form of a slurry. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the material within the plurality of trenches comprises depositing the material in a spray form.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the thermal barrier coating to the component comprises applying a first thermal insulation layer on the component and applying a second thermal insulation layer on at least a portion of the first thermal insulation layer. 5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein forming the plurality of grooves comprises forming the plurality of grooves such that at least some of the grooves extend into the second thermal insulation layer.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein forming the plurality of grooves comprises forming the plurality of grooves such that at least some of the grooves extend through the second thermal insulation layer and at least partially into the first thermal insulation layer. 7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein forming the plurality of grooves comprises forming the plurality of grooves such that at least some of the grooves extend through the second thermal insulation layer and the first thermal insulation layer to contact the metallic bond coating.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein depositing the material within the plurality of grooves further comprises depositing the material within the plurality of grooves so as to reduce an amount of degradation of the component within those areas of the thermal barrier coating that include the plurality of grooves. 9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the material within the plurality of trenches further comprises depositing the material to fill the entirety of each trench in the plurality of trenches.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing the material within the plurality of trenches further comprises depositing the material to fill only a portion of the plurality of trenches.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the material within the plurality of grooves further comprises depositing the material within the plurality of grooves so as to reduce an amount of oxidation of the component within those areas of the thermal barrier coating that include the plurality of grooves.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the plurality of grooves comprises forming each groove having a bottom surface defined by a radius.

13. A method of manufacturing a turbine engine component, the method comprising: applying a thermal barrier coating to the component to facilitate reducing heat transfer to the component, wherein the thermal barrier coating comprises a metallic bond coating and at least one thermal insulation layer, wherein the at least one thermal insulation layer extends over the metallic bond coating, and wherein the metallic bond coating is in contact with an outer surface of the component; forming a plurality of grooves in the at least one thermal insulation layer of the applied thermal barrier coating so as to increase the strain tolerance of the thermal barrier coating, wherein each groove of the plurality of grooves extends along a line perpendicular to the metallic bond coating to a depth into the at least one thermal insulation layer to a groove bottom; as well as A material is deposited within the plurality of trenches so as to increase an amount of thermal protection of the metallic bond coating adjacent an extension line of each of the plurality of trenches.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein applying the thermal barrier coating to the component comprises applying a first thermal insulation layer on the component and applying a second thermal insulation layer on at least a portion of the first thermal insulation layer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the plurality of grooves comprises forming the plurality of grooves such that at least some of the grooves extend into the second thermal insulation layer.

Images