Durable Solution for Compressor Airfoil Leading Edges in Gas Turbine Engines

Particle impacts cause erosion of leading edges of the compressor airfoils as well as the side or surface of the airfoil beyond the leading edge. Although erosion resistant coatings have been developed and applied on the airfoils during the past decade or two and that have protected the side or surface of the airfoil quite satisfactorily, the erosion of the leading edge (LE) is still a serious issue. The objective of this project is to develop an advanced, robust solution that improves the durability of the LEs of a compressor's airfoils while incurring minimal to no impact on the original performance of the airfoils. In Phase I, UES has demonstrated the feasibility of building up an impact resistant leading edge with higher yield strength and harder material than the substrate airfoil. In Phase II, UES and the team will optimize the process and assess the performance of the LE-modified airfoils using a series of standard verification tests in a field-representative environment.