Advanced Damping Technologies for Small Turbine Engines

Innovative damping methods for small turbine engines are needed by the Army and other military and commercial interests. The plasma sprayed coating process provides a method for successfully achieving the required damping for the newer high efficiency turbine engines that experience high "g " loads between 800 °F and 2000 °F. Plasma sprayed ceramic coatings have demonstrated significant damping from room temperature to 600 °F when impregnated with viscoelastic polymeric materials. The Phase I project will investigate methods of plasma spraying thin (100 to 300 mm thick) metal and/or ceramic damping coatings containing high temperature materials that exhibit viscoelastic properties (VEM) applied to super alloy test plates and simulated airfoils. The plasma spray process will be optimized to achieve maximum damping values while maintaining the required mechanical coating properties, including tensile, shear, and fatigue strength. Other coating properties of interest in the Phase I Option include erosion resistance and "creep" resistance of the VEM. The studies will include the use of high temperature materials with viscoelastic properties for use between 800 °F and 2000 °F. These VEM materials will be blended or otherwise incorporated with the ceramic plasma spray powder feedstock before plasma spraying in an effort to create unique damping coatings for small turbine engines.