Oerlikon Metco Functional Coatings to Maximise Efficiency in Power Generation

Oerlikon Metco provides surface coating solutions and equipment to clients worldwide that enhance the performance and reliability of structures in aerospace, power generation, automotive, oil and gas and other specialised markets. Read more

Coatings for industrial gas turbines

Functional coatings are particularly important to power generation structures; by choosing the appropriate surface technologies coating solutions, application equipment, materials and services, structures and environments can enjoy increased safety and performance.

Oerlikon Metco contributes to the ongoing improvement of gas turbine performance through functional coatings that protect components from oxidation, hot corrosion, erosion and wear.

Coatings for clearance control

Efficiency in gas turbine engines are improved by minimising the clearance between stationary and rotating parts. To manage clearances the thermal spray process has been proven as a reliable and cost-effective method to prevent blades from wear thus increasing lifetime and extend service intervals. Applied onto the shroud seal segment our ceramic clearance control coatings significantly reduce the metal temperature of the shroud segment. This allows the gas turbine to operate at higher temperatures and increase overall engine efficiency. Read more

Thermal protection coatings

Gas turbine components are subject to excessive temperatures. Thermal barrier coatings have a low thermal conductivity allowing these coatings to act as thermal barriers. Lower metal temperatures increase the lifetime of the components and reduce oxidation and corrosion rates. Read more

Oerlikon Metco offers customised engineered thermal spray systems for specific applications. Read more

Coatings for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC)

Thermal sprayed coatings extend the lifetime and increase the efficiency of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC’s). Oerlikon Metco has developed highly efficient coating solutions for various functional layers on SOFC components.

• Prevention of chromium evaporation from interconnects: coatings are applied to the chromium-based interconnect to protect the cathode from chromium poisoning. These dense layers are deposited through atmospheric plasma spraying using Lanthanum-Strontium-Manganate spray materials. Read more
• Dense, thin electrolytes: to prevent cross-contamination between anode and cathode, electrolyte layers must be dense and thin to maximise efficiency. Layers are deposited with plasma sprayed thin film technology, producing dense, thin ceramic coatings with a thickness below 50µm. Read more
• Insulating layers to improve thermal cycling behavior: the thermal cycling behavior of a stack is significantly improved by plasma sprayed insulating layers in combination with metal solder.

Hydropower turbine coatings

Hydropower turbines such as Pelton, Francis and Kaplan turbines face high impacts of erosion, abrasion and cavitation. Components are exposed to erosive media, such as sands, silts and gravels as well as fluid erosion and cavitation. Oerlikon Metco offers coating materials producing hard, tough coatings used on new equipment and for the repair of damaged hydro turbine components.

• Coatings for Kaplan turbines: partial or entire Kaplan blades have been sprayed with Oerlikon Metco’s tungsten carbide cobalt chromium materials using the high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) spray process resulting in very dense, abrasion and erosion resistant coatings. Read more
• Coatings for Francis turbines: components of Frances turbines such as cheek plates, guide vanes, turbine covers and runner wheels are also coated with Sulzer’s tungsten carbide cobalt chromium materials using the high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) spray process, resulting in very dense, abrasion and erosion resistant coatings. Read more
• Coatings for Pelton turbines: components of Pelton turbines face hydro abrasion, fluid erosion, erosive, abrasive and sliding wear. To protect surfaces against these impacts we offer tungsten carbide cobalt chromium, chromium oxides and iron and copper based wire material. Read more

Coatings for wind power systems

Thermally sprayed active metallic coatings and heat treatment by means of nitriding processes lower maintenance costs on components of onshore and offshore operated wind power systems. Oerlikon Metco coating solutions are used on many components of wind power systems to protect surfaces against corrosion and wear. Read more

Some selected examples are described below:

• Coatings for transmission gears: wear and fatigue of transmission gear components cause failures that usually result in long downtimes. Our heat treatment process refines conventional steels into high performance materials, meaning that cheaper tempered steels can be used in place of stainless steel. Read more
• Coatings for wind turbine towers: wind turbine towers are thermal spray coated completely on the inside and outside with Metco zinc aluminum or zinc wire materials. For onshore towers the lower part on the inside and the connection flanges are thermal spray coated. Read more
• Coatings for wind turbine tower flanges: corrosion between flange surfaces can expand and cause undesirable flex in the tower, threatening the static strength of the tower and could cause it to collapse. The flanges are well-protected against corrosion with the Metco zinc aluminum or zinc wire materials. Read more
• Coatings for foundation plates: the foundation plate is exposed to soil and environmental humidity and extremely prone to corrosive attack. For this reason, our effective corrosion protection with Metco zinc aluminum and zinc is needed