Impact of thermal barrier coatings on temperature distribution of high-pressure gas turbine rotor blades: a computational study

This study investigates the effect of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) on the temperature distribution throughout a first-stage high-pressure aero-engine gas turbine rotor blade. The temperature changes on the naked and TBC-coated blade surfaces were investigated using computational models in ANSYS. The results showed a considerable drop in maximum temperature after using yttum-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) as a TBC, demonstrating its efficiency in alleviating thermal stresses. A comparative investigation of various TBC materials revealed varying degrees of heat resistance, with those with lower thermal conductivities. YSZ brought down the maximum temperature of the blade body by 18%. Lanthanum zirconate (La₂Zr₂O7) showed the best results, bringing down the maximum temperature by 19.5% compared to YSZ. These findings highlight the need to evaluate material qualities other than heat resistance when selecting TBCs for aerospace applications. This study underlines TBCs’ potential to improve the durability and performance of gas turbine rotor blades under high-temperature operating conditions. Furthermore, it suggests future research directions, such as investigations into TBC mechanical properties, erosion resistance, and long-term durability of TBCs, as well as the development of novel TBC formulations and manufacturing techniques to advance aerospace technology and ensure the sustainability of gas turbine operations.