Effects of temperature and particle size on deposition in land based turbines

Four series of tests were performed in an accelerated deposition test facility to study the independent effects of particle size, gas temperature, and metal temperature on ash deposits from two candidate power turbine synfuels (coal and petcoke). The facility matches the gas temperature and velocity of modern first stage high pressure turbine vanes while accelerating the deposition process. Particle size was found to have a significant effect on capture efficiency with larger particles causing significant thermal barrier coating (TBC) spallation during a 4 h accelerated test. In the second series of tests, particle deposition rate was found to decrease with decreasing gas temperature. The threshold gas temperature for deposition was approximately 960 degrees C. In the third and fourth test series, impingement cooling was applied to the back side of the target coupon to simulate internal vane cooling. Capture efficiency was reduced with increasing mass flow of coolant air; however, at low levels of cooling, the deposits attached more tenaciously to the TBC layer. Postexposure analyses of the third test series (scanning electron microscopy and X-ray spectroscopy) show decreasing TBC damage with increased cooling levels.