Thermal Spray Fixture Shielding for Gas Turbine Liner Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for applying thermal barrier coatings to combustor liner panels in gas turbine engines are inefficient, with significant time and material waste due to over-travel beyond the panel edges during the coating process.
Innovation Solution
A holder assembly with a backplate and spray coating shield is used to support and shadow mask the liner panels, allowing for efficient application of thermal barrier coatings by rotating the panels and spraying at angles to minimize shadowed areas and reduce over-travel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the spray torch over travels beyond the liner panel edge to apply uniform coating, then coating uniformity is improved, but cycle time and material waste increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The fixture is divided into modular components: a base plate with multiple holder assemblies, each holder containing a backplate and spray coating shield. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component's function, enabling the shield to be precisely positioned to mask shadowed areas while the spray torch covers only the necessary panel area without excessive over-travel.
Solution Approach 2:
A spray coating shield (intermediary component) is introduced between the spray torch and the liner panel. This shield masks the shadowed surface area created by the panel edges, allowing the spray torch to apply coating more efficiently without needing to over-travel extensively beyond the panel edges, thus reducing cycle time while maintaining coating uniformity.
2Manufacturing precision
If the spray torch over travels beyond the liner panel edge to apply uniform coating, then coating uniformity is improved, but spray material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spray coating shield acts as an intermediary that prevents spray material from being wasted on areas beyond the liner panel edges. By masking the shadowed surface area, the shield confines the spray material to the intended coating area, reducing material waste while still achieving uniform coating coverage across the panel surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield is positioned to provide localized masking only where shadowed areas occur at the panel edges. This local quality approach ensures that spray material is directed precisely where needed on the panel surface without being wasted in surrounding areas, optimizing material utilization while maintaining coating uniformity.
3Productivity
If ten liner panels are coated at a time in a circular arrangement, then production efficiency is improved, but the fixture size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fixture is segmented into multiple identical holder assemblies arranged around a central base plate. Each holder assembly is a self-contained unit with standardized components (backplate, standoff, spray coating shield), which can be easily replicated and assembled. This modular segmentation enables scaling to accommodate multiple panels while keeping individual component complexity low and facilitating easy setup and maintenance.
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 cycle time, increases coating efficiency, and minimizes material waste by optimizing the spray process, enabling faster and more uniform coating application without the need for extensive over-travel, thus improving the economics of the coating process.
Implementation Method 1
the spray coating shield is spaced a predetermined distance from a workpiece to mask an shadowed surface area of the workpiece with a shadow therefrom
Data Source
AI summary
A fixture assembly includes a standoff, a backplate and a spray coating shield attached to a support. The assembly supports a workpiece and sprays a base coat at substantially ninety degrees with respect to a surface of the workpiece to coat the workpiece with the base coat. The assembly sprays a top coat at an angle with respect to the surface of the workpiece to mask a shadowed surface area of the workpiece, where the angle different from ninety degrees.