Hydroelectric turbines are strongly affected by cavitation and the damage it can cause to critical part surfaces and profiles. The study of thermal spray processes and materials is thus relevant to improving turbine performance. The main objective of this work is to evaluate the influence of fuel-oxygen ratio on tungsten- and chromium-carbide cermet coatings deposited by HVOF. Particle velocity and temperature were measured as were coating hardness, porosity, and cavitation resistance. Higher particle velocities were obtained at higher fuel ratios, producing harder, denser coatings with better cavitation resistance. Based on test results, the wear mechanism starts with the nucleation of the cavitation that occurs in the pores, resulting in the formation of craters and the eventual detachment of lamellae as indicated by the smoothness of the surface.
FeMnCrSi alloys have been developed and studied over the past several years with an emphasis on their use as coatings on CA6NM stainless steel hydroturbine components. Much of the work conducted has focused on the optimization of cavitation resistance through chemical composition changes, the use of different thermal spraying (ASP, HVOF, HVAF) and welding (PTA) processes, and post-treatments such as shot-peening, cold working, and PTA remelting. The aim of this current work is to present a compilation of published articles that report on the research that has been done. Among the trends observed is that coating density and cavitation resistance improve with increasing particle velocity, particularly for HVOF-kerosene spraying. In regard to post-treatments, cold working was found to most effective, reducing cavitation mass loss (in PTA FeMnCrSi coatings) by a factor of nearly two.
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