Materials and Component Development for Advanced Turbine Systems

Abstract

Future hydrogen-fired or oxy-fuel turbines will likely experience an enormous level of thermal and mechanical loading, as turbine inlet temperatures (TIT) approach 1425–1760°C with pressures of 300–625 psig, respectively. Maintaining the structural integrity of future turbine components under these extreme conditions will require durable thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), high temperature creep resistant metal substrates, and effective cooling techniques. While advances in substrate materials have been limited for the past decades, thermal protection of turbine airfoils in future hydrogen-fired and oxy-fuel turbines will rely primarily on collective advances in TBCs and aerothermal cooling. To support the advanced turbine technology development, the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) at the Office of Research and Development (ORD) has initiated a research project effort in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh (UPitt), and West Virginia University (WVU), working in conjunction with commercial material and coating suppliers, to develop advanced materials, aerothermal configurations, as well as non-destructive evaluation techniques for use in advanced land-based gas turbine applications. This paper reviews technical accomplishments recently achieved in each of these areas.