Suspension Plasma Spray Aperture Clogging Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hot section components of gas turbine engines face challenges in maintaining cooling channel integrity due to coating material deposition in apertures, leading to reduced lifespan and increased maintenance efforts.
Innovation Solution
A suspension plasma spray deposition system that uses a fluid flow system to direct coating material away from apertures on the surface, minimizing deposition and maintaining coating thickness uniformity by controlling fluid flow rates between 0.095 and 0.350 cubic feet per minute.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If coating material is applied to the component surface using suspension plasma spray, then thermal barrier protection is improved, but coating material deposits in apertures causing clogging and reduced cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
A fluid flow system is activated during the coating deposition process to create a counteracting flow that prevents coating material from entering the apertures. This preliminary anti-action offsets the harmful deposition effect before it can occur, allowing the coating to be applied while maintaining aperture clarity for cooling function.
Solution Approach 2:
A fluid (such as air or gas) is introduced as an intermediary substance between the coating material and the apertures. This intermediary fluid flow acts as a barrier that redirects coating material away from the apertures while allowing the coating process to continue on the component surface.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If fluid flow rate is increased to prevent coating deposition in apertures, then aperture clogging is reduced, but coating thickness uniformity on the surface is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid flow rate is precisely controlled and optimized to a specific range (0.095-0.350 cfm) where it is sufficient to prevent coating material from entering the apertures, yet low enough to avoid disrupting the coating deposition process and compromising thickness uniformity on the component surface.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If manual clearing of apertures is performed after coating deposition, then coating material removal from apertures is achieved, but production time and labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid flow system is activated during the coating deposition process itself to prevent coating material from entering the apertures in the first place. This preliminary action eliminates the need for subsequent manual clearing operations, thereby reducing production time and labor requirements while maintaining aperture integrity.
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 effectively prevents coating material from entering apertures, reducing the need for manual clearing and ensuring consistent thermal resistance across the component surface, thereby extending the component's lifespan and reducing maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
deposit coating material on a surface of a component via a suspension plasma spray process
Implementation Method 2
flowing fluid out of a plurality of apertures on a surface of the substrate while depositing coating material on the surface of the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A suspension plasma spray deposition system comprising a suspension plasma spray device configured to deposit coating material on a surface of a component. The surface of the component includes a plurality of apertures. The system further includes a fluid flow system configured to flow fluid through the plurality of apertures in the surface of the component to reduce deposition of coating material in plurality of apertures. The fluid flow through each respective aperture of the plurality of apertures in the surface of the component is between about 0.095 and about 0.200 cubic feet per minute (cfm).