Abstract

During the last two decades, suspension plasma spray (SPS) coating methodology has drawn attention by showing a capacity to achieve a broad range of coating characteristics. Enormous efforts have been made to find the influential parameters on the SPS coating microstructure. However, due to the high computational costs and the complexity of the process, most of the studies have an experimental foundation. Regarding the high expenses of empirical investigations and time-consuming processes involved, such as setting up, sample preparation, etc., a simulation tool giving an approximation of the final coating properties is essential more than ever. A Simulation tool can provide also complementary information that help us better understand the coating microstructures obtained experimentally.
This study aims to provide a tool to simulate SPS coatings build-up by applying both computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and an in-house developed model in MATLAB. The model can be used generally for SPS coating build-up simulations and is not limited to the studied problem. The framework was formed around a previously developed model with significant enhancements regarding the accuracy and computational cost.
Two different approaches were followed in modeling particle deposition, considering the particle flattening process or deposition as a non-deformed particle. Results from both models offer promising trends capturing various coating microstructures already reported in the literature and predicting the effects of substrate geometry on the coating evolution. However, the porosity level and deposition rate are overestimated due to the assumptions made and the lack of data regarding the deposition efficiency based on the particle characteristics, respectively.