Hot Section Material Systems Testing and Development for Advanced Power Systems

72892S03-I Manufacturers of industrial gas turbines and military aero-engines are developing advanced turbine thermal barrier coatings. In order to confidently evaluate candidate coatings in both of these applications, an accurate representation of turbine engine pressures, temperatures, and air velocities will be required. This project will design a low-cost test rig that can be used to understand how trace contaminants in the syngas interact with advanced turbine blade materials and coatings. The rig will allow for the study of thermal and mechanical loads on test specimens, provide emissions measurements, and simulate actual engine conditions (with heat flux values of 5e5 to 8e5 Btu/hr/ft2/F). Phase I will develop a conceptual design of the test rig and assess its performance. The test chamber will be designed to test multiple specimens concurrently, with specimens loaded statically. The instrumentation required to monitor specimen temperature and identify coating spallation also will be investigated. In Phase II, the detailed design of the rig will be completed, and all facility requirements will be defined. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by awardee: The testing rig should enable versatile and accurate testing, in a very affordable and efficient manner, to support the development of thermal barrier coatings. Degradation processes that could be studied with this rig include deposition, erosion, and corrosion from heavy metals or particulates, or from such gaseous species as SOx, alkali compounds, or HCl.