Erosion rate testing at high temperature for turbomachinery use

A high temperature erosion test facility was designed by Tabakoff and Wakeman (Test facility for material erosion at high temperature, ASTM Special Publication, 664 (1979) 123–135) to provide erosion data in the range of operating temperatures experienced in compressors and turbines. In addition to the high temperatures, the facility properly simulates all the erosion parameters which were determined to be important from the aerodynamics point of view. These parameters include particle velocity, angle of impact, particle size, particle concentration and sample size. For a better understanding of the use of this tunnel and to obtain good results, definitions of the parameters used in the wind tunnel testings and test procedures are presented: for example, an experimental study which was conducted to investigate the erosion behavior of titanium carbide coating exposed to fly ash and chromite particles. The chemical vapor deposition technique (CVD) was used to apply a ceramic coating on nickel and cobalt based superalloys (M246 and X40). The test specimens were exposed to particle laden flow at velocities of 305 and 366 m s −1 and temperatures of 550°C and 815°C.