Modeling of Temperature Swing Effect in Silica-Reinforced Porous Anodized Aluminum-Based Thermal Barrier Coating

This article presents a finite element (FE)-based model to simulate the temperature swing phenomenon of Silica-Reinforced Porous Anodized Aluminum (SiRPA) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). A realistic three-dimensional (3D) SiRPA coating microstructure is constructed based on the morphology of an experimentally grown coating structure, and the known relationship of geometry and anodization parameters. The coatings’ thermophysical properties are first computed using the FE model. The predicted thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and bulk density are compared well with the experimental values. Also transient thermal analysis is conducted to model the temperature swing effect of the coating by comparing the temperature fluctuation of SiRPA coating with conventional Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ)-based TBCs. With the predicted thermophysical properties, the model is capable to predict the “temperature swing” effect of SiRPA by transient thermal analysis. Temperature fluctuation of SiRPA is found greater compared to YSZ coating, suggesting its applicability in internal combustion engines (ICEs). The porosity-dependent thermal conductivity of SiRPA coating is numerically derived. The thermal conductivity decreases linearly with increasing total porosity. The modeling data illustrate that the SiRPA coating shows a higher fluctuation compared to YSZ-based TBCs, suggesting its applicability in ICEs.