Ceramic Stationary Gas Turbine Development Program — Design and Test of a Ceramic Turbine Blade

Abstract

The goal of the Ceramic Stationary Gas Turbine (CSGT) Development Program, under the sponsorship of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT), is to improve the performance (fuel efficiency, output power, and exhaust emissions) of stationary gas turbines in cogeneration through the selective replacement of hot section components with ceramic parts. This program, which is headed by Solar Turbines Incorporated and supported by various suppliers, and national research institutes, includes detailed engine and component design, procurement, and field testing. A major challenge in the successful introduction of ceramic parts into a gas turbine is the design of the interface between the ceramic parts and metallic hardware. A turbine blade, which incorporated a dovetail root, was designed with such considerations. A relatively thin compliant layer between the ceramic-metallic loading surface was considered for equalizing pressure face load distributions. Five monolithic siliocn nitride ceramic materials were considered: AS800 and GN10, AlliedSignal Ceramic Components; NT164, Norton Advanced Ceramics; SN281 and SN253, Kyocera Industrial Ceramics Corporation. The probability of survival using NASA/CARES for 30,000 hours of engine operation was calculated for each material. The blade frequencies, stresses, and temperatures were predicted. The influence of the dovetail angle was also analyzed to determine the most optimum configuration. Prior to engine installation all blades underwent extensive nondestructive evaluation and spin proof testing. This paper will review the design, life prediction, and testing of the first stage ceramic turbine blade for the Solar Turbines Centaur 5OS engine.