Steam turbines
Steam turbines
TSS provides advanced thermal spray services specifically tailored for steam turbines in industrial applications.
The aerospace industry was among the first to fully adopt thermal spray coatings, which are now essential for the reliable performance of modern turbines. Hundreds of critical engine components rely on these coatings, and without them, turbines cannot operate at optimal efficiency.
Steam and industrial turbines face numerous degradation challenges, including metal-to-metal wear, fretting, hot corrosion, and particle erosion, often exacerbated by high-temperature operating conditions. Thermal spray coatings provide the required surface protection to extend the service life of these vital components.
Thermal spray coatings allow turbines to resist various types of environmental and mechanical damage, including:
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Oxidation and corrosion protection
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Thermal barrier coatings to enhance operating temperature limits
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Resistance to impact, sliding, and fretting wear
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Low- and high-temperature erosion and corrosion protection
Typical thermal-sprayed components in steam turbines include:
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Turbine blades
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Flame tubes
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Outer stationary seal liners
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Other critical engine parts
By applying advanced coatings using Plasma, HVOF, or other thermal spray technologies, TSS ensures enhanced durability, efficiency, and reliable operation for steam turbines in demanding industrial environments.
Application challenges and solutions:
Table
Thermal barrier
Tip clearance
thermal spray thermal barrier coating using plasma spray
Abradable coating using plasma spray
Lubricity
Lubricity coatings applied using plasma spray
Other contents
Without effective protective coatings, corrosion can significantly reduce the performance and lifespan of structural components.
In the power generation sector, corrosion may cause pitting, potentially compromising the mechanical integrity of rotating compressor blades and vanes. Additionally, corrosion and oxidation can roughen gas-washed airfoil surfaces, increasing aerodynamic drag and lowering compressor efficiency.
Applying advanced thermal spray coatings helps safeguard critical components, maintaining structural integrity, reducing maintenance requirements, and ensuring reliable, long-term turbine operation.
Erosion is the gradual loss of material from a solid surface caused by mechanical interaction with fluids or solid particles, typically when particles or water droplets strike the surface at high velocity.
In industrial steam turbines, sand and particulate erosion in compressors can lead to a reduction in compression ratio, negatively affecting overall turbine efficiency and performance.
Thermal spray coatings, such as HVOF and plasma-sprayed solutions, provide an effective barrier against erosion, protecting blades, vanes, and other critical components, and ensuring long-term operational reliability.
Galling is a severe form of mechanical wear, defined by ASTM G40 as “surface damage occurring between sliding solids, characterised by microscopic, often localised roughening and the formation of protrusions above the original surface.”
It occurs when two surfaces slide under load, causing movement and plastic deformation, which can sometimes transfer material from one surface to another.
In steam turbine components, galling on blades and vanes can significantly increase maintenance and repair costs, reduce component lifespan, and compromise turbine reliability.
Protective thermal spray coatings, such as HVOF or plasma-sprayed solutions, help minimise galling by enhancing surface hardness and wear resistance, ensuring durable, high-performance turbine operation.
In steam turbine components, galling on blades and vanes can significantly increase maintenance and repair costs, reduce component lifespan, and compromise overall turbine reliability.
Applying protective thermal spray coatings, such as HVOF or plasma-sprayed solutions, helps minimise galling by enhancing surface hardness and wear resistance, ensuring durable, high-performance turbine operation.
Components operating in high-temperature environments require effective thermal protection to maintain both performance and durability. At TSS Surface Technologies, we provide advanced thermal protective coatings designed to extend the operational life of critical turbine components.
In the industrial steam turbine sector, turbine blades are exposed to process temperatures reaching up to 1,650°C, far exceeding the melting points of commonly used high-temperature materials, such as superalloys with a melting point around 1,300°C.
Without proper thermal protection, these extreme temperatures can cause severe oxidation and hot corrosion of combustor and basket components. Unprotected blades and vanes also lose load-carrying capability, as elevated temperatures reduce the mechanical strength of structural materials.
Advanced thermal spray coatings provide a robust solution, shielding components from high-temperature degradation, preserving mechanical integrity, and ensuring reliable, long-term turbine performance.
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