Gas Turbine Cooling Hole Capping for Thermal Barrier Coating

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for servicing gas turbine components, such as applying thermal barrier coatings, often result in film cooling holes becoming blocked, making the process time-consuming and laborious due to the need for manual cleaning and clearing of coating material from these holes.

Innovation Solution

A system and method using a robotic device with a slurry discharge nozzle and a computing device to generate a tool path for forming protective caps around cooling holes, allowing successive layers of ceramic slurry to be applied, which restricts coating material from entering the holes during thermal barrier coating application, enabling automated formation of protective caps that can be easily removed after curing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If thermal barrier coating is applied to gas turbine components, then the protective coating is successfully applied to the component surface, but the film cooling holes become blocked with coating material

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoating application qualityVSAvoidcooling hole patency

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by forming protective caps over the cooling holes before applying the thermal barrier coating. These caps prevent coating material from entering the holes during the coating process, ensuring the holes remain patent while allowing high-quality coating application on the component surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The protective caps serve as an intermediary element between the cooling holes and the thermal barrier coating material. This mediator allows the coating to be applied successfully to the component surface while preventing the harmful effect of coating material blocking the cooling holes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If manual cleaning and clearing of coating material from cooling holes is performed, then the holes are cleared of blockages, but the servicing process becomes time-consuming and laborious

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling hole patencyVSAvoidservicing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The protective caps are applied before the thermal barrier coating process, preventing blockages from occurring in the first place. This eliminates the need for subsequent time-consuming manual cleaning and clearing operations to remove coating material from the cooling holes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potential harm of coating material blocking holes into a benefit by using the coating application process itself to create protective caps that prevent blockages. The coating material that would otherwise be harmful is redirected to form a protective structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Productivity

If protective caps are formed around cooling holes using automated robotic device, then the coating process efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoating application efficiencyVSAvoidfabrication system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with an automated robotic device that deposits protective caps using a slurry discharge nozzle. This automation improves productivity by consistently forming protective caps around cooling holes without manual intervention, though it increases device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The protective caps are formed by controlling the deposition parameters of the ceramic slurry, including layer thickness, deposition rate, and curing conditions. By optimizing these parameters, the system achieves efficient automated cap formation that integrates well with the coating process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 the time and complexity of applying thermal barrier coatings by preventing coating material from entering cooling holes, facilitating efficient refurbishment of gas turbine components and extending their service life.

Implementation Method 1

discharge successive layers of ceramic slurry towards the gas turbine component as the tool path is followed such that the protective cap is formed around the first cooling hole

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCuring:

Data Source

PatentUS10907502B2System and method of fabricating and repairing a gas turbine component

Publication Date: 2021.02.02 GE INFRASTRUCTURE TECH LLC

AI summary

A method of fabricating and repairing a gas turbine component having a plurality of cooling holes defined therein is provided. The method includes determining a parameter of a first cooling hole defined in the gas turbine component, and generating a tool path for forming a protective cap around the first cooling hole. The tool path is based at least partially on the parameter of the first cooling hole. The method also includes directing a robotic device to follow the tool path, and discharging successive layers of ceramic slurry towards the gas turbine component as the tool path is followed such that the protective cap is formed around the first cooling hole.