Robust High Temperature Environmental Barrier Coating System for Ceramic Matrix Composite Gas Turbine Components using Affordable Processing Approach

The development of high temperature T/EBC systems using DVTI's advanced coatings processing techniques will enable not only new T/EBC systems for use in future military and commercial aircraft platforms, but also new deposition processes to enable affordable coating application onto engine components. DVD coaters are envisioned to be small with low capital costs and tailorable volumes so that small volumes of parts can be deposited at low cost. The soft vacuum required and the high deposition rates also have the potential to facilitate assembly line like part coating for some geometries. The non-line-of-sight capabilities of this approach enable coatings to be applied onto complex components, thus expanding their use. The compositional and morphological flexibility of this approach would also enable other advanced functional coating systems to be applied such as thermal barrier coatings, wear and corrosion resistant coatings, thin film batteries, and damping coatings.

This research is anticipated to the development of result in robust processing approaches for environmental barrier coating systems that enable higher temperature capability and improved durability than current EBCs. These advancements will help enable the use of Si-based ceramics in high temperature capable gas turbine engines. These advances will potentially benefit all gas turbine engines requiring greater performance and efficiency. In addition, this research specifically supports the goals of NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) which seeks to expand the boundaries of aeronautical knowledge for the benefit of the Nation and the broad aeronautics community and in particular NASA ARMD's Subsonic Fixed Wing Project which has a goal of conducting long term research in technologies which promote, among other things, higher performance and higher efficiency gas turbine engines.