Why You Shouldn’t Neglect Erosive Wear in Gas Turbine Engines

Want to learn about why gas turbines are so important and why it is so important that one should never neglect erosive wear in gas turbine engines? We would like to tell you all about it.

What is a Gas Turbine and How Does One Work?

A gas turbine is a kind of turbine that utilizes gas that is pressurized in order to get the turbine to spin. The turbine must start spinning in order to provide vehicles such as airplanes or jets with the kinetic energy that they need to move or to produce electricity.

In all gas turbines in the modern age, pressurized gas is generated via the combustion of a source of fuel such as propane, kerosene, jet fuel, or natural gas. The heat energy that is produced by the combustion of this fuel will cause the expansion of air. The air would flow through the gas turbine in order to generate energy that can be used.

Gas turbines are a very important part of many industries around the world, and they are used to supply energy to things like trains, ships, aircraft, gas compressors, pumps, tanks, and electrical generators.

Why Is Erosion in Gas Turbines Such a Massive Concern?

Since gas turbines are used in so many important things that help our global society to function, it would only be logical for us to take good care of these gas turbines. Degradative issues with gas turbines can also pose huge risks to public safety.

Take airplanes, for example. If an airplane were allowed to operate with a faulty gas turbine that has undergone extensive and severe erosion, the turbine could malfunction and even totally fail to work, which could result in a crash and the death of the passengers in the aircraft.

Gas turbine erosion is typically an inevitable process that occurs over time. It is not possible to prevent solid particle erosion from occurring. This phenomenon is directly caused by airborne particles such as fly ashes, dust, and sand, dust. Ingestion and impact of airborne particles such as these are capable of severely damaging highly important parts such as stator vanes and rotor blades.

Erosion will cause degradation in the surface profile of the turbine, and this would result in the stalling of the compressor, reduced levels of engine power, and in certain extreme circumstances, total blade failures. Therefore, one should never neglect erosive wear in gas turbines.

How Should a Gas Turbine Be Protected and Maintained?

To prevent gas turbine erosion, a suitable surface finish should be applied. A good surface finish is extremely important in the maintenance of aerodynamic efficiency. One way in which a gas turbine may be protected is using the process of thermal spraying to form an abradable coating.

What Are the Advantages of an Abradable Coating?

Abradable coatings are able to provide gas turbines with high levels of resistance to thermal shock, the chemical process of oxidation, and high-force impacts, which will extend the overall longevity of a gas turbine.