Furnace Testing and Validation of a Hybrid Cooling Approach for Enhanced Turbine Blade Protection with a Thermal Barrier Coating in Advanced Gas Turbines

Hybrid turbine blade protection systems, which combine thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) and cooling mechanisms, are essential for safeguarding turbine blades in advanced gas turbine applications. However, conventional furnace evaluation methods are inadequate for accurately simulating the complex thermal conditions experienced by TBCs in these environments. Initial testing revealed substantial degradation of TBCs when subjected to high temperatures without the necessary cooling support. To address this limitation, the furnace setup was modified to incorporate a cooling air system. This system channeled 400 °C air to the back surface of the TBC while subjecting the front to 1400 °C furnace air, effectively replicating the thermal gradient encountered in hybrid protection systems. The modified furnace setup demonstrated a remarkable improvement in the performance of yttria-stabilized zirconia TBCs. By cooling the back surface of the TBC, the metal substrate temperature decreased, thereby improving the thermal gradient on the coating and its durability. The thermal gradient achieved by the modified furnace was verified to simulate accurately the conditions experienced by TBCs in advanced gas turbines. The conventional furnace setup, lacking a cooling mechanism, overestimated the heat transfer on the TBCs, leading to inaccurate results. The modified furnace, with its integrated cooling system, more accurately simulated the conditions experienced by TBCs in real-world advanced gas turbine applications and more reliably assessed their performance.