SBIR-STTR Award

The object of Phygen’s proposal is to demonstrate the dual use (damping and erosion) capabilities of a physical vapor deposited coating for titanium airfoils using a novel graded interface approach. The proposed coating builds on previous government and aircraft engine company support which demonstrated modest high frequency damping up to 700F using only a thin (~40um) lightweight and highly adherent Sn,MgO+Cr damping layer. Improved damping response will be addressed by increasing the thickness to ~125um without effecting aerodynamic performance and good surface finish. Current plasma sprayed mag spinel coatings provide similar damping with coating thickness of >3-6 times greater. The proposed coating will additionally provide erosion and corrosion resistance from developed dense outer layers of TiC/CrN thus permitting a potential triple use capability. Adherence, damping, high cycle fatigue, and sand erosion resistance measurements will be measured to compare the developed coatings with previous benchmarked systems.

Keywords:
Plasma, Damping, Erosion, Corrosion, Hardness, Toughness, Adhesion, Embedded

The object of Phygen’s proposal is to demonstrate the dual (damping and erosion) use capabilities of an electron beam physical vapor deposited coating for titanium alloy airfoils using a novel boron carbide composite coating. The potential of this coating has been demonstrated for attenuating vibration and resisting erosion with a survivability temperature of >600C (1100F). The expected outcome of the program is the engineering demonstration of a prototype damping/erosion coating for application in compressor components of high performance military gas turbine engines. In addition to optimizing the damping response, high cycle fatigue, impact and erosion/corrosion of laboratory specimens, the pilot lot manufacture of airfoil coatings on engine compressor components will be demonstrated. These coated blades will be further evaluated in high force shakers and spin rotors for structural integrity, damping and fatigue durability. The unequaled sand erosion resistance of the “black diamond-colored’ B4C/C coating, demonstrated in laboratory tests, will be directly compared with the ‘gold –colored’ titanium nitride coating used in current Navy military engines.

Keywords:
Coatings, Electron Beam Vapor Deposition, Damping, Erosion, Gas Turbine Engines