Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Spray coating”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3

Development of improved-durability plasma sprayed ceramic coatings for gas turbine engines

An investigation is reported of improving the durability of plasma sprayed ceramic coatings for the vane platforms in the JT9d turbofan engine. The program aims for reduced fuel consumption of commercial aircraft engines; the use of improved strain tolerant microstructures and control of the substrate temperature during coating application are being evaluated. The initial burner rig tests at temperatures up to 1010 C indicated that improvements in cyclic life greater than 20:1 over previous ceramic coatings were achieved. Three plasma sprayed coating systems applied to first stage vane platforms in the high pressure turbine were subjected to a 1000-cycle JT9D engine endurance test with only minor damage occurring to the coatings.

Sumner, I. E.↗

High resolution video monitoring of coating thickness during plasma spraying

A new approach to monitoring the thickness of plasma sprayed coatings during application is described. The method employs a high resolution video camera and width analyzer to accurately measure the dimensions of samples having simple geometries. This approach is best suited for cylindrical or flat substrates but it may also work for selected locations on more complex geometries. Measurement accuracy is a function of specimen dimensions and extent of magnification. Tolerances of plus or minus 0.5 mil (0.13 mm) on final coating thickness can be achieved. Additionally, the plot of cumulative coating thickess versus the number of passes has proven to be a useful diagnostic tool. While the ideal plot is linear, strong deviations from linearity - indicating the need for corrective action - may be observed.

Miller, Robert A.↗

Characterization of Cold Sprayed CuCrAl Coated GRCop-84 Substrates for Reusable Launch Vehicles

An advanced Cu-8(at.%)Cr-4%Nb alloy developed at NASA's Glenn Research Center, and designated as GRCop-84, is currently being considered for use as combustor liners and nozzles in NASA's future generations of reusable launch vehicles (RLVs). Despite the fact that this alloy has superior mechanical and oxidation properties compared to many commercially available copper alloys, it is felt that its high temperature and environmental resistance capabilities can be further enhanced with the development and use of suitable coatings. Several coatings and processes are currently being evaluated for their suitability and future down selection. A newly developed CuCrAl has shown excellent oxidation resistance compared to current generation Cu-Cr coating alloys. Cold spray technology for depositing the CuCrAl coating on a GRCop-84 substrate is currently being developed under NASA's Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) Propulsion Research and Technology (PR&T) project. The microstructures, mechanical and thermophysical properties of overlay coated GRCop-84 substrates are discussed.

Raj, S . V.↗

Thermal barrier coating life and isothermal oxidation of low-pressure plasma-sprayed bond coat alloys

The paper investigates the isothermal oxidation kinetics of Ni-35Cr-6Al-0.95Y, Ni-18Cr-12Al-0.3Y, and Ni-16Cr-6Al-0.3Y low-pressure plasma-sprayed bond coat alloys and examines the effect of these alloys on the thermal barrier coating (TBC) cyclic life. TBC life was examined by cycling substrates coated with the different bond coats and a ZrO2-7 wt pct Y2O3 TBC in an air-rich burner rig flame between 1150 C and room temperature. The oxidation kinetics of the three bond coat alloys was examined by isothermal oxidation of monolithic NJiCrAlY coupons at 1083 C. The Ni-35Cr-6Al-0.95Y alloy exhibits comparatively high isothermal oxidation weight gains and provides the longest TBC life, whereas the Ni-16Cr-6Al-0.3Y alloy had the lowest weight gains and provided the shortest TBC life. The results show that, although bond coat oxidation is known to have a strong detrimental effect on TBC life, it is not the only bond coat factor that determines TBC life.

Brindley, W. J.↗

Development of improved-durability plasma sprayed ceramic coatings for gas turbine engines

As part of a NASA program to reduce fuel consumption of current commercial aircraft engines, methods were investigated for improving the durability of plasma sprayed ceramic coatings for use on vane platforms in the JT9D turbofan engine. Increased durability concepts under evaluation include use of improved strain tolerant microstructures and control of the substrate temperature during coating application. Initial burner rig tests conducted at temperatures of 1010 C (1850 F) indicate that improvements in cyclic life greater than 20:1 over previous ceramic coating systems were achieved. Three plasma sprayed coating systems applied to first stage vane platforms in the high pressure turbine were subjected to a 100-cycle JT9D engine endurance test with only minor damage occurring to the coatings.

Sumner, I. E.↗

Evaluation of thermal sprayed metallic coatings for use on the structures at Launch Complex 39

The current status of the evaluation program is presented. The objective was to evaluate the applicability of Thermal Sprayed Coatings (TSC) to protect the structures in the high temperature acid environment produced by exhaust of the Solid Rocket Boosters during the launches of the Shuttle Transportation System. Only the relatively low cost aluminum TSC which provides some cathodic protection for steel appears to be a practical candidate for further investigation.

Welch, Peter J.↗

Plasma-Spray Metal Coating On Foam

Molds, forms, and other substrates made of foams coated with metals by plasma spraying. Foam might be ceramic, carbon, metallic, organic, or inorganic. After coat applied by plasma spraying, foam left intact or removed by acid leaching, conventional machining, water-jet cutting, or another suitable technique. Cores or vessels made of various foam materials plasma-coated with metals according to method useful as thermally insulating containers for foods, liquids, or gases, or as mandrels for making composite-material (matrix/fiber) parts, or making thermally insulating firewalls in automobiles.

Cranston, J.↗

Failure processes within ceramic coatings at high temperatures

Plasma sprayed coatings have a complex structure which is produced by the overlaying of many molten or semi-molten particles in the diameter range of 20 to 120 microns. The failure behavior of coatings has been characterized by using acoustic emission (AE) methodology. Coatings of NiCrAlY bond coat with a zirconia-12 wt pct yttria overlay were applied to disk-shaped specimens of U-700 alloy. A waveguide of 1-mm diameter platinum was TlG welded to the specimen and allowed it to be suspended in a tubular furnace. The specimen was thermally cycled to 1150 C and the AE monitored. Analyses have been carried out with the aim of establishing parameters which are related to the crack size population. These studies have been used to postulate types of cracking mechanisms which may occur in plasma sprayed coatings during thermal cycling. It is shown that microcracking gave rise to a large amount of AE. However, this coating still survived more thermal cycles than a coating which exhibited macrocracking events.

Berndt, Christopher↗

X-Ray Diffraction Measurements of Residual Stress in a Cold Sprayed Ni Coating

X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to investigate the residual stress in a cold sprayed Ni coating which failed to form a bimetallic joint with NASA HR-1. The objective was to apply pure Ni by cold spray as a diffusion barrier between the Ni-based alloy NASA HR-1 and the Cu-based GRCop-42 for a thrust cell assembly. After additive manufacturing of the GRCop-42 cylinder, the commercially pure Ni coating was cold sprayed onto the cylinder. It was intended to have NASA HR-1 applied directly onto the Ni coating by Directed Energy Deposition (DED), however the bond failed during the first layer of DED. Residual stress measurements were collected via the Sin²ψ method in three equally spaced locations on the top surface of the Ni coating in both as-cold sprayed and heat-treated conditions. The results revealed both compressive and tension stresses on the as-cold sprayed sample and compressive stresses in the heat-treated sample. The results were illuminated when plotted at their respective positions and with their respective orientation angles around a circle. This showed rotational symmetry in the residual stress measurements, which correlated to the processing method used during application of the Ni coating.

Laura Wilson↗

Mathematical modeling of the gas and powder flow in the (HVOF) systems to optimize their coatings quality

Thermally sprayed coatings have been extensively used to enhance materials properties and provide surface protection against their working environments in a number of industrial applications. Thermal barrier coatings (TBC) are used to reduce the thermal conductivity of aerospace turbine blades and improve the turbine overall thermal efficiency. TBC allows higher gas operating temperatures and lower blade material temperatures due to the thermal insulation provided by these ceramic coatings. In the automotive industry, coatings are currently applied to a number of moving parts that are subjected to friction and wear inside the engine such as pistons, cylinder liners, valves and crankshafts to enhance their wear resistance and prolong their useful operation and lifetime.

Tawfik, Hazem H.↗

In-Service Evaluation of HVOF Coated Main Landing Gear on Navy P-3 Aircraft

Due to the environmental and health concerns with Electroplated Hard Chrome (EHC), the Hard Chrome Alternatives Team (HCAT) has been working to provide an alternative wear coating for EHC. The US Navy selected Tungsten-Carbide Cobalt (WC- 17Co) High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF) thermal spray coating for this purpose and completed service evaluations on select aircraft components to support the HCAT charter in identifying an alternative wear coating for chrome plating. Other benefits of WC-Co thermal spray coatings over EHC are enhanced corrosion resistance, improved durability, and exceptional wear properties. As part of the HCAT charter and to evaluate HVOF coatings on operational Navy components, the P-3 aircraft was selected for a service evaluation to determine the coating durability as compared to chrome plating. In April 1999, a VP-30 P-3 aircraft was outfitted with a right-hand Main Landing Gear (MLG) shock strut coated with WCCo HYOF thermal spray applied to the piston barrel and four axle journals. The HVOF coating on the piston barrel and axle journals was applied by Southwest United Industries, Inc. This HVOF coated strut assembly has since completed 6,378 landings. Teardown analysis .for this WC-Co HVOF coated MLG asset is significant in assessing the durability of this wear coating in service relative to EHC and to substantiate Life Cycle Cost (LCC) data to support a retrograde transition from EHC to HVOF thermal spray coatings. Findings from this teardown analysis may also benefit future transitions to HVOF thermal spray coatings by identifying enhancements to finishing techniques, mating bearing and liner material improvements, improved seal materials, and improvements in HVOF coating selection.

Devereaux, jon L.↗

Vacuum plasma coatings for turbine blades

Turbine blades, vacuum plasma spray coated with NiCrAlY, CoCrAlY or NiCrAlY/Cr2O3, were evaluated and rated superior to standard space shuttle main engine (SSME) coated blades. Ratings were based primarily on 25 thermal cycles in the MSFC Burner Rig Tester, cycling between 1700 F (gaseous H2) and -423 F (liquid H2). These tests showed no spalling on blades with improved vacuum plasma coatings, while standard blades spalled. Thermal barrier coatings of ZrO2, while superior to standard coatings, lacked the overall performance desired. Fatigue and tensile specimens, machined from MAR-M-246(Hf) test bars identical to the blades were vacuum plasma spray coated, diffusion bond treated, and tested to qualify the vacuum plasma spray process for flight hardware testing and application. While NiCrAlY/Cr2O3 offers significant improvement over standard coatings in durability and thermal protection, studies continue with an objective to develop coatings offering even greater improvements.

Holmes, R. R.↗

Low Pressure Plasma Sprayed Overlay Coatings for GRCop-84 Combustion Chamber Liners for Reusable Launch Vehicles

An advanced Cu-8(at.%)Cr-4%Nb alloy developed at NASA's Glenn Research Center, and designated as GRCop-84, is currently being considered for use as combustor chamber liners and nozzle ramps in NASA s future generations of reusable launch vehicles (RLVs). However, past experience has shown that unprotected copper alloys undergo an environmental attack called "blanching" in rocket engines using liquid hydrogen as fuel and liquid oxygen as the oxidizer. Potential for sulfidation attack of the liners in hydrocarbon-fueled engines is also of concern. Protective overlay coatings alloys are being developed for GRCop-84. The development of this coatings technology has involved a combination of modeling, coatings development and characterization, and process optimization. Coatings have been low pressure plasma sprayed on GRCop-84 substrates of various geometries and shapes. Microstructural, mechanical property data and thermophysical results on the coated substrates are presented and discussed.

Raj, S. V.↗

Method for Thermal Spraying of Coatings Using Resonant-Pulsed Combustion

A method has been devised for high-volume, high-velocity surface deposition of protective metallic coatings on otherwise vulnerable surfaces. Thermal spraying is used whereby the material to be deposited is heated to the melting point by passing through a flame. Rather than the usual method of deposition from the jet formed from the combustion products, this innovation uses non-steady combustion (i.e. high-frequency, periodic, confined bursts), which generates not only higher temperatures and heat transfer rates, but exceedingly high impingement velocities an order of magnitude higher than conventional thermal systems. Higher impingement rates make for better adhesion. The high heat transfer rates developed here allow the deposition material to be introduced, not as an expensive powder with high surface-area-to-volume, but in convenient rod form, which is also easier and simpler to feed into the system. The nonsteady, resonant combustion process is self-aspirating and requires no external actuation or control and no high-pressure supply of fuel or air. The innovation has been demonstrated using a commercially available resonant combustor shown in the figure. Fuel is naturally aspirated from the tank through the lower Tygon tube and into the pulsejet. Air for starting is ported through the upper Tygon tube line. Once operation commences, this air is no longer needed as additional air is naturally aspirated through the inlet. A spark plug on the device is needed for starting, but the process carries on automatically as the operational device is resonant and reignites itself with each 220-Hz pulse.

Paxson, Daniel E.↗

Young's Moduli of Cold and Vacuum Plasma Sprayed Metallic Coatings

Monolithic metallic copper alloy and NiCrAlY coatings were fabricated by either the cold spray (CS) or the vacuum plasma spray (VPS) deposition processes. Dynamic elastic modulus property measurements were conducted on these monolithic coating specimens between 300 K and 1273 K using the impulse excitation technique. The Young's moduli decreased almost linearly with increasing temperature at all temperatures except in the case of the CS Cu-23%Cr-5%Al and VPS NiCrAlY, where deviations from linearity were observed above a critical temperature. It was observed that the Young's moduli for VPS Cu-8%Cr were larger than literature data compiled for Cu. The addition of 1%Al to Cu- 8%Cr significantly increased its Young's modulus by 12 to 17% presumably due to a solid solution effect. Comparisons of the Young s moduli data between two different measurements on the same CS Cu- 23%Cr-5%Al specimen revealed that the values measured in the first run were about 10% higher than those in the second run. It is suggested that this observation is due to annealing of the initial cold work microstructure resulting form the cold spray deposition process.

Raj, S. V.↗

Development of HVOF Sprayed Erosion/Oxidation Resistant Coatings for Composite Structural Components in Propulsion Systems

Thermally sprayed coatings are being studied and developed as methods of enabling lightweight composites to be used more extensively as structural components in propulsion applications in order to reduce costs and improve efficiency through weight reductions. The primary goal of this work is the development of functionally graded material [FGM] polymer/metal matrix composite coatings to provide improved erosion/oxidation resistance to polyimide-based polymer matrix composite [PMC] substrates. The goal is to grade the coating composition from pure polyimide, similar to the PMC substrate matrix on one side, to 100 % WC-Co on the other. Both step-wise and continuous gradation of the loading of the WC-Co reinforcing phase are being investigated. Details of the coating parameter development will be presented, specifically the high velocity oxy-fuel [HVOF] combustion spraying of pure PMR-11 matrix material and layers of various composition PMR-II/WC-Co blends onto steel and PMR-15 composite substrates. Results of the HVOF process optimization, microstructural characterization, and analysis will be presented. The sprayed coatings were evaluated using standard metallographic techniques - optical and scanning electron microscopy [SEM]. An SEM + electron dispersive spectroscopy [EDS] technique has also been used to confirm retention of the PMR-II component. Results of peel/butt adhesion testing to determine adhesion will also be presented.

Knight, R.↗