Corrosion LIfing Methods And TEsting (CLIMATE)

The CLIMATE programmes main objective is to assess the risks involved in upgrading Waspalloy discs to 720Li discs for power generation application under corrosive environments. The principal mechanism influencing component integrity at these harsher loading conditions will be high temperature corrosion-fatigue.

To achieve this, the project will investigate conditions for corrosion on Industrial gas turbine firtrees, It will then develop rigs where such conditions can be replicated and test for corrosion fatigue, crack propagation and corrosion sub element tests, which will enable the development of component-life models. The project will then validate the models for predicting component crack initiation lives and crack growth rates under corrosion fatigue conditions.

The main benefits of this project are an increased fuel efficiency and power output and a set of test techniques and component-life models applicable to a wide range of existing and new materials.