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At least 937 records · Page 52

Evaluation of present-day thermal barrier coatings for industrial/utility applications

Atmospheric burner rig tests have been conducted to evaluate the corrosion resistance of present-day thermal barrier coatings. The coatings are primarily plasma-sprayed and zirconia-based. Both duplex and graded coating systems were tested at a gas temperature of 2100 F and metal temperatures that range from 1475 F to 1650 F. The fuels ranged from clean GT No. 2 to that doped with impurity levels which simulate water-washed residual fuels. Results to date suggest that liquid sulfate condensates play an important role in the coating degradation mechanisms, whereas the role of vanadium and its salts is less clear.

Bratton, R. J.↗

Prolonging thermal barrier coated specimen life by thermal cycle management

Measurements were made of the rate of increase in temperature of a ZrO2-8Y2O3 thermal barrier coated (TBC) specimen for various values of fuel/air (F/A) ratios when the specimen is exposed to a 0.3 Mach burner flame. For rod specimens in a carousel, the heating rates increased with (F/A) ratio and were higher at the inward facing surface for a given (F/A). Plate specimens were more sensitive to burner variations. Calculated results are given for the radial stress in the coated rod specimens for variations in (F/A) ratios from 0.04 to 0.065. Over this range, the radial stress varies from 4.3 to 5.3 MPa. The results indicate that controlling the heating rate of a TBC by controlling the (F/A) ratio offers a potential method to prolong TBC cyclic life; uncontrolled (F/A) ratios will produce scatter in experimental results. Geometric arrangement can have an equivalent effect, but is usually fixed by design.

Hendricks, R. C.↗

Assessment of variations in thermal cycle life data of thermal barrier coated rods

An analysis of thermal cycle life data for 22 thermal barrier coated (TBC) specimens was conducted. The Zr02-8Y203/NiCrAlY plasma spray coated Rene 41 rods were tested in a Mach 0.3 Jet A/air burner flame. All specimens were subjected to the same coating and subsequent test procedures in an effort to control three parametric groups; material properties, geometry and heat flux. Statistically, the data sample space had a mean of 1330 cycles with a standard deviation of 520 cycles. The data were described by normal or log-normal distributions, but other models could also apply; the sample size must be increased to clearly delineate a statistical failure model. The statistical methods were also applied to adhesive/cohesive strength data for 20 TBC discs of the same composition, with similar results. The sample space had a mean of 9 MPa with a standard deviation of 4.2 MPa.

Hendricks, R. C.↗

Burner Rig Evaluation of Thermal Barrier Coating Systems for Nickel-Base Alloys

Eight plasma sprayed bond coatings were evaluated for their potential use with ZrO2-Y2O3 thermal barrier coatings (TECs) which are being developed for coal derived fuel fired gas turbines. Longer TBC lives in cyclic burner rig oxidation to 1050 C were achieved with the more oxidation resistant bond coatings. These were Ni-14.1Cr-13.4A1-0.10Ar, Ni-14.1C4-14.4Al-0.16Y, and Ni-15.8Cr-12.8Al-0.36Y on Rene 41. The TBC systems performed best when 0.015-cm thick bond coatings were employed that were sprayed at 20 kW using argon 3.5v/o hydrogen. Cycling had a more life limiting influence on the TBC than accumulated time at 1050 C.

Gedwill, M. A.↗

Schottky barrier solar cell

A method of fabricating a Schottky barrier solar cell is described. The cell consists of a thin substrate of low cost material with at least the top surface of the substrate being electrically conductive. A thin layer of heavily doped n-type polycrystalling germanium is deposited on the substrate after a passivation layer is deposited to prevent migration of impurities into the polycrystalline germanium. The polycrystalline germanium is recrystallized to increase the crystal sizes to serve as a base layer on which a thin layer of gallium arsenide is vapor-epitaxilly grown followed by a thermally-grown oxide layer. A metal layer is deposited on the oxide layer and a grid electrode is deposited to be in electrical contact with the top surface of the metal layer.

Stirn, R. J.↗

Thermal barrier coatings for heat engine components

A comprehensive NASA-Lewis program of coating development for aircraft gas turbine blades and vanes is presented. Improved ceramic layer compositions are investigated, along the MCrAlY bond films and the methods of uniform deposition of the coatings; the thermomechanical and fuel impurity tolerance limits of the coatings are being studied. Materials include the ZrO2-Y2O3/NiCrAlY system; the effects of the bond coat and zirconia composition on coating life and Mach 1 burner rig test results are discussed. It is concluded that Diesel engines can also utilize thermal barrier coatings; they have been used successfully on piston crowns and exhaust valves of shipboard engines to combat lower grade fuel combustion corrosion.

Levine, S. R.↗

Thermal barrier coatings for thermal insulation and corrosion resistance in industrial gas turbine engines

Four thermal barrier coatings were subjected to a 500-hour gas turbine engine test. The coatings were two yttria stabilized zirconias, calcium ortho silicate and calcium meta titanate. The calcium silicate coating exhibited significant spalling. Yttria stabilized zirconia and calcium titanate coatings showed little degradation except in blade leading edge areas. Post-test examination showed variations in the coating due to manual application techniques. Improved process control is required if engineering quality coatings are to be developed. The results indicate that some leading edge loss of the coating can be expected near the tip.

Vogan, J. W.↗

Thermal and stress analysis of thermal barrier coatings

An analysis has been performed that predicts the thermomechanical behavior of thermal barrier coated specimens. The analysis predicts the behavior during both plasma spray coating application and burner rig testing conditions simulating engine operation. The analysis was accomplished through utilization of one-dimensional through thickness and two-dimensional finite element calculations. The results of these calculations showed that specimens with a substrate control temperature between 300 F and 600 F would be optimum. Controlling substrate temperature was found to have a more dominant effect on the mechanical strains than the ceramic or substrate thicknesses. The predicted stresses and mechanical strains at the bond-coating interface are large enough to cause cracks in this region where post-test observations have determined coating failures originate.

Cassenti, B. N.↗

Improved liquid phase epitaxial GaAs for low series resistance Schottky barrier mixer diodes

Millimeter wave Schottky barrier mixer diodes are extremely important devices for radio astronomy. The performance of the Schottky diodes depends largely on the characteristics and quality of the GaAs epitaxial materials used. Systematic manipulation of the liquid phase epitaxial growth conditions and substrate surface treatments has yielded significantly improved surface morphology. Initial problems of high resistivity interfacial layers have been reduced without the use of an in situ etchback. Two-micron diameter Schottky diodes fabricated from epitaxial layers grown at 725 C exhibit a 9-ohm series resistance very near the theoretical minimum.

Binari, S. C.↗

Thermal barrier coatings for superalloys

The current status of ceramic thermal barrier coatings for protection of turbine airfoil components is reviewed. Test results for an early duplex coating system ZrO2-12% Y2O3/Ni-16% Cr-6% Al-0.6% Y, improved system ZrO2-8% Y2O3/Ni-17% Cr-5% Al-0.35% Y, and air/fuel impurity tolerant systems based on ZrO2-8% Y2O3, 2CaO-SiO2, and a MgO-NiCrAlY cermet are discussed. Preliminary test results at 800 C for a graded ZrO2-8% Y2O3/Ni-20% Cr-11% Al-0.4% Y coating system show that the coating can survive at least 500 hr in the presence of 50 ppm V plus other fuel contaminants and additives.

Miller, R. A.↗

Barrier for Continuous-Crystal-Growth Crucible

Properly designed openings permit free flow of melt while restraining pellets. Redesigned partition between growth region and melt-replenishment region of crystal-growth crucible makes it less likely crucible will run out of feed material in middle of cycle. Supply of molten silicon is maintained by addition of silicon pellets to compartment at one end of heated crucible, and partition or barrier is required to hold pellets while allowing melted silicon to flow from compartment.

Skutch, M. E.↗

Barriers to the utilization of synthetic fuels for transportation

The principal types of engines for transportation uses are reviewed and the specifications for conventional fuels are compared with specifications for synthetic fuels. Synfuel processes nearing the commercialization phase are reviewed. The barriers to using synfuels can be classified into four groups: technical, such as the uncertainty that a new engine design can satisfy the desired performance criteria; environmental, such as the risk that the engine emissions cannot meet the applicable environmental standards; economic, including the cost of using a synfuel relative to conventional transportation fuels; and market, involving market penetration by offering new engines, establishing new distribution systems and/or changing user expectations.

Parker, H. W.↗

Effect of fuel to air ratio on Mach 0.3 burner rig hot corrosion of ZrO2-Y2O3 thermal barrier coatings

A Mach 0.3 burner rig test program was conducted to determine how the fuel to air mass ratio affects the durability of ZrO2-Y2O3/Ni-16Cr-6Al-0.31Y thermal barrier coating systems in combustion products containing 5 ppm Na and 2 ppm V. As the fuel to air mass ratio was increased from 0.039 to 0.049, the durability of ZrO2-6Y2O3, ZrO2-8Y2O3 and ZrO2-12Y2O3 coatings decreased. ZrO2-8Y2O3 coatings were approximately 2X and 1.3X more durable than ZrO2-12Y2O3 and ZrO2-6Y2O3 coatings respectively at the fuel to air mass ratio of 0.039. The number of one hour cycles endured by ZrO2-8Y2O3 coatings varied from averages of 53 to 200 for the fuel to air mass ratios of 0.049 and 0.039, respectively. At the fuel to air mass ratio of 0.049, all ZrO2-Y2O3 coated specimens failed in 40 to 60 one hour cycles

Hodge, P. E.↗

Ceramic thermal barrier coatings for gas turbine engines

The results of studies concerning the high temperature corrosion resistance of ZrO2-Y2O3, ZrO2-MgO, and Ca2SiO4 plasma-sprayed coatings, which may be used as gas turbine engine thermal barriers, are reported. The coatings were evaluated in atmospheric burner rig and pressurized passage tests, using GT No. 2 fuel in pure form and with sodium, sulfur and vanadium corrosive impurities doping. It is found that, while the coatings performed well in both pressurized passage and burner rig tests with pure fuel chemical reactions between the ceramic coatings and combustion gases/condensates resulted in coating degradation with impure fuels. Chemical reactions between the ceramic coatings and vanadium compounds played a critical role in coating degradation.

Bratton, R. J.↗

Creep of plasma-sprayed-ZrO2 thermal-barrier coatings

Specimens of plasma-sprayed-zirconia thermal-barrier coatings with three different porosities and different initial particle sizes were deformed in compression at initial loads of 6900, 13,800, and 24,100 kPa (1000, 2000, and 3500 psi) and temperatures of 1100, 1250, and 1400 C. The coatings were stabilized with lime, MgO, and two different concentrations of Y2O3. Creep began as soon as the load was applied and continued at a constantly decreasing rate until the load was removed. Temperature and stabilization had a pronounced effect on creep rate while the stress, particle size, and porosity had a lesser effect. Creep deformation was due to cracking and particle sliding.

Firestone, R. F.↗

Development of strain tolerant thermal barrier coating systems, tasks 1 - 3

Insulating ceramic thermal barrier coatings can reduce gas turbine airfoil metal temperatures as much as 170 C (about 300 F), providing fuel efficiency improvements greater than one percent and durability improvements of 2 to 3X. The objective was to increase the spalling resistance of zirconia based ceramic turbine coatings. To accomplish this, two baseline and 30 candidate duplex (layered MCrAlY/zirconia based ceramic) coatings were iteratively evaluated microstructurally and in four series of laboratory burner rig tests. This led to the selection of two candidate optimized 0.25 mm (0.010 inch) thick plasma sprayed partially stabilized zirconia ceramics containing six weight percent yttria and applied with two different sets of process parameters over a 0.13 mm (0.005 inch) thick low pressure chamber sprayed MCrAlY bond coat. Both of these coatings demonstrated at least 3X laboratory cyclic spalling life improvement over the baseline systems, as well as cyclic oxidation life equivalent to 15,000 commercial engine flight hours.

Anderson, N. P.↗

Performance of thermal barrier coatings in high heat flux environments

Thermal barrier coatings were exposed to the high temperature and high heat flux produced by a 30 kW plasma torch. Analysis of the specimen heating rates indicates that the temperature drop across the thickness of the 0.038 cm ceramic layer was about 1100 C after 0.5 sec in the flame. An as-sprayed ZrO2-8%Y2O3 specimens survived 3000 of the 0.5 sec cycles with failing. Surface spalling was observed when 2.5 sec cycles were employed but this was attributed to uneven heating caused by surface roughness. This surface spalling was prevented by smoothing the surface with silicon carbide paper or by laser glazing. A coated specimen with no surface modification but which was heat treated in argon also did not surface spall. Heat treatment in air led to spalling in as early as 2 cycle from heating stresses. Failures at edges were investigated and shown to be a minor source of concern. Ceramic coatings formed from ZrO2-12%Y2O3 or ZrO2-20%Y2O3 were shown to be unsuited for use under the high heat flux conditions of this study.

Miller, R. A.↗