Fluid erosion and dynamic fatigue characteristics of high-pressure cold sprayed aerospace gas turbine engines

The proposed 3-year project aims to improve the erosion and dynamic fatigue performance of aircraft engine components, primarily the fan blades, through a two-stage material design and advanced manufacturing solution strategy. The work’s innovation lies in the design/development of 1) TiAl alloy substrate specific nanostructured ceramic-metallic (cermet) protective coatings (years 1, 2); and 2) a 3D metal-foam-cermet functionally-graded (FG) multimaterial system as a repair/remanufacturing tool for damaged carbon-fiber-reinforced-polymer fan blades and other engine components (year 3). The research methodology combines a suite of infrastructure and expertise available at UNB’s Nanocomposites and Mechanics Laboratory and industry partner MDS Coating Technologies, including high-energy ball mill; fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition (FBCVD) reactor; high-pressure cold spray additive manufacturing (HPCS-AM) material synthesis/deposition equipment; FilmDoctor, ABAQUS, EXN/Aero material design/modeling tools; high-temperature fatigue, water droplet dynamic erosion testers; and expertise with material characterization techniques.
The successful execution of the project will build new knowledge concerning cermet failure mechanisms in both thin coatings and thick 3D tiered FG components, creating a path to establish an ‘erosion-wear’ map with feedstock-coating-microstructure-process-property linkage.

Faculty Supervisor:

Gobinda Saha

Student:

Partner:

MDS Coating Technologies

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of New Brunswick

Program: