Directly cooled thermal barrier coating system

Abstract

An actively cooled TBC bond coat wherein active convection cooling is provided through micro channels inside or adjacent to a bond coat layer applied to a substrate. The micro channels communicate directly with at least one cooling fluid supply contained within a turbine engine component, thereby providing direct and efficient cooling for the bond coat layer. Because the substrate is covered with an actively cooled bond coat layer, it will reduce the cooling requirement for the substrate, thus allowing the engine to run at higher operating temperature without the need for additional cooling air, achieving a better engine performance. In one form, the component includes a substrate having at least one substrate channel with a first and second end. At least one micro channel is in fluid communication with a plenum which in turn is in fluid communication with at least one substrate channel through an exit orifice in the substrate channel which is at a first end of the substrate channel. A second end of the substrate channel is in communication with a cooling fluid supply, for example, cooling circuits contained within the turbine engine component. The micro channel is located between the substrate surface and the outer gas flow path surface of the component.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.