ENERGY


Micro turbines Shiſting focus to the small-scale, micro gas turbines are used to optimise the combustion of fuels, and the geometry of such devices must be optimised to raise combustion efficiencies and reduce exhaust gas emissions. Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology – or 3D printing as it is more commonly known – has helped to optimise the process. An EOS M 290 metal AM


system was modified by German company Euro-K to aid the design process. Te scale of the machine’s interior had to be enlarged to accommodate the 800mm burner. Te result is a new burner that


can use gaseous and liquid fuels equally effectively, with an optimised geometry that also allows the use of liquid fuel oils such as those distilled with alcohol, and which are classified as difficult to burn. Another positive effect is that the burner’s innovative design allows the size of the combustion chamber to be reduced by 20 per cent. Cleaning turbines, along with


drilling holes in their blades, represent two other application areas for lasers. Fibre lasers are used extensively in industrial cleaning processes, such as cleaning prior to weld preparation, as well as the simultaneous removal of surface debris, contaminants and corrosion from turbines. Compared to chemical cleaning,


fibre laser cleaning offers superior productivity and reduces the quantities of hazardous waste chemicals. Te EU REACH


A variety of dissimilar metal welds, important for making batteries


directives progressively seek to reduce the quantities of hazardous chemical waste. Consequently, industry is discovering that high power fibre lasers provide the most eco-friendly alternative – fibre lasers have reached 50 per cent wall-plug efficiency. Mark Tompson, UK director of sales and service at IPG Photonics, which makes fibre lasers for such a process, said: ‘Our high power fibre lasers dramatically reduce the use of chemicals in the cleaning process. Controlling the focused light from a fibre laser is simple to automate. Multiple types of contamination are readily vaporised, leaving a metallic surface prepared for bonding or finishing applications.’


lasers dramatically reduce the use of chemicals for cleaning [turbines]


High power fibre Fibre lasers are also used to drill


holes in turbine blades. Te blades are running at temperatures higher than the melting point of the material, so they are usually clad with a ceramic-based coating. Drilling into the blades typically involves using a nanometre pulsed laser to remove the barrier coating before another laser drills the holes. Mark Greenwood, chief technical officer at SPI Lasers, said: ‘Tat represents quite a big business area, because it allows the


end user to work at higher temperatures and this improves efficiencies, which is a big part of the ongoing engine development process.’ Drilling throughput


improvements have been demonstrated by the use of an active fibre laser. Tompson said: ‘Drill hole quality of a fibre laser has been matched with older laser technologies but at very much slower drill hole rates. Our [IPG] QCW fibre lasers maintain hole quality and precision, while operating at ultra high speed to yield the most economic productivity.’


Nuclear decommissioning Past energy behemoths also need the help of the laser industry. More than 20 nuclear sites in the UK will need to be decommissioned by 2030 and this has prompted engineers to find novel techniques to help such sites safely end their working lives. Fibre laser technology provides


Prototypes developed during the LaserSnake project led by TWI and OC Robotics 24 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE ISSUE 30 • SPRING 2016


significant benefits to the decommissioning process compared with conventional techniques. Tese advantages include: fast cutting of metallic


@lasersystemsmag | www.lasersystemseurope.com


TWI-Global


SPI Lasers


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