AM&P spoke with Brian Donahue of Canvus to learn how this manufacturer upcycles end-of-life wind turbine blades into furniture for communities, parks, and schools.

Nanobrazing is an innovative brazing technique that uses nanomaterials as the filler materials. Incorporating nanobrazing into conventional technologies such as vacuum and laser brazing creates a new frontier for repairing turbine blades and vanes. Due to the unique “nanopowdering” of filler materials, the metallurgical mechanisms and thermodynamics of nanobrazing show promise for innovative applications.

The invention of the single crystal jet engine blade under Frank Versnyder and a team of scientists at the Pratt & Whitney Division of United Technologies is considered one of the 50 greatest advances in metallurgical history.

Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloys have potential to improve turbine blade temperature capability beyond that of superalloy single crystals. In this article, the case is made for the potential to replace single crystals as high-pressure turbine blades with ODS nickel-base alloys. ODS alloys combine proven technology, substantial gains in capability over today’s single crystal alloys, and a clear development path to overcome identified risks.

Researchers are supplying the aerospace industry with innovative technologies to support the next generation of more efficient and reliable aircraft. This article describes a novel laser technology for measuring stress and damage in the protective ceramic coatings applied to turbine engine blades to prolong their life.

An industry pioneer shares a historical overview of the early days of single crystal superalloy development.

Neutron-based imaging and measurement techniques are an ideal complement to x-ray methods for characterizing additively manufactured materials and components. This article presents examples showing how neutron radiography and residual strain measurements reveal the internal structure and stress distributions in highly engineered turbine blades produced by additive processes. It also discusses the development of neutron characterization tools at ORNL and a recent effort in which they were used to evaluate stress-relief treatments for large-scale metal AM structures.

Clearance-control coatings play a major role in gas turbine engines by minimizing the air gap between rotating blade tips and engine casings. An improvement of just 125 µm can reduce fuel consumption by 0.5%. This article discusses the potential impact of new materials being considered for blade tip coating systems, including NiCoCrAlY bond coats and matrix layers with Hf, Re, or Si additions for better oxidation and creep resistance, embedded angular CBN particles for enhanced incursion of abradable shroud coatings, and double or Pt aluminide topcoats for extended oxidation protection.