Gas Turbine Blade Tip Abrasive Coating Rim Anchorage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbine engine abrasive coatings face issues with hard particles falling off near the edges of narrow sections, leading to reduced effectiveness, increased aerodynamic losses, and interference with film cooling systems due to insufficient attachment strength at elevated temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A gas turbine engine component with a raised rim along the edges of the tip region, featuring an abrasive coating of hard particles embedded in a retaining matrix, where the rim's depth is between 50% and 75% of the mean diameter of the particles, providing anchorage and preventing particle loss, and the matrix is electroplated for enhanced attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hard particles are tacked to the blade tip to hold them in place before matrix application, then the abrasive coating can be formed, but hard particles may drop off near the edges of narrow sections
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a raised rim that creates a three-dimensional boundary structure around the abrasive coating area. This raised rim extends perpendicular to the blade surface, forming a containment structure that prevents particles from falling off the edges, effectively adding a dimensional constraint to solve the particle loss problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The raised rim acts as an intermediary structure between the blade surface and the abrasive coating particles. It provides mechanical support and containment, serving as a mediator that prevents direct particle loss to the environment while maintaining the coating's abrasive function.
2Stability of the object's composition
If hard particles are located at the edge to maintain coating coverage, then the abrasive coating remains continuous, but matrix material may be laid down overhanging the edge
Solution Approach 1:
The raised rim creates a vertical boundary that confines the matrix material within a defined horizontal area. By extending the rim perpendicular to the blade surface, it prevents matrix overhang beyond the edge, eliminating the source of aerodynamic losses while maintaining coating continuity within the bounded region.
Solution Approach 2:
The raised rim extracts or removes the harmful overhanging matrix material by providing a physical barrier at the edge. This containment structure prevents the matrix from extending beyond the desired boundary, effectively taking out the source of aerodynamic losses from the system.
3Ease of manufacture
If abrasive coating is applied to smooth surface, then the coating can be attached to the component, but at elevated temperatures the coating strength may be insufficient to prevent smearing off
Solution Approach 1:
The raised rim creates a localized structural feature with enhanced mechanical properties at the coating boundary. By providing a raised containment structure, it locally increases the strength and stability of the coating attachment, preventing smearing off at elevated temperatures while maintaining ease of manufacture through additive processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution improves the attachment strength of the abrasive coating, reduces aerodynamic losses, and minimizes interference with film cooling systems by preventing particle loss and unwanted matrix buildup, enhancing the coating's effectiveness and durability.
Implementation Method 1
The retaining matrix may be electroplated
Data Source
AI summary
A gas turbine engine component includes a rotor blade having a squealer tip comprising a projecting lip, the rotor blade further having a raised rim running along both edges of each projecting kip of the squealer tip, and an abrasive coating formed of hard particles embedded in a retaining matrix covering a tip region of the rotor blade within an area bounded by the raised rim. The raised rim has a height of between 50% and 75% of a mean diameter of the hard particles.