Coating Effect on Particle Trajectories and Turbine Blade Erosion

Gas turbine engines operating in dusty environments are exposed to erosion and performance deterioration. In order to improve the erosion resistance, nickel and cobalt superalloy blades and vanes are widely used in the hot section of gas turbines. Protective coatings have been used to enhance superalloy resistance to hot erosion. An investigation has been conducted to study coal ash particle dynamics and resulting blade erosion for both uncoated and coated blades of a two-stage axial flow gas turbine. A quasi-three-dimensional flow solution is obtained for each blade row for accurate computation of particle trajectories. The change in particle momentum due to collision with the turbine blades and casings is modeled using restitution parameters derived from three-component laser-Doppler velocimeter measurements. The erosion models for both blade superalloy and coatings are derived based on the erosion data obtained by testing the blade superalloy and coatings in a high-temperature erosion wind tunnel. The results show both the three-dimensional particle trajectories and the resulting blade impact locations for both uncoated and coated blade surfaces. In addition are shown the distribution of the erosion rate, impact frequency, impact velocity, and impact angle for the superalloy and the coating. The results indicate significant effects of the coating, especially on blade erosion and material deterioration.