Development of a Laser Cladding Technology for Repairing First-Stage High-Pressure Turbine Blades in Gas Turbine Engines

A gas turbine engine is a technological system consisting of a compressor, a combustion chamber, and other modules. All these components are subjected to dynamic and cyclic loads, which lead to fatigue cracks and mechanical damage. The aim of this work is to repair the worn surfaces of a series of DR-59L high-pressure turbine blades by laser powder cladding. A number of technological parameters of laser cladding were tested to obtain a defect-free structure on the witness sample. The metal powder of the cobalt alloy Stellite 21 was used as a filler material. By modeling the process of restoring rotor blades, the operating mode of laser powder cladding was determined. No defects were detected during capillary control of the restored surfaces of the rotor blades. The results of the uniaxial tension test of the restored rotor blades showed increased tensile strength and elongation. With the use of laser powder cladding technology, it was possible to restore the worn surfaces of a series of rotor blades of the DR-59L high-pressure turbine, thereby increasing the life cycle of power plant products.