Non-Line-of-Sight Coating Of Turbine Airfoils

The current state-of-the-art techniques for thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are typically line-of-sight. Therefore the achievable coating thickness distributions on complex shaped parts are limited and inconsistent. The geometry of the turbine airfoils is getting more complex with each design making the line-of-sight processes for TBC less desirable. UES Inc in collaboration with Penn State University proposes to design a hybrid hydrothermal-electrophoretic process as a non-line-of-sight technique for TBC. The feasibility of the proposed technique will be demonstrated in a laboratory environment. Durability of the TBC fabricated from the proposed technique will be evaluated and compared with the state-of-the-art TBC coating. In Phase II, a prototype hybrid hydrothermal-electrophoretic system and the related process capable of producing TBC coating on engine hardware will be developed.