Combustor Liner Recoating With Effusion Hole Re-Drilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for repairing combustor liners of gas turbine engines are costly and inefficient, particularly when the thermal barrier coating becomes damaged, as they require replacing the entire liner rather than reusing the base material and addressing obstructed effusion holes.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that involve removing the existing coating, acquiring and analyzing geometry data in both uncoated and coated states to determine the precise location and orientation of holes, and applying a new coating while drilling through obstructed holes using laser or mechanical drilling, allowing for the reuse of the base material and maintaining the calibrated airflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entire combustor liner is replaced when the thermal barrier coating becomes damaged, then the protective function is restored, but the cost increases and scrap material is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the coating layer from the base material, allowing the coating to be removed and reapplied independently while preserving the base combustor liner. This segmentation enables selective replacement of only the damaged coating rather than the entire liner assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The method recovers the base combustor liner by removing the damaged coating, cleaning the surface, and applying a new coating. This process recovers valuable base material that would otherwise be discarded, reducing scrap while restoring protective functionality.
2Reliability
If the entire combustor liner is replaced when the thermal barrier coating becomes damaged, then the protective function is restored, but the repair cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the coating from the base liner, the patent enables a less expensive repair process that only replaces the coating material rather than the entire expensive liner assembly, thereby reducing repair costs while maintaining protective function.
Solution Approach 2:
The recovery and reuse of the base combustor liner eliminates the need to purchase and install a completely new liner, significantly reducing material costs and associated manufacturing expenses while restoring the protective coating.
3Ease of manufacture
If a new coating is applied without precise hole location data, then the coating process is simplified, but the effusion holes become obstructed compromising cooling airflow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by capturing the geometry and effusion hole locations of the base liner before coating removal, then uses this data to guide the coating application process. This preliminary characterization ensures that subsequent coating steps preserve hole accessibility while maintaining coating integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The method uses feedback from measured geometry data to adjust and control the coating application process. By comparing actual hole locations against the captured baseline data, the system can modify coating parameters to prevent obstruction of effusion holes while ensuring adequate coating coverage.
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
This approach reduces scrap material and repair costs by reusing the base material, maintaining the calibrated airflow, and effectively repairing obstructed holes without replacing the entire combustor liner, thus extending its service life.
Implementation Method 1
drilling through the coating material at least partially obstructing the effusion hole using the measured data
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for characterizing holes in a combustor liner of a gas turbine engine, and associated repair methods are provided. One method comprises receiving first measured data of the combustor liner in an uncoated state. The method includes determining a first location and a first orientation of a first hole and a first location and a first orientation of a second hole in the combustor liner using the first measured data. The method includes receiving second measured data of the combustor liner in a coated state where the second hole is at least partially obstructed by a coating and the first hole is substantially unobstructed by the coating. The method includes inferring a second location of the second hole of the combustor liner in the coated state using a known spacing between the first location of the first hole and the first location of the second hole. The characterization of the holes may be used to re-drill the obstructed second hole.