SAMI 2017 • IEEE 15th International Symposium on Applied Machine Intelligence and Informatics • January 26-28, 2017 • Herl’any,

Slovakia

Effect of TBC on Heat Transfer into

Nickel Based Refractory Alloy
* ** * *** *
Ladislav Főző , Jozef Čerňan , Miroslava Cúttová , Katarína Ratkovská , František Adamčík
* TUKE Department of Aviation Engineering, Košice, Slovakia
*
* TUKE Department of Aviation Technical Studies, Košice, Slovakia
UWB Department of Power System Engineering, Pilsen, Czech Republic
ladislav.fozo@tuke.sk, jozef.cernan@tuke.sk, miroslava.cuttova@tuke.sk, ratkovsk@zcu.kke.cz,
frantisek.adamcik2@tuke.sk
Abstract— The aim of the experiment is to evaluate an effect
of industrially used plasma sprayed coatings of the TBC on II. HEAT TRANSFER THROUGH SOLID WALL
the heat transfer into the refractory material designed for According to [7] in the heat conduction the heat flux
aeronautical applications. This study uses basic structural QT is determined by the Fourier law. It is necessary to
material of combustion chambers - components of turbine know the distribution and the course of temperature in the
engines highly thermally stressed during the operation by
observed volume, depending on the direction and the
flow of hot gasses. Using the hot gasses from the gas burner,
time: .
the operational conditions inside the combustion chambers
are simulated. The use of the TBC coating shows positive
effect on the alloy overheating reduction. The results
demonstrated decrease of the temperature with values in the
range of hundreds of °C for materials covered with the
TBC. This phenomenon can contribute to the development
of the new types of aircraft engines with higher operational
temperature and better fuel economics.

I. INTRODUCTION
The endeavor for the highest thermodynamic efficiency
in a gas turbine is related to the achievement of the
highest possible temperature of gases emitted from its
combustion chamber [1, 2]. Although the currently used
fuel would make it possible to increase the gas
temperature almost up to 3000°C [3], it is clear that the
limiting factor are the materials of combustion chambers
and gas turbines. The refractory and creep-resistant nickel
and cobalt alloys used for the construction of these parts
have the maximum operating temperature of 1200°C [4].
But their advantages are high strength and resistance to
creep and oxidation at such high temperatures. And
therefore there is an effort to create a composite material
system that would ensure the protection of the refractory /
creep resistant material from heat and allow its use at
temperatures higher than its operating temperature. Such
protection elements today are thermal barriers coatings
(TBC), consisting of two or more layers [5]. The first
metal layer is based on NiAl, NiCr, NiCrAlY or CoCrAlY,
which improves the corrosion resistance of the base
material - nickel alloy and also improves the adhesion of
the second layer. The second layer comprises, on the
other hand, of the ceramic material based on ZrO2+Y2O3,
which resists to high temperatures without the undesired
oxidation and has low thermal conductivity. It is believed
that the TBC layer on refractory alloys allows the
operation at the temperatures up to 300 °C higher than the
original operating temperature [6].
Figure 1. Explanation of heat transfer through the solid wall
The steady heat flux on Fig. 1 through the defined part of
the planar wall with the thickness of d and the thermal
conductivity coefficient λ is formed if the first surface
(x=0) has the constant temperature T1 and the opposite
surface (x=d) has the constant temperature T2, wherein
T1>T2. The temperature inside of the wall falls therefore
under the consideration from T1 to T2 in proportion to the
distance x.
If we know the functional relationship T(x), we can
determine the heat flux through the area of S, as:
(1)
If we consider the composite wall with the thickness of
d=d1+d 2 while its components have the coefficient of the
thermal conductivity λ =λ1+λ2. The heat flux QT in this
case is determined by the temperature difference at the
boundary walls of the two components, i.e. T1, T2, T3
maintaining the same area of S:
(2)
III. EXPERIMENT DESCRIPTION
For the experiment a refractory nickel alloy designated
according to the Russian GOST Standard as EI435 [8]
978-1-5090-5655-2/17/$31.00 ©2017 IEEE 000435
L. Fozo • Effect of TBC on Heat Transfer into Nickel Based Refractory Alloy

TABLE II.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS USED IN THE HEAT TRANSFER SIMULATION
Young´s Coefficient of Specific Thermal

Material Density thermal Poisson´s heat Material

modulus conductivity
properties (g/cm3) expansion ratio capacity properties
(GPa) (m/m.K)x10-6 (J/kg.K) (W/m.K)

EI435 8.49 195 12.2 0.3 405 14.6 EI435

TBC layer 6.05 149 9.91 0.25 420 2.1 TBC layer

epoxy 1.30 2.99 5.99 0.37 1047.6 0.188 epoxy

with the plasma sprayed TBC layer in the inert TABLE I.
atmosphere of Argon was used. The sample of the CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF EI435 ALLOY ACCORDING
material covered with the TBC and the sample without TO [8]
the TBC, both with the dimensions of 4x3 cm, were Mat. Ni Cr Si Mn Ti Fe C
embedded in the high temperature epoxy resin as shown wt% wt% wt% wt% wt% wt% wt%
in Fig. 2 and tested in the laboratory assembly - Fig. 3. It EI 70-77 22 <0.8 <0.7 0.35 <6 <0.12
consists of a sample holder with an approach window for 435
hot gases from a burner, which simulates the action of hot
gases in a jet engine. The opposite side of the sample has The TBC layer was analysed in a scanning electron
been captured by an infrared camera, which recorded the microscope using the energy dispersive X-ray (EDX)
heating rate of the sample material at different distances chemical elemental analysis after the preparation. As
between the burner and sample holder. shown on Fig. 4., the presence of elements such as Zr, Y,
and O suggests that the TBC layer with the thickness of
approx. 250 μm formed the ceramic-based coating of
ZrO2 + stabilizing ingredient Y2O3 typically made of
approx. 7 wt% Y2O3 (7YSZ ceramics) [9]. The second
substrate layer comprises of the metal alloy NiAl having
the thickness of about 50 μm.
 Figure 2. Appearance of samples in epoxy resin
The experiment was conducted at the position of the
burner in the distance of 10 cm (temperature of 1070 °C
on the hot side of the sample), 15 cm (600 °C) and 20 cm
(300 °C) from the sample holder.
Figure 4. Appearance and analysis of plasma sprayed TBC
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Simulational model of heat flow has been created in the
software tool CREO 3.0 and appropriate computer
equipment. The properties of the two used materials are in
Tab. 2 together with the material of the epoxy resin,
which created the frame of the samples. For a better
visibility of the heat transfer through the material half cut
of the sample was used.
The prepared model was in the Thermal Simulation
Mode subjected to the heat load of 27000 mW,
corresponding to the burner flame temperature of about
1000 °C. The opposite cold side of the sample was
determined by the initial temperature of 20 °C and the
coefficient of convection cooling of 0.01 W/(m 2.K).
Simulation results in Fig. 5 show the temperature
distribution inside the samples.
 Figure 3. Laboratory assembly for measurements

Prescribed chemical composition of the nickel alloy

EI435 according to the GOST Standards is shown in
Table. 1
000436
SAMI 2017 • IEEE 15th International Symposium on Applied Machine Intelligence and Informatics • January 26-28, 2017 • Herl’any, Slovakia

(2). The results of these calculations are shown in Fig.

8.b).
 Figure 5. Simulation results of heat distribution in samples
The results show that the model with TBC layer in the
simulation under the same conditions of heat load
exhibits on the cold side of the sample temperature of
582,2 °C, whereas the material without the TBC exhibits
a temperature of 700,2 °C. Graphical plot with the
dependence of the temperature on the time from this
simulation is visible on fig. 6. There is also an obvious
positive impact of TBC layer in offering resistance to heat
flux through the sample surface area. The results of
computational simulation were than confronted with the
results of experiments performed in the laboratory using a
gas burner and IR camera and are in direct agreement
with the measured data from experiments with burner
placed at 10 cm from the sample. (The temperature at the
hot side of the sample reached approximately 1000 °C).
Figure 6. Simulation temperature behaviour
The thermovision camera of the FLIR A40M type used
for scanning is connected to the computer through the
FireWire IEEE -1394 interface. Fig. 7 shows thermal
images for the sample without the TBC layer and the
sample coated with the TBC at the distance of 10 cm
between the burner and sample holder. The results of the
experiments performed in the laboratory will be
confronted with the results of the simulation in the CREO
3.0 software tool.
Figure 7. IR camera photo of sample cold side – distance of burner: 10cm
The plot with the dependence of the temperature on the time
with established trend lines for distance of 10 cm between
burner and sample holder is in Fig. 8.a) As shown, a trend of
the temperature rise at a constant inflow of heat from the
burner has a logarithmic increase for both samples the same
way as it was visible on Fig. 6 obtained from computational
simulation. To determine the heat flux through the area of
the sample we can use the relationship
Figure 8. a) Temperature trend lines of samples (left) and b) Heat
flux trend lines of samples (right)
If we use all experimental measurement result for every
distance between burner and sample without TBC for
creation the surface graphical dependence chart, we will
obtain 3D chart on fig. 9.a) for temperature behaviour and
on fig. 9.b) for heat flux behaviour depending on time.
Here is clearly to see, that increase in distance between
burner and sample leads to decease in maximal
temperature obtained during time period of the
experiment. Also the Heat flux thru the sample is
decreasing rapidly with increased distance from burner.
Figure 9. a) Behaviour of sample temperature arise without TBC (left)
and b) Behaviour of heat flux thru the sample without TBC (right)
The same facts are evident for 3D chart of sample with
TBC layer on Fig. 10.a) and 10.b). But in comparison
with sample without TBC layer, here we can see lower
maximum obtained temperature during experiment time
period and much lower heat flux thru the sample – almost
3 times lower than heat flux in sample without TBC.
Figure 10. a) Behaviour of sample temperature arise with TBC (left)
and b) Behaviour of heat flux thru the sample with TBC (right)
CONCLUSION
V.
Based on the above experiments and simulations it is
possible to summarize the following conclusions:
x The computational simulation using computer
technology and software tools available shows
positive effect of TBC coating on reduction of the
base material (EI435) overheating. The accuracy of
the simulations results were than confirmed by the
experimental measured values.
x Samples with the thermal barriers in every burner
position were overheated less than samples without
000437
L. Fozo • Effect of TBC on Heat Transfer into Nickel Based Refractory Alloy
 the TBC. The temperature difference reached the
order of 20 - 120 °C, depending on the distance of
the burner and the duration of the action.
x Based on the initially measured values a trend for the
long-term exposure to high temperatures was
created, offering the evidence of the course of the
temperature rise.
x The increase in the temperature over time at a
constant thermal energy exhibits the logarithmic
growth. The calculated heat flux through the material
has on the contrary a downward trend opposite to the
logarithmic trend of the temperature rise.
On this basis, we can speak about the positive impact
of the TBC layer for the material protection against the
high temperatures and related chemical oxidation in the
gaseous medium at high temperatures.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The work presented in this paper was supported by
VEGA, Grant Agency of Ministry of Education and
Academy of Science of Slovak Republic under Grant
No.1/0776/17 – “Progressive algorithms in control,
modeling and diagnostics of small jet engines”. This
paper is supported by KEGA under Grant No. 014TUKE-
4/2015 - "Digitalization, virtualization and testing of a
small turbojet engine and its elements using stands for
modern applied lecturing". This support is very gratefully
acknowledged.
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