Ceramic coating compositions for compressor blade and methods for forming the same

• US 10,415,579 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Sarawate, Neelesh Nandkumar, Rosenzweig, Larry Steven, Raghavan, Sathyanarayanan, Sun, Changjie, Barua, Ananda, Shi, Jinjie
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Ninh H.
• Application Number:
  US15/278,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20180087515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 30/00 Coating with metallic material characterised only by the composition of the metallic material, i.e. not characterised by the coating process C23C26/00, C23C28/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/11 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/134 Plasma spraying
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/284 Selection of ceramic materials
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/288 Protective coatings for blades
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/06 the compressor comprising only axial stages F02C3/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/023 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/324 Blades
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/312 by plasma spraying
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/90 Coating; Surface treatment manufacture with deposition of material F05D2230/30
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/303 related to the leading edge of a rotor blade
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/307 related to the tip of a rotor blade
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/2118 Zirconium oxides
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/501 Elasticity
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/506 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/611 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

Coating systems for components of a gas turbine engine, such as a compressor blade tip, are provided. The coating system can include a ceramic material disposed along the compressor blade tip and may be used with a bare compressor casing. The ceramic coating is harder than the bare compressor casing and can reduce the rub ratio thereby increasing the lifetime of the compressor blades. Methods are also provided for applying the coating system onto a compressor blade.

Claims

1. A coated compressor blade, the coated compressor blade comprising:

a compressor blade having a blade tip with a surface, wherein the compressor blade comprises a base material, and

a coating system comprising a ceramic material disposed along the blade tip surface;

wherein the blade tip surface has a leading edge, a mid-chord, and a trailing edge and the coating system has a larger thickness along the leading edge than along the trailing edge.

2. The coated compressor blade according to claim 1, wherein the ceramic material comprises yttria stabilized zirconia.

3. The coated compressor blade according to claim 1, wherein the blade tip surface has a leading edge, a mid-chord, and a trailing edge and the coating system is disposed along the leading edge and not disposed along the trailing edge.

4. The coated compressor blade according to claim 1, wherein the coating system has a hardness of ¬

¬

about 25 HRC to about 75 HRC.

5. The coated compressor blade according to claim 1, wherein coating system has a Young'"'"'s modulus of about 2900 ksi to about 3500 ksi.

6. The coated compressor blade according to claim 1, wherein the coating system has a thickness of about 127 microns to about 254 microns.

7. The coated compressor blade according to claim 1, wherein the coating system does not include a bond coat.

8. The coated compressor blade according to claim 1, wherein the blade has a curved body.

9. The coated compressor blade according to claim 1, wherein the compressor blade is configured to be positioned in a turbofan engine.

10. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a compressor comprising a compressor case having an inner surface, wherein the compressor case comprises a base material, and a compressor blade having a blade tip, wherein the compressor blade comprises a base material and is uncoated and

a coating system disposed along the blade tip of the compressor blade, wherein the coating system comprises a ceramic material;

wherein the blade tip has a leading edge, a mid-chord, and a trailing edge and the coating system is disposed along the leading edge and not disposed along the trailing edge.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the coating system does not include a bond coat.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the coating system has a higher hardness than a hardness of the compressor case base material.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the coating system has a hardness about 10% to about 50% higher than a hardness of the compressor case base material.

14. A method of preparing a coated compressor blade, the method comprising:

forming a coating system comprising a ceramic material along a surface of a blade tip of a compressor blade;

wherein forming the coating system along the surface of the blade tip comprises forming the ceramic material along a leading edge of the blade tip to a thickness of about 127 microns to about 254 microns and not disposing ceramic material along a trailing edge of the blade tip.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein forming the coating system along the surface of the blade tip comprises forming the ceramic material along a leading edge of the blade tip to a thickness of about 127 microns to about 254 microns.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the coating system has a hardness of ¬

¬

about 25 HRC to about 75 HRC.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the coating system has a Young'"'"'s modulus of about 2900 ksi to about 3500 ksi.