Damping Coatings for Gas Turbine Compression System Airfoils

New concepts and processing methods are needed to minimize high cycle fatigue and improve the damping behavior of monolithic titanium blades, vanes, and stators in high performance aircraft engines. Ceramic coatings applied by the plasma spray process have the potential to achieve the required damping characteristics. The proposed Phase I project will determine the feasibility of the plasma spray process to produce thin, integrally bonded single and multi-layer metal/ceramic coatings to the surfaces of the airfoils subject to airfoil flutter and resonant stress while maintaining the airfoil's inherent mechanical properties. Secondly, parallel studies will be made to add materials with high damping capacity to the plasma sprayed ceramic coatings. The plasma spray process conditions will then be further refined to optimize the final coating systems for damping effectiveness, resistance to material fatigue, and erosion resistance.