Enhancing Performance Of Materials In Turbomachinery: A Review Of Coating And Surface Modification Technologies

Abstract

Despite best efforts in choosing a suitable alloy, it is frequently impossible to find a single material that is ideal for the particular application in a centrifugal compressor or steam turbine. In these situations, a coating may be used to exploit the beneficial properties of two or more materials for the purposes of enhancing a particular property for service under specific conditions or reducing the cost by allowing for the use of less expensive substrate material, among other reasons. Coatings are often designed to be multifunctional so they can address multiple problems simultaneously. Centrifugal compressors in the petrochemical industry and steam turbines offer several opportunities for the use of coatings due to the often harsh and changing conditions of the process. This paper discusses several commonly encountered issues and how coatings can be used to mitigate them by maintaining design performance for longer periods and reducing the cost of maintenance associated with these problems.