CMC Combustor on the path to 3100oF

The goal of the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, commercial aviation and industrial power generators to develop gas turbines capable of reliable operation at turbine inlet temperatures up to 3100oF have a driving need to extend the performance of SiC CMCs and related Ceramic CMCs to resist degradation to both moisture laded combustion and external sand/dust ingestion. Technology Assessment and Transfer (TA&T) in conjunction with GE Aviation proposes a comprehensive approach to demonstrate that a graded SiC-HfC multilayer matrix CMC combustor sample densified by TA&T’s rapid GP-RTG CVI process and coated with TA&T’s Yb Hafnia multilayer T-EBC provides excellent protection capabilities at 1482oC (2700oF. CMC matrix densification profiles and times will be monitored with SEM. Post test weight change, cracking, recession of Yb hafnia T-EBC SiC-HfC CMC and GE’s MI SiC CMC samples after 2800oF humidity tests will be compared. Follow on CMC densification and coating of curved SiC performs provided by GE will be tested for a minimum of 20 two hour thermal cycles in a combustion flame environment of 1482oC (2700oF). XRD, SEM and EDS characterization of the CMCs and T-EBC CMC compositions and microstructures will be used throughout to provide insights that can be used for subsequent improvements that will enable scale-up to combustor size elements and real environmental testing in Phase 2