United States. Engineers at the University of Pittsburgh are leading a national research effort to use additive manufacturing in the development of stronger coatings for materials used in harsh environments, such as the super hot interior of a gas turbine.
Minking Chyu, PhD, of Leighton; and Mary Orr, a professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Sciences at the University, lead the project and received a cooperation agreement totaling $1,015,490, including $798,594 from the Department of Energy of the National Energy Technology Laboratory (Netl) and $216,896 in funding from Pitt.
Chyu will make use of a strengthened oxide dispersion (ODS) coating layer with integrated cooling channels under or within the ODS layer to achieve a process called "near-wall cooling." The project will employ rapidly advanced additive manufacturing (AM) processes – a more accurate way to describe the professional production technique commonly known as 3D printing.
Apart from the significant reduction of costs in raw materials, AM offers great design freedom and an innovative approach compared to conventional techniques, which imposes certain limitations on having the ODS layer on top of the turbine components.
"Even though ODS have many excellent properties for protecting substrate material from oxidation and deterioration force in a very high temperature environment, it is difficult for traditional machining or cutting," Chyu said. "Therefore, this technology would not be feasible if it were not for AM."
