Improving turbine engine compressor performance retention through airfoil coatings

In order to evaluate the potential effectiveness of coatings in limiting erosive damage to compressor airfoils, an effort was initiated to evaluate candidate coatings for substrate alloys typically used in commercial engine high compressor blades. Laboratory and rig erosion testing of plasma deposited and diffusion coatings described in this paper have shown the potential of a two to four fold improvement in erosion life. The selective application of these coatings to approximately the outer third of the airfoil avoids coating the fatigue critical region of the blade, thus providing erosion resistance potentially without compromising the fatigue strength of the blade. Both the plasma and the diffusion coatings also offer the advantage of low initial cost and a multi-source production base.