Hardide (LON:HDD), the developer and provider of advanced surface coating technology, has announced that the Company has been granted a patent by the UK Intellectual Property Office covering a water droplet erosion resistant coating for turbine blades and other components.
The patent relates to Hardide-coated blades and vanes of steam and gas turbines used for power generation, and to the blades and vanes used in the low temperature compressor part of an aircraft engine. The patent also covers Hardide-coated pump impellors, valves and other components that may be subject to cavitation erosion in a liquid.
The Company is now proceeding with an application for an international patent under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) system. This will cover multiple territories.
Philip Kirkham, CEO of Hardide plc, commented: “The grant of this new patent gives us further confidence and protection as we continue to make encouraging progress in our development work on steam and gas turbine blades in particular. We are working closely with EDF Energy and turbine manufacturers as we progress towards field testing following highly successful laboratory results. The degradation of turbine blades and vanes by water droplet erosion is a major problem throughout the industry. This wear mechanism seriously affects the efficiency of the turbine as well as premature replacement of the blades. The Hardide coating has been shown to significantly reduce these problems.
“This is significant for the Company as the coating of steam and gas turbine blades is a potentially large, medium to long term market for Hardide. Near term potential exists for the coating of smaller components vulnerable to water droplet erosion and cavitation.”
