Segmented Spray Nozzle System for In-Situ Turbine Coating Restoration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The maintenance of thermal barrier coatings in turbine engines is inefficient, leading to significant downtime and expense due to non-uniform degradation, requiring unscheduled maintenance and risking engine performance or unnecessary coating restoration.
Innovation Solution
A coating system comprising spray nozzle segment devices with a support fixture that maintains their position inside the engine, spraying a fluid-and-ceramic slurry mixture circumferentially without moving components, promoting evaporation of the fluid as droplets impact the surfaces to deposit a uniform coating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the engine is disassembled to apply restorative coating, then the coating can be restored, but significant downtime and expense occur
Solution Approach 1:
The coating system is divided into multiple spray nozzle segments that can be independently positioned and operated within the engine. Each segment targets specific surfaces, allowing simultaneous coating of multiple areas without requiring complete engine disassembly. This segmentation enables the coating process to be performed in-situ, dramatically reducing downtime while maintaining restoration quality
Solution Approach 2:
The spray nozzles are arranged in a three-dimensional configuration that extends circumferentially about the engine's central axis, allowing coating application from multiple angles and positions simultaneously. This spatial arrangement enables comprehensive surface coverage without requiring the engine to be taken apart, transforming a sequential disassembly-based process into a parallel in-situ operation
2Ease of manufacture
If coating is applied at regularly scheduled maintenance intervals, then maintenance is simplified, but unnecessary downtime occurs when coating does not need restoration
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors and monitoring capabilities that enable the coating to effectively monitor its own condition and trigger maintenance alerts when restoration is actually needed. This self-diagnosis functionality allows the engine to continue operating at full capacity until coating degradation reaches a threshold, eliminating premature or unnecessary maintenance interruptions
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from coating condition monitoring to dynamically adjust maintenance scheduling. Real-time data on coating integrity, thickness, and performance are fed back to the control system, which schedules restoration only when necessary. This closed-loop approach replaces fixed-interval maintenance with condition-based maintenance, reducing unnecessary downtime while ensuring timely restoration
3Loss of time
If coating is applied without disassembling the engine, then downtime is reduced, but uniform coating application becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The coating system uses multiple segmented spray nozzles positioned at different locations around the engine, each responsible for coating specific zones. This segmentation allows precise control over coating application in each area, ensuring uniform thickness and coverage even while the engine remains assembled. Each segment can be independently adjusted to account for varying surface geometries and accessibility
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts coating parameters such as spray pressure, nozzle positioning, slurry flow rate, and traversal speed to maintain uniform coating application. Sensors monitor coating thickness and quality in real-time, feeding back to the control system which modifies operational parameters to compensate for variations in surface geometry, distance, and angle, ensuring consistent coating quality throughout
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 method reduces downtime by applying a restorative coating simultaneously to multiple surfaces without disassembling the engine, minimizing the risk of component damage and ensuring a uniform, effective coating application.
Implementation Method 1
the first fluid is configured to promote evaporation of the second fluid as droplets of the slurry traverse from the housing toward one or more surfaces of the component
Implementation Method 2
spraying a fluid-and-ceramic slurry mixture circumferentially without moving components, promoting evaporation of the fluid as droplets impact the surfaces to deposit a uniform coating
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A coating system (100) includes a support fixture (132) sized to be partially inserted into one or more openings (126, 128) of a component (106) and a spray nozzle segment device (104) comprising a housing (202) configured to receive a slurry. The device (104) is disposed radially outward of a central axis (110) of the component (106) and is shaped to extend circumferentially about at least part of the central axis (110) of the component (106). The housing (202) comprises plural delivery nozzles (210) configured to spray the slurry onto a surface (114, 116, 502, 504) of the component (106). The device (104) is operably coupled with the support fixture (132) such that the fixture (132) maintains a position of the device (104) within the component (106) when the support fixture (132) is partially inserted into one or more openings (126, 128) of the component (106).