The growth stress induced by thermally grown oxide (TGO) is one of the main reasons for the failure of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). In this study, the failure behavior of TBCs was examined based on different growth modes of TGO. A TBC thermo-mechanical model with a simplified sinusoidal interface morphology was established by the secondary development of a numerical simulation. The plasticity and creep behavior of materials were considered. Based on the subroutine development, the non-uniform growth of the TGO layer was realized. Cohesive elements were also applied to the TC/TGO interface. The stress distribution and evolution at the TC/TGO interface were investigated. Then, the cracking behavior near the interface was studied. The results show that lateral growth causes the off-valley site to replace the previous off-peak site as a vulnerable site. The non-uniform growth accelerates damage in the off-valley site, which leads to a change in the failure behavior. These results will provide significant guidance for understanding the TBC failure and the development of advanced TBCs.

Friction dampers are widely employed to reduce blade resonance vibration amplitude in turbomachinery. In this paper, a study was performed on the forced response of two blades with dual friction dampers. Numerical simulation and experimental testing were conducted. Firstly, the dynamics of the blade and dual friction damper system assembly are modeled. A nonlinear code based on the multi-harmonic balance method was developed to calculate the resonance response. In this analysis, both the blade and the damper are modeled with the finite element and the matrices reduced with the component mode synthesis method, while the contact forces are modeled with a one-dimensional variable normal load array element. Secondly, a test rig made of two blades and dual friction dampers, the material of which was steel, was established to measure the nonlinear frequency response function curves of the blade system. The results indicate that when a dual friction damper is applied, superior vibration reduction characteristics are demonstrated, with the system exhibiting an average 21% reduction in the response amplitude levels and an increase of 3% in the frequency shifting range compared to a single damper. Dampers positioned at relatively higher locations contribute significantly to the vibration reduction process. In the end, the numerical predictions match very well with the experimental ones.

One test rig comprising two blades and dual under-platform dampers (UPDs) was built to enhance the understanding of the dynamic response behavior of blades with dual UPDs. A turnbuckle was applied to enable the smooth and uninterrupted linear adjustment of the normal load on the dual UPDs. Non-contact vibration-response measurements were achieved through eddy-current displacement sensors. Contact excitation was employed using an electromagnetic exciter to determine the magnitude of the excitation load, which was measured using a force sensor mounted on the excitation rod. A feedback system was established to maintain a constant magnitude of the excitation force throughout the excitation process. The chosen experimental variables include the normal load, the amplitude of the excitation force, the effective contact area, and the position of the damper action. The frequency response function of the blade under various experimental parameters was obtained through frequency sweeping under sinusoidal excitation. The influence of each parameter on the dynamic characteristics of blades was studied. The results demonstrate that the double-layer damping system offers distinct advantages over its single-layer counterpart. The upper damping has a wider frequency-adjustment range and a lower resonance amplitude and takes a larger share of the damping efficiency.

Under service conditions, apart from the harsh temperature environment, mechanical loading also seriously affects the life of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). A comprehensive understanding of the combined effects of thermo-mechanical loads can help to further reveal the failure mechanism of TBCs. In this work, a portion of a thin-walled circular pipe is intercepted for numerical analysis, and the interface is simplified as a sinusoidal curve. The dynamic growth of thermally grown oxide (TGO) is included into the model. A cohesive model is used for interfacial cracking analysis. The results show that the effects of tensile and compressive loads on the normal stress of the coating are not significant, while the effect on the shear stress of the coating is more obvious. In addition, the in-phase load will delay the occurrence of interfacial failure behavior, while an out-of-phase load can promote the failure. These results will help to better understand the effects of the coupling of mechanical and temperature loads and to provide support and guidance for the design of new TBCs structures in the future.