Fabrication of Extreme Environment Materials for Large Parts Using Additive Manufacturing Methods

Development of extreme environment materials (EEM) and related advanced manufacturing processes for system components that can withstand the typically harsh environments while also achieving sought-after performance is critical. Additive manufacturing (AM) is of great interest for the production of fossil energy-based system components due to its ability to allow flexibility of design, production of complex parts, lower cost and decreased lead times etc. However, the ability of AM to produce dimensionally large parts from EEM, such as gas turbine components by nickel-based superalloys, is lacking and more R&D is needed to realize the full potential of AM as a viable alternative to traditional manufacturing processes. In this proposal, HiFunda/UConn will use selective laser melting (SLM), a powder bed system, to explore the additive manufacturing processes that are suitable for nickel-based superalloys for making gas turbine large components. This will include AM process development and optimization of a higher temperature nickel-base superalloy. We will also demonstrate the concept that using a modified laser X-Y scanner system, the SLM system can overcome the current size limitation and allow the fabrication of large gas turbine components. The principle barriers to full realization of the AM commercialization target are identified as cost, quality, range of materials, and size limitations. The current proposal is targeted to reduce the AM component size limitations and to improve the component quality for the manufacturing of large gas turbine components with new alloys. Wide spread acceptance of AM in gas turbine and other industries necessarily implies that manufactures can be profitable.