Processing of gas turbine engine blades with intense pulsed electron beams

The objective of the present research is the analysis of test results, dedicated to the effect of electron beam irradiation conditions upon the fatigue strength, oxidation resistance, erosion resistance, and salt corrosion resistance of metallic materials. The shaped specimens, simulating the gas turbine engine blade operation and directly the blades, produced of titanium and nickel alloys as well as refractory steels by machining method are used as the study objects. The irradiation of targets by the intense pulsed electron beam was realized by means of GESA-1 and GESA-2 accelerators. The test results showed that the endurance limit, oxidation, erosion and salt corrosion resistances of samples and blades subjected to the electron beam irradiation with the post-process vacuum annealing at the optimum conditions, could be increased by 10-40 %, 200-300 %, 200-250 %, and 600-900 % correspondingly depending on the alloy type. Due to irradiation with high energy density in a pulse, the surface layer of operated blades with oxidized resistant coatings can be ablated. The usage of intense pulsed electron beams allowed one to achieve high values of the ablation rate (up to 4-7 μm per a pulse) and to carry out the repair of aircraft engine blades.