IMPROVING EFFICIENCY OF GAS TURBINE BY STRENGTHNING GAS TURBINE BLADES

BY AMIT TYAGI

HIGHER EFFICIENCY

INCREASED/HIGHER GAS INLET TEMPERATURE

IMPACT ON BLADE
HIGHER HIGH

THERMAL STRESSES

TEMPERATURE OXIDATION AND CORROSION

HIGH TEMPERATURE CORROSION

DAMAGE CAUSED BY OXIDATION AND SULFIDATION AS A RESULT OF IMPURITIES, WITHIN THE UTILISED FUELAND INLET AIR. FORMATION OF MELTDOWN VANDATES, WHICH BREAK DOWN THE CORROSION DELAYING OXIDE FILMS, AS WELL AS THE FORMATION OF ALKALINE SULFATES,WHICH CAN CAUSE A SULFIDATION ATTACK AND SUBSEQUENT OXIDATION ATTACK.

STRENTHNING TURBINE BLADE

COOLING OF BLADE ANTI CORROSION COATING THERMAL BARRIER COATING IMPROVED CASTING PROCESS

BLADE COOLING HOLES

ANTI CORROSION COATING

HIGH TEMP.CORROSION AND OXIDATION DEPEND ON TEMP OF BLADE SURFACE AS WELL AS THE TEMP. AND PURITY OF THE HOT GASES COATING RESIST AGAINST BOTH HOT CORROSION AND OXIDATION FOR SURFACE TEMP UPTO 800 ,CHROMIUM BASED DIFFUSION COATING, EFFECTIVE FOR REAR BLADE STAGES. BLADE OPERATING AT HIGHER TEMP. REQUIRES COATINGS i.e. THICKER AND MORE COMPLEX IN COMPOSITION. MCrALY COATINGS.

MCrALY COATINGS

ALUMINIUM FORMS A DENSE OXIDE LAYER ON THE COATING SURFACE,THAT IS THERMALLY VERY STABLE. REMAINING ELEMENTS CONTROLS THE ALUMINIUM ACTIVITY,HOLD THE OXIDE LAYER IN PLACE AND ADAPT THE COATING TO THE PROPERTIES OF BASE METAL. COATINGS APPLIED USING VACCUM PLASMA SPRAY METHOD. FOR MECHANICAL REASONS THE THICKNESS OF COATING SHOULD NOT EXCEED APPROX. 0.4 MM. RHENIUM AS NEW ALLOYING ELEMENT. SERVICE LIFE IS MUCH SHORTER THAN ACTUAL BLADE MATERIAL THEREFORE NEED REFURBISHMENT AFTER SOME 25000 hr OF OPERATION.

THERMAL BARRIER COATING (TBC)

ALLOW OPERATING TEMPERATURE TO BE INCREASED BY APPROX. 100K. TBC COMPRISES OF TWO ATLEAST TWO LAYER i.e. CERAMIC LAYER AND BONDING LAYER. CERAMIC LAYER LIMITS THE FLOW OF HEAT INTO THE BLADE BECAUSE OF ITS POOR THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY. ZIRCONIA (ZrO2) IS USED AS CERAMIC LAYER. BONDING LAYER IS A MEMBER OF MCrALY FAMILY. COATING IS APPLIED THROUGH EITHER THERMAL SPRAYING OR PHYSICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION.

SATISFACTORY SERVICE LIFE OF TBC

LIMITING THE THICKNESS OF CERAMIC LAYER TO 0.25MM. INCREASING THE STRAIN TOLERANCE OF THE CERAMIC MATERIAL TO IMPROVE RESISRTANCE TO EXPANSION AND THERMAL SHOCK. SELECTING BONDING LAYER WITH MAXIMUM OXIDATION RESISTANCE.

IMPROVED CASTING PROCESS

CONVENTIONALLY CAST BLADES-GRAIN BOUNDARIES REUCE THE CREEP STRENGTH OF THE METAL. DIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION-GRAIN LINES ARE ALIGNED PARALLEL TO BLADE AXIS. ADVANTAGE- 1.HIGHER OPERATING TEMP.(<25K). 2. HIGHER RESISTANCE TO THERMAL FATIGUE. SINGLE CRYSTAL BLADES-SINGLE SELECTED CRYSTAL IS GROWN WITH A PREFFERED ORIENTATION. ADVANTAGE-1.CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE ALLOYS CAN BE MODIFIED.ELEMENTS LIKE C,B AND Zr WHICH STRENGTHEN THE GRAIN BOUNDARIES AND LOWER THE MATERIAL MELTING POINT ,CAN BE OMMITED FROM ALLOYS. 2. THERMAL FATIGUE LIFE IS LONGER THAN DSB.

SIEMENS V94.2 (FGPS)

BLADE MATERIAL BLADE COATING BLADE COOLING

BLADE MATERIAL
DESIGNATION SEMIFINISHED PART INVESTMENT CASTING INVESTMENT CASTING PRECISION FORGING FOR USE IN BLADE/VANESTAGE VANE 1-4

G-NiCr22Co19TiALWTaNb (INCONEL 939) G-NiCr16Co8TiALWMo (INCONEL 738 LC) NiCr19Co12MoTiALW (U520)

BLADE 1-3

BLADE 4

BLADE COATING
COATING PRODUCTION PROCESS BLADE/VANESTAGE.

CHROMISED (TRADE NAMESC 1110) MCrALY (NiCoCrAlY) (TRADE NAMESC 2231)

DIFFUSION PROCESS

VANE -3 BLADE-3

VACCUM PLASMA SPRAY

VANE-1,2 BLADE-1,2

*VANE 3 UNCOATED IN ORIGINAL DESIGN *BLADE AND VANE 4 ARE UNCOATED

COOLING ARRANGEMENT FOR TURBINE

ROTOR AND

STATOR

FIRST STAGE BLADES DESIGN FOR COOLING

ARE CAST HOLLOW BLADES WITH DUCTS FOR GUIDING THE COOLING AIR. COOLING AIR ENTERS THE AIRFOIL IN THE RADIAL DIRECTION VIA THE BLADE ROOT, COOLING AIR EXITS THROUGH HOLES BEHIND THE TRAILING EDGE.

SECOND STAGE BLADES DESIGN FOR COOLING

ARE PROVIDED WITH SEVERAL DUCTS EXTENDED RADIALLY THROUGH THE AIRFOIL COOLING AIR ENTERS THE BLADE VIA HOLES AT THE BLADE ROOT, COOLING AIR EXITS FROM THE BLADE TIP IN THE RADIAL DIRECTION.

TURBINE STATOR BLADES

COOLING AIR FOR TURBINE MOVING BLADES ROW 1

IS EXTRACTED AT THE HUB DOWNSTREAM OF THE LAST COMPRESSOR MOVING BLADE ROW. SMALL PROPORTION FLOWS THROUGH THE LABYRINTH AS SEAL AIR. MAJORITY OF AIR PASSES THROUGH HOLLOW CENTER SHAFT.

COOLING AIR FOR TURBINE MOVING BLADES ROW 2,3 AND 4.

IS EXTRACTED AT THE HUB DOWNSTREAM OF THE COMPRESSOR STATIONARY BLADE ROW 12. PASS THROUGH BORES IN COMPRESSOR ROTOR DISC. FLOW THROUGH THE COOLING AIT PARTION PIPE AND ON TO THE BLADES THROUGH THE HUB BORES IN TURBINE DISC.

COOLING AIR THEN ENTERS THE HOT GAS FLOW COOLING AIR ENSURES THAT THE STRUCTURAL ROTOR DRUM IS ENVELOPED IN COOL AIR IN THE HOT GAS REGION OF TURBINE. IT PREVENTS PEAK THERMAL STRESSES AND ROTOR DEFORMATION ON LOAD CHANGE AND FAST STARTUP.

COOLING AIR FOR TURBINE STATOR BLADES ROW 1,2

AIR IS EXTRACTED FROM COMPRESSOR OUTLET. PASSES THROUGH BORES IN STATIONARY BLADE CARRIER TO THE COOLING CHAMBER

COOLOS THE BLAE SHROUD

FOR BLADE ROW 1- ENTERS BLADE AND THEN RE ENTERS THE HOT GAS PATH THROUGH THE TRAILING EDGES OF THE BLADE.

COOLING AIR FOR TURBINE STATOR BLADES ROW 3

AIR IS EXTRACTED DOWNSTREAM OF COMPRESSOR BLADE ROW 10.

FOR BLADE ROW 2,3,4 PART IS USED FOR COOLING THE BLADE AND MAJORITY OF AIR PASSE TO HUB