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At least 37 records · Page 2

Thermal conductivity of zirconia thermal barrier coatings

Thermal barrier coatings (TBC's) applied to the hot gas components of turbine engines lead to enhanced fuel efficiency and component reliability. Understanding the mechanisms which control the thermal transport behavior of the TBC's is of primary importance. Physical vapor deposition (PVD) and plasma spraying (PS) are the two most commonly used coating techniques. These techniques produce coatings with unique microstructures which control their performance and stability. The PS coatings were applied with either standard powder or hollow sphere particles. The hollow sphere particles yielded a lower density and lower thermal conductivity coating. The thermal conductivity of both fully and partially stabilized zirconia, before and after thermal aging, will be compared. The thermal conductivity of the coatings permanently increases upon exposed to high temperatures. These increases are attributed to microstructural changes within the coatings. Sintering of the as-fabricated plasma sprayed lamellar structure is observed by scanning electron microscopy of coatings isothermally heat treated at temperatures greater than 1100 C. During this sintering process the planar porosity between lamella is converted to a series of small spherical pores. The change in pore morphology is the primary reason for the observed increase in thermal conductivity. This increase in thermal conductivity can be modeled using a relationship which depends on both the temperature and time of exposure. Although the PVD coatings are less susceptible to thermal aging effects, preliminary results suggest that they have a higher thermal conductivity than PS coatings, both before and after thermal aging. The increases in thermal conductivity due to thermal aging for partially stabilized plasma sprayed zirconia have been found to be less than for fully stabilized plasma sprayed zirconia coatings. The high temperature thermal diffusivity data indicate that if these coatings reach a temperature above 1100 C during operation, they will begin to lose their effectiveness as a thermal barrier.

Dinwiddie, R. B.↗

Optical Diagnostics for High-Temperature Thermal Barrier Coatings

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are typically composed of translucent ceramic oxides that provide thermal protection for metallic components exposed to high-temperature environments, such as in jet turbine engines. Taking advantage of the translucent nature of TBCs, optical diagnostics have been developed that can provide an informed assessment of TBC health that will allow mitigating action to be taken before TBC degradation threatens performance or safety. In particular, rare-earth-doped luminescent sublayers have been integrated into the TBC structure to produce luminescence that monitors TBC erosion, delamination, and temperature gradients. Erosion monitoring of TBC-coated specimens is demonstrated by utilizing visible luminescence that is excited from a sublayer that is exposed by erosion. TBC delamination monitoring is achieved in TBCs with a base rare-earth-doped luminescent sublayer by the reflectance-enhanced increase in luminescence produced in regions containing buried delamination cracks. TBC temperature monitoring is demonstrated using the temperature-dependent decay time for luminescence originating from the specific coating depth associated with a rare-earth-doped luminescent sublayer. The design and implementation of these TBCs with integrated luminescent sublayers is discussed, including co-doping strategies to produce more penetrating near-infrared luminescence. It is demonstrated that integration of the rare-earth-doped sublayers is achieved with no reduction in TBC life. In addition, results for multilayer TBCs designed to also perform as radiation barriers are also presented.

Eldridge, Jeffrey I.↗

Thermal Barrier Coatings

Thermal barrier coatings offer gas turbines one way to reach fuel flexibility and improved efficiency. Test/analytical results are encouraging for this young technology.

Grisaffe, S. J.↗

Oxidation behavior of a thermal barrier coating

Thermal barrier coatings, consisting of a plasma sprayed calcium silicate ceramic layer and a CoCrAlY or NiCrAlY bond coat, were applied on B-1900 coupons and cycled hourly in air in a rapid-response furnace to maximum temperatures of 1030, 1100, or 1160 C. Eight specimens were tested for each of the six conditions of bond-coat composition and temperature. Specimens were removed from test at the onset of failure, which was taken to be the formation of a fine surface crack visible at 10X magnification. Specimens were weighed periodically, and plots of weight gain vs time indicate that weight is gained at a parabolic rate after an initial period where weight was gained at a much greater rate. The high initial oxidation rate is thought to arise from the initially high surface area in the porous bond coat. Specimen life (time to first crack) was found to be a strong function of temperature. However, while test lives varied greatly with time, the weight gain at the time of specimen failure was quite insensitive to temperature. This indicates that there is a critical weight gain at which the coating fails when subjected to this test.

Miller, R. A.↗

Introduction to life modeling of thermal barrier coatings

Thermal barrier coatings may be applied to air-cooled turbine section airfoils to insulate such components from hot gases in the engine. The coatings, which typically consist of about 0.01 to 0.04 cm of zirconia-yttria ceramic over about 0.01 cm of NiCrAlY or NiCrAlZr alloy bond coat, allow increased gas temperatures or reduced cooling air flows. This, in turn, leads to marked improvements in engine efficiency and performance. However, certain risks are associated with designing for maximum benefits, and eventually a point is reached where coating loss would immediately jeopardize the underlying component. Therefore, designers must be able to accurately predict the life of a given bill-of-material coating in any particular design. The results of an in-house aeronautics, base research and technology program which is designed to provide the first steps towards developing mission-capable life-prediction models are outlined.

Miller, R. A.↗

Thermal expansion mismatch and oxidation in thermal barrier coatings

Thermal barrier coatings (TBC) for advanced gas turbine blades have been under intensive development during the last several years. This investigation is intended to achieve a clearer understanding of the mechanical behavior of plasma sprayed zirconia-yttria TBCs, involving a nickle-chromium-aluminum bond coat. The near term objectives are to study the stress states in a relatively simple model TBC subjected to steady state thermal loading. The resulting thermal expansion mismatch and oxidation have been primary targets for the study. The finite element approach and the effects of thermal mismatch and oxidation are described. A proposed mechanism for oxidation induced coating failure is also presented.

Chang, G. C.↗

Development of thermomechanical life prediction models for thermal barrier coatings

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) for turbine airfoils in high-performance engines represent an advanced materials technology with both performance and durability benefits. The foremost TBC benefit is the reduction of heat transferred into air-cooled components. To achieve these benefits, however, the TBC system must be reliable. Mechanistic thermomechanical and thermochemical life models and statistically significant design data are therefore required for the reliable exploitation of TBC benefits on gas turbine airfoils. Garrett's NASA-HOST Program (NAS3-23945) is designed to fulfill these requirements. This program focuses on predicting the lives of two types of strain-tolerant and oxidation-resistant TBC systems that are produced by commercial coating suppliers to the gas turbine industry. The plasma-sprayed TBC system, composed of a low-pressure plasma-spray (LPPS) applied oxidation resistant NiCrAlY bond coating, and an air-plasma-sprayed yttria partially stabilized zirconia insulated layer is applied by both Chromalloy and Klock. The second type of TBC is applied by the electron beam-physical vapor deposition process by Temescal. Thermomechanical life models are being tailored to predict TBC strain tolerance in terms of materials, engine, and mission parameters. Continuum and fracture mechanics approaches and statistical methods are being evaluated to develop tensile and compressive strain functions required to drive a mission analysis capable thermomechanical life model for TBCs. Results of initial testing to calibrate these life models will be presented.

Strangman, T. E.↗

Mechanical properties testing and results for thermal barrier coatings

Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBC's) provide a significant challenge in the evaluation of their mechanical properties in ways that provide data that is not specimen dependent. The paper reviews various developments of the principal author over the past several years for both plasma sprayed and physical vapor deposited (PVD) materials, as well as new data on the fatigue behavior of one material system. The test methods that have been employed address tensile and compressive modulus and ultimate strength, tensile and compressive fatigue strength, and interfacial strength. This testing is now underway. Property testing is especially difficult for TBC's owing to the limitation on fabrication thickness of the coating. Bending tests are not used as these tests do not provide sufficiently uniform states of strain for property evaluations. Test specimens with uniform states of axial stress have been devised for each material system. The results show that the material property results between various experimenters and experimental methods are not yet consistent. However, the results provide critical design data at a suitable level of accuracy for life prediction. The paper will review both tensile and compressive mechanical testing of uniaxial specimens showing property dependencies on material density and temperatures for both material systems. Successful test results for both tensile and compressive fatigue loadings will be given. The test data shows that the fatigue strength of the TBC's is highly stress dependent in both loading conditions and is likely to depend on stress range and not mean stress. The fatigue strength of the plasma sprayed TBC's appears to increase with elevated temperatures in a range of temperatures below the creep activation temperature for the materials. The plasma sprayed TBC materials have been confirmed to have cyclic hysteresis at all temperature levels down to room temperature. Limited failure analysis data for various specimens suggest that the failure modes are driven by normal geometric discontinuities in the TBC's.

Cruse, T. A.↗

Analysis of Thermal Radiation Effects on Temperatures in Turbine Engine Thermal Barrier Coatings

Thermal barrier coatings are important, and in some instances a necessity, for high temperature applications such as combustor liners, and turbine vanes and rotating blades for current and advanced turbine engines. Some of the insulating materials used for coatings, such as zirconia that currently has widespread use, are partially transparent to thermal radiation. A translucent coating permits energy to be transported internally by radiation, thereby increasing the total energy transfer and acting like an increase in thermal conductivity. This degrades the insulating ability of the coating. Because of the strong dependence of radiant emission on temperature, internal radiative transfer effects are increased as temperatures are raised. Hence evaluating the significance of internal radiation is of importance as temperatures are increased to obtain higher efficiencies in advanced engines.

Siegel, Robert↗

Environmental Barrier Coatings Having a YSZ Top Coat

Environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) with a Si bond coat, a yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) top coat, and various intermediate coats were investigated. EBCs were processed by atmospheric pressure plasma spraying. The EBC durability was determined by thermal cycling tests in water vapor at 1300 C and 1400 C, and in air at 1400 C and 1500 C. EBCs with a mullite (3Al2O3 (dot) 2SiO2) + BSAS (1 - xBaO (dot) xSrO (dot) Al2O3 (dot) 2SiO2) intermediate coat were more durable than EBCs with a mullite intermediate coat, while EBCs with a mullite/BSAS duplex intermediate coat resulted in inferior durability. The improvement with a mullite + BSAS intermediate coat was attributed to enhanced compliance of the intermediate coat due to the addition of a low modulus BSAS second phase. Mullite + BSAS/YSZ and BSAS/YSZ interfaces produced a low melting (less than 1400 C) reaction product, which is expected to degrade the EBC performance by increasing the thermal conductivity. EBCs with a mullite + BSAS / graded mullite + YSZ intermediate coat showed the best durability among the EBCs investigated in this study. This improvement was attributed to diffused CTE (Coefficient of Thermal Expansion) mismatch stress and improved chemical stability due to the compositionally graded mullite+YSZ layer.

Lee, Kang N.↗

Sintering and Fracture Behavior of Plasma-sprayed Thermal Barrier Coatings

Thermal barrier coatings will be more aggressively designed to protect gas turbine engine hot-section components in order to meet future engine higher fuel efficiency and lower emission goals. There is a need to characterize the fundamental sintering and fracture behavior of the current ZrO2-(7 to 8)wt%Y2O3 coating, in order to fully take advantage of the coating capability. In addition, a thorough evaluation of the coating behavior and temperature limits will be useful for more accurately assessing the benefit gained from future advanced coating systems. In this study, the sintering behavior of plasma-sprayed ZrO2-8wt%Y2O3 coatings was systematically investigated as a function of temperature and time using a dilatometer in the temperature range of 1200-1500 C. The coating sintering kinetics obtained by dilatometry were compared with the coating thermal conductivity increase kinetics, determined by a steady-state laser heat-flux testing approach, under high temperature and thermal gradient sintering conditions. The mode I, mode II, and mixed mode I-mode II fracture behavior of as-processed and sintering-annealed coatings was determined in asymmetric flexure loading at ambient and elevated temperatures in order to evaluate the coating sintering effects on the fracture envelope of K(sub I) versus K(sub II). The coating thermal conductivity cyclic response associated with the interface delamination of the coating systems under simulated engine heat-flux conditions will be discussed in conjunction with the sintering and fracture testing results.

Zhu, Dongming↗

Microscale Fracture Testing of HfO2-Si Environmental Barrier Coatings

Environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) play a vital role in protecting advanced turbine components constructed from ceramic matrix composites. EBC performance is evaluated based on many factors such as mechanical and thermal properties and chemical stability. This study focuses on the mechanical properties of individual phases within a HfO2-Si EBC through the combined use of chevron-notched microcantilevers and finite element modeling. The Si- and HfO2-rich phases were found to have fracture toughness K(sub IC) values of 1.36+/-0.07 MPa·m1/2 and 1.99+/-0.36 MPa·m1/2, respectively. Despite irregular notch geometry, calculated K(sub IC) values agreed reasonably with literature values of monolithic samples for the respective phases. The relatively large scatter in the HfO2-rich samples is attributed to heterogeneity in fracture feature size and distribution of the HfO2 and HfSiO4 phases. Comparisons with bulk single-edge V-notched beams suggest bulk behavior is dictated by the fracture behavior of the Sirich phase with no contribution from the HfO2-rich phase.

Robertson, Andrew L.↗

Coupled Thermomechanical Micromechanics Modeling of the Influence of Thermally Grown Oxide Layer in an Environmental Barrier Coating System

Environmental Barrier Coatings (EBCs) have emerged as a promising means of protecting critical components for high temperature applications (e.g., aircraft engines). EBCs are often used to protect an underlying material (substrate) from extreme thermal/chemical environments. However, systems that utilize EBCs are susceptible to a number of failure modes including oxidation/delamination. Environmental Barrier Coatings (EBCs) have emerged as a promising means of protecting silicon based ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components for high temperature applications (e.g., aircraft engines). EBCs are often used to protect an underlying material (substrate) such as silicon carbide from extreme thermal/chemical environments. In a typical CMC/EBC system, an EBC may or may not be adhered to an underlying substrate with a bond coat (e.g., silicon). Irrespective, systems that utilize EBCs are susceptible to a number of failure modes including oxidation/delamination, recession, chemical attack and dissolution, thermo-mechanical degradation, erosion, and foreign object damage. Current work at NASA Glenn Research Center is aimed at addressing these failure modes in EBC systems and developing robust analysis tools to aid in the design process. The Higher-Order Theory for Functionally Graded Materials (HOTFGM), a precursor to the High-Fidelity Generalized Method of Cells micromechanics approach, was developed to investigate the coupled thermo-mechanical behavior of functionally graded composites and will be used herein to assess the development and growth of a low-stiffness thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer in EBC/CMC systems without a silicon bond coat. To accomplish this a sensitivity study is conducted to examine the influence of uniformly and non-uniformly grown oxide layer on the associated driving forces leading to mechanical failure (spallation) of EBC layer when subjected to isothermal loading, recession, chemical attack and dissolution, thermomechanical degradation, erosion, and foreign object damage. Current work at NASA Glenn Research Center is aimed at addressing these failure modes in EBC systems and developing robust analysis tools to aid in the design process. The Higher-Order Theory for Functionally Graded Materials (HOTFGM), a precursor to the High-Fidelity Generalized Method of Cells micromechanics approach, was developed to investigate the coupled thermo-mechanical behavior of functionally graded composites (Aboudi et al., 1999, Composites B). For example, HOTFGM was previously used (Arnold et al, 1995, NASA CP 10178, paper 34), to assess interlaminar stresses (including free edge effects) in a substrate with a thermal barrier coating (TBC). In this study, HOTFGM micromechanics analyses will be used to assess the development and growth of a low-stiffness thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer between a silicon carbide substrate and a ytterbium disilicate EBC. In order to realistically simulate TGO growth, an evolution law will be incorporated into HOTFGM. In addition, the effect of TGO roughness will be explored consistent with previous TBC work (Pindera et al., 2000. Material Science and Engineering, A284, pp. 158-175). This model represents a first step in developing a robust analysis tool that can ultimately be used to design durable EBC systems. Additional failure modes will be considered as part of a future work.

environmental barrier coating↗

Thermal Conductivity and Sintering Behavior of Advanced Thermal Barrier Coatings

Advanced thermal barrier coatings, having significantly reduced long-term thermal conductivities, are being developed using an approach that emphasizes real-time monitoring of thermal conductivity under conditions that are engine-like in terms of temperatures and heat fluxes. This is in contrast to the traditional approach where coatings are initially optimized in terms of furnace and burner rig durability with subsequent measurement in the as-processed or furnace-sintered condition. The present work establishes a laser high-heat-flux test as the basis for evaluating advanced plasma-sprayed and physical vapor-deposited thermal barrier coatings under the NASA Ultra Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) Program. The candidate coating materials for this program are novel thermal barrier coatings that are found to have significantly reduced thermal conductivities due to an oxide-defect-cluster design. Critical issues for designing advanced low conductivity coatings with improved coating durability are also discussed.

Zhu, Dongming↗

Furnace Cyclic Behavior of Plasma-Sprayed Zirconia-Yttria and Multi-Component Rare Earth Oxide Doped Thermal Barrier Coatings

Ceramic thermal barrier coatings will play an increasingly important role in advanced gas turbine engines because of their ability to enable further increases in engine temperatures. However, the coating performance and durability become a major concern under the increasingly harsh thermal cycling conditions. Advanced zirconia- and hafnia-based cluster oxide thermal barrier coatings with lower thermal conductivity and improved thermal stability are being developed using a high-heat-flux laser-rig based test approach. Although the new composition coatings were not yet optimized for cyclic durability, an initial durability screening of numerous candidate coating materials was carried out using conventional furnace cyclic tests. In this paper, furnace thermal cyclic behavior of the advanced plasma-sprayed zirconia-yttria-based thermal barrier coatings that were co-doped with multi-component rare earth oxides was investigated at 1163 C using 45 min hot cycles. The ceramic coating failure mechanisms were studied by using scanning electron microscopy combined with X-ray diffraction phase analysis after the furnace tests. The coating cyclic lifetime will be discussed in relation to coating phase structures, total dopant concentrations, and other properties.

Zhu, Dongming↗

Furnace Cyclic Oxidation Behavior of Multi-Component Low Conductivity Thermal Barrier Coatings

Ceramic thermal barrier coatings will play an increasingly important role in advanced gas turbine engines because of their ability to further increase engine operating temperatures and reduce cooling, thus helping achieve future engine low emission, high efficiency and improved reliability goals. Advanced multi-component zirconia-based thermal barrier coatings are being developed using an oxide defect clustering design approach to achieve the required coating low thermal conductivity and high temperature stability. Although the new composition coatings were not yet optimized for cyclic durability, an initial durability screening of the candidate coating materials was conducted using conventional furnace cyclic oxidation tests. In this paper, furnace cyclic oxidation behavior of plasma-sprayed zirconia-based defect cluster thermal barrier coatings was investigated at 1163 C using 45 min hot cycles. The ceramic coating failure mechanisms were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with X-ray diffraction (XRD) phase analysis after the furnace tests. The coating cyclic lifetime is also discussed in relation to coating processing, phase structures, dopant concentration, and other thermo-physical properties.

Zhu, Dong-Ming↗

Corrosion resistant thermal barrier coating

A thermal barrier coating system for protecting metal surfaces at high temperature in normally corrosive environments is described. The thermal barrier coating system includes a metal alloy bond coating, the alloy containing nickel, cobalt, iron, or a combination of these metals. The system further includes a corrosion resistant thermal barrier oxide coating containing at least one alkaline earth silicate. The preferred oxides are calcium silicate, barium silicate, magnesium silicate, or combinations of these silicates.

Levine, S. R.↗

Development and Fatigue Testing of Ceramic Thermal Barrier Coatings

Ceramic thermal barrier coatings will play an increasingly important role in future gas turbine engines because of their ability to effectively protect the engine components and further raise engine temperatures. Durability of the coating systems remains a critical issue with the ever-increasing temperature requirements. Thermal conductivity increase and coating degradation due to sintering and phase changes are known to be detrimental to coating performance. There is a need to characterize the coating thermal fatigue behavior and temperature limit, in order to potentially take full advantage of the current coating capability. In this study, thermal conductivity and cyclic fatigue behaviors of plasma-sprayed ZrO2-8wt%Y2O3 thermal barrier coatings were evaluated under high temperature, large thermal gradient and thermal cycling conditions. The coating degradation and failure processes were assessed by real-time monitoring of the coating thermal conductivity under the test conditions. The ceramic coating crack initiation and propagation driving forces and failure modes under the cyclic thermal loads will be discussed in light of the high temperature mechanical fatigue and fracture testing results.

Zhu, Dong-Ming↗