Fatigue properties of structural nanometal coatings for gas turbine engines

纳米晶金属具有极高的强度，是相同材料的传统版本的六倍，可以作为涂层电沉积到几乎任何表面。这提供了高强度、耐磨性、防腐蚀性、抗冲击性和减少对环境的影响。这种涂层的一个应用是用于为飞机提供动力的燃气轮机的风扇叶片。然而，由于缺乏有关金属表面纳米晶金属涂层疲劳行为的数据和分析，限制了它们在航空发动机中的应用。多伦多大学航空航天研究所和主要的国际燃气轮机发动机制造商加拿大普惠公司正在组建一个研究团队来克服这一限制。该项目将结合涂层材料的疲劳测试和数字应变映射技术，以更好地了解纳米金属涂层中疲劳裂纹的萌生和扩展。此外，还将讨论冲击损伤对纳米金属涂层疲劳寿命的影响。其目的是阐明由于金属基材上存在涂层而导致的疲劳寿命的增加或减少。这将使普惠加拿大的工程师能够为燃气轮机发动机设计更轻、更环保的部件。

Nanocrystalline metals possess exceptionally high strength, up to six times conventional versions of the same materials, and can be electrodeposited as coatings onto virtually any surface. This provides high strength, wear resistance, corrosion protection, impact resistance and reduced environmental impact. One application wherein such coatings would be useful is in the fan blades of gas turbine engine used to power aircraft. However, a lack of data and analysis on the fatigue behaviour of nanocrystalline metal coatings on metallic substrates restricts their use in aircraft engines. The University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies and Pratt & Whitney Canada, a major international manufacturer of gas turbine engines, are creating a research team to overcome this limitation. This project will combine fatigue testing of coated materials with digital strain mapping techniques to develop a much better understanding of the initiation and growth of fatigue cracks in nanometal coatings. As well, the effect of impact damage on the fatigue life of nanometal coatings will be addressed. The goal is to illuminate the credits or deficits in fatigue life caused by the presence of coatings on metallic substrates. This will enable engineers at Pratt & Whitney Canada to design lighter, more**environmentally friendly components for gas turbine engines.