IJREAS Volume 2, Issue 2 (February 2012) ISSN: 2249-3905 International Journal of Research in Engineering & Applied Sciences 966 http://www.euroasiapub.org APPLICATION OF FUNCTIONALLY GRADED MATERIALS AS THERMAL INSULATOR IN HIGH TEMPERATURE ENGINEERING COMPONENTS Debasish Das* A. K. Saini* M. K. Pathak* Sachin Kumar** ABSTRACT The future predicted scenario of energy crisis is emphasizing today on the development in the area of energy saving, particularly in the high temperature engineering components such as gas turbines and Internal Combustion engines. Higher the operating temperature more is the efficiency of the system. However, increase in the operating temperature strictly affects the longevity of material. Use of certain ceramic layers as thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) over such high temperature components sufficiently reduces the heat penetration into the substrate and hence increases the efficiency and performance of the system. Further, high temperature stability is one of the key issues in this regard, which restricts the use of as such coating of ceramic layers and necessitates the use of some functionally graded materials (FGMs). This paper presents the need, status and effects of coatings of such functionally graded materials in improving performance of gas turbine systems and diesel engines. Certain coating techniques suitable in this context have also been discussed. Keywords: Diesel engine, Gas turbine, Thermal barrier coating, Functionally graded material, Partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ), Plasma spray technique. *Department of Mechanical Engineering, N.I.T. Hamirpur, H.P. **Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, N.I.T. Hamirpur, H.P.