Patterned Ceramic Air Seal for Gas Turbine Erosion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air seal materials for gas turbine engines face a compromise between abradability, erosion resistance, spallation resistance, and environmental durability, with higher abradability leading to excessive erosion and lower abradability leading to spallation susceptibility.
Innovation Solution
A multi-layer ceramic air seal system is employed, featuring a metallic bond coat, an inner ceramic layer for spallation and erosion resistance, and an outer ceramic layer with patterned surface features for abradability, where the outer layer incorporates grooves and ridges to enhance thermal resistance and retention during high-temperature operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If materials with higher abradability are selected for the air seal, then the abradable air seal performance is improved, but erosion resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The air seal coating is divided into multiple layers with distinct functions: an inner layer providing erosion and spallation resistance, and an outer layer providing abradability. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for its specific function without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite material structure combining different ceramic materials with complementary properties. The inner layer uses erosion-resistant materials while the outer layer uses highly abradable materials, creating a composite system that achieves both protection and sealing functionality.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If materials with lower abradability are selected for the air seal, then erosion resistance is improved, but spallation susceptibility increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coating system is segmented into functional layers where the inner layer specifically addresses spallation and erosion resistance while the outer layer handles abradability, allowing optimization of each property independently.
Solution Approach 2:
Composite ceramic material structure combines materials with high spallation resistance in the inner layer with highly abradable materials in the outer layer, achieving both protection against spallation and desired abradability for sealing.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single-layer ceramic coating is used, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the balance between abradability and erosion resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The coating is segmented into multiple layers applied in sequence, with each layer having a specific thickness and material composition optimized for its function. This maintains manufacturing simplicity through sequential application while achieving superior performance balance.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-layer ceramic composite structure allows different materials to be applied in a controlled sequence, achieving the desired balance between abradability and erosion resistance that cannot be obtained with single-layer coatings.
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 multi-layer ceramic air seal system effectively balances abradability and erosion resistance, maintaining structural integrity and efficiency by reducing tip leakage vortex interaction and improving turbine performance.
Implementation Method 1
The abradable material is contacted and thus abraded by the rotating blade tips of the turbine blades during operation
Implementation Method 2
Such materials, however, are selected for oxidation resistance and/or thermal protection
Implementation Method 3
Such materials, however, are selected for oxidation resistance and/or thermal protection
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
Systems and methods involving air seals (110) are provided. In this regard, a representative air seal (110) for a gas turbine engine comprises a layer (150) of ceramic exhibiting patterned surface features (152, 154, 156), wherein a substrate (120) supporting the layer (150) of ceramic lacks the patterned surface features.