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，并且可以作为涂层电沉积在几乎任何表面上。这提供了高强度，耐磨，防腐，抗冲击和减少对环境的影响。其中一个应用，其中这种涂层将是有用的，在风扇叶片的燃气涡轮发动机用于动力飞机。然而，缺乏对金属基体上纳米晶金属涂层疲劳行为的数据和分析，限制了其在航空发动机上的应用。多伦多大学航空航天研究所和普拉特&惠特尼加拿大，一个主要的国际燃气涡轮发动机制造商，正在组建一个研究小组来克服这一限制。该项目将涂层材料的疲劳测试与数字应变映射技术相结合，以更好地了解纳米金属涂层中疲劳裂纹的产生和发展。研究了冲击损伤对纳米金属涂层疲劳寿命的影响。目的是阐明由于金属基体上涂层的存在而引起的疲劳寿命的信用或缺陷。这将使普惠加拿大公司的工程师能够为燃气涡轮发动机设计更轻、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.