ABSTRACT
The sustainable and economic development of a country relies predominantly on the energy sector. Out of various energy-intensive sectors, steam power plant is considered one of the major sources of energy consumption. Turbine blades are an important segment of energy transformation and power generation in thermal power plants. The blades are made to rotate by the impingement of high impact velocity of a steam jet. These blades are subjected to cyclic loading and furthermore, both centrifugal and bending stresses are induced at the leading and trailing edge of the turbine blade section. Regardless of the blade failure mechanisms like corrosion, fatigue, wear, creep deformation, pitting and vibration, water droplet erosion adversely affects the overall performance of thermal power plants. The working condition (high pressure, temperature and contact stresses) and rough operating environment of turbine blades have shifted to the use of special characteristics of ultra-supercritical blade material. This chapter presents a brief overview of the performance parameters, various modes of turbine blade failure mechanisms and mitigation techniques employed especially in the field of surface coating. Turbine blade materials with special characteristics and various newly developed coating materials are also highlighted in this chapter.
