Manufacturing of CMC Combustor Liners for Gas Turbine Generators

In official projections by General Electric, it was predicted that the use of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) could dramatically improve the thermodynamic efficiency of gas turbine generators, saving 300 billion BTU a year in natural gas (a $1.3 billion dollars savings for utility customers). However, current CMC systems do not meet the long cycle life requirements (greater than100,000 hours) of stationary gas turbine engines. This project will develop a manufacturing process for yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) CMC combustion liners for the stationary gas turbines used in electricity production. The approach will apply recent advances in UV, cross-linkable, preceramic polymer chemistry to the fabrication of high yield YAG, forming preceramic polymers for YAG structural ceramic fibers and matrices. In Phase I, preceramic polymers to yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) ceramic fibers will be developed. The YAG ceramic fibers will be produced on a bench level scale, characterized, and mechanically tested. Prototype YAG/YAG combustion liners will be fabricated and tested by the end of Phase II,.Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: The stationary gas turbine market for electrical utility power generation ¿ as well as for mid-sized gas turbine generators for industrial plants, hospitals, and other facilities ¿ is in excess of $5 billion per year. Preliminary and conservative projections indicate a market for the CMC liners in excess of $350 million per year.