Advanced ceramic matrix composites for energy generating gas turbine applications

Lead Research Organisation: Swansea University
Department Name: College of Engineering

Abstract

The project will develop a high temperature oxide/oxide ceramic matrix composite (CMC) for use in power generating gas turbine applications beyond 2015. This will provide a step change in temperature capability enabling higher operating temperatures, improving engine efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions. To achieve these objectives development and understanding of a CMC manufactured by a novel processing route is proposed. The programme will generate a fundamental understanding of the material, its failure/degradation mechanisms, optimised manufacturing process, NDE lifing and repair issues. The academic partners will provide the CMC technology and the materials understanding. Industry will develop the NDE, lifing technologies, scale the process up to pilot plant level and provide the exploitation route.
 
Description Our fundamental understanding of the deformation and failure mechanisms controlling the mechanical behaviour of oxide-oxide ceramic systems was improved. The mechanical performance of these materials under monotonic loading, creep and fatigue regimes has been quantified at room and elevated temperatures up to 1150 degrees centigrade.

Significant advances into post process inspection by employing a range of non destructive test techniques and associated image analysis have been demonstrated. Computed tomography has been identified as the most reliable technique for identifying distributed and continuous forms of porosity. However, significant advances can also be demonstrated in the employment of acoustic emission and digital image correlation to detect and monitor damage in CMC systems.
Exploitation Route Oxide-oxide systems are seen as a lower cost / lower temperature ceramic matrix composite system offering future potential for selected aero-engine applications. Currently, they are under consideration for the replacement of titanium based components in compressor regions where an improved temperature capability could be employed whilst not sacrificing on the weight advantages of titanium. Ultimately, specific turbine applications could be considered to replace nickel parts with significant benefits for weight. Ongoing consideration of oxide-oxide CMCs is directed within Rolls-Royce by the global strategy team led by Dr Jay Lane based at RRC, Indianapolis, USA. Aspects of the Swansea research under the current project will be key to understanding the ability to "engineer" with these CMC systems, e.g. the ability to predict performance and service life in full scale components through laboratory assessments of "sub-element" testpiece designs, the role of stress concentration features that may be included as part of mechanical fixturing or cooling features, the temperature window of application and crucially, the ability to inspect these materials for post processing artifacts.
Sectors Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Energy,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology
 
Description A key aspect of this project was to to scale up the CMC manufacturing process from the laboratory scale to production. Detailed materials characterisation performed at Swansea was fed back to Advanced Composites Group (Cytec) based in Heanor, Derbyshire as part of their continued process optimisation. In particular, lessons were learnt with respect of tooling for the processing of three dimensional components containing relatively sharp bends and the fibre reinforcement of U shaped attachment features. These aspects of material production are critical to the future economic viabilty and associated structural integrity of these CMCs. Collaborating centres of expertise in the UK, namely the National Composites Centre, continue to work alongside Rolls-Royce to develop a manufacturing route for oxide-oxide CMCs for mid range temperature applications. Their involvement in various Innovate UK funded projects has raised a requirement for mechanical property testing in the near future and discussions have been initiated with Swansea UTC to contribute to this research effort. Additional research at Swansea UTC on silicon carbide based CMC systems has extended our expertise in mechanical testing of these advanced materials, in particular supporting the development of various monitoring techniques for the detection of damage and subsequent damage progression. These techniques can now be transferred to other CMC systems such as oxide-oxide, making Swansea UTC a "centre of excellence" in this field of study. Invitations have been extended to Swansea staff since 2017 to contribute to the organisation of focused sessions on ceramic research at the annual ASME International Gas Turbine Institute meetings in the US and Europe.
First Year Of Impact 2010
Sector Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Energy,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology
Impact Types Societal,Economic
 
Description A mechanical assessment of oxide-oxide ceramic matrix composites (EngD project support, D. DiSalvo)
Amount £40,000 (GBP)
Funding ID Private Venture (EngD project) 
Organisation Rolls Royce Group Plc 
Sector Private
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2009 
End 09/2013
 
Description ATI CEMTEC
Amount £750,000 (GBP)
Funding ID 113160 
Organisation Innovate UK 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2018 
End 02/2021
 
Description ATI SILOET II WP19
Amount £930,000 (GBP)
Funding ID 113017 
Organisation Innovate UK 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2014 
End 06/2016
 
Description CEMTEC PV
Amount £120,000 (GBP)
Organisation Rolls Royce Group Plc 
Sector Private
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2018 
End 02/2019
 
Description Deformation and damage in ceramic matrix composites (PhD support, C. Newton)
Amount £30,000 (GBP)
Funding ID Private Venture (PhD project) 
Organisation Rolls Royce Group Plc 
Sector Private
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2013 
End 09/2016
 
Description Mechanical Properties of CMCs
Amount £30,000 (GBP)
Organisation Rolls Royce Group Plc 
Sector Private
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2017 
End 12/2017
 
Description Mechanical characterisation of low cost ceramic matrix composites
Amount £20,000 (GBP)
Funding ID private venture consultancy 
Organisation Rolls Royce Group Plc 
Sector Private
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2009 
End 12/2010
 
Description Advanced Composites Group (Cytec) 
Organisation Advanced Composites Group
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Swansea University offered advice to ACG for the manufacture of oxide-oxide panels and sub-element components for subsequent mechanical testing in our laboratories to ensure compatibility with test jigs and conformance to International test standards.
Collaborator Contribution ACG processed and supplied novel materials and sub elements for testing at Swansea.
Impact Joint authored papers between Swansea and ACG were published in International journals and conference procedures.
Start Year 2009
 
Description CMC systems - Rolls-Royce technology transfer 
Organisation Rolls Royce Group Plc
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Swansea University performed a wide ranging matrix of standard and novel mechanical tests on CMC specimens and sub-element featured. In addition to the generation of key lifing data, a comprehensive review of available non destructive testing techniques was conducted for the inspection of as process CMC panels as well as the fractography of tested coupons.
Collaborator Contribution Rolls-Royce personnel attended regular project management and technical review meetings and took a leading role in the design of sub-element and full scale components for subsequent mechanical characterisation. Additional funding was provided to support an EngD student dedicated to understanding the accumulation of damage leading to failure in oxide-oxide CMC materials.
Impact As a result of the current research project and ongoing collaboration research into oxide-oxide, SiC-SiC and low cost CMC systems, Rolls-Royce have developed a global strategy for the introduction of CMC components into civil gas turbines.
Start Year 2008
 
Description EPSRC Rolls-Royce Prosperity Partnership 
Organisation Rolls Royce Group Plc
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution A submission to Call 3 of the EPSRC Prosperity Partnership scheme has been led by Prof Martin Bache from Swansea University (award decision pending)
Collaborator Contribution In collaboration with Rolls-Royce, Swansea, Cambridge and Birmingham Universities are seeking £8m of support from EPSRC. However, regardless of the outcome, Rolls-Royce are committed to sponsor research to a total value of £5.2m over the the period 2019-24 amongst the three Materials UTC Partner institutions. This would constitute an extension to the existing EPSRC Strategic Partnership in Structural Metals for Gas Turbines.
Impact A full schedule of milestones and deliverables has been defined for the period 2019-24.
Start Year 2019
 
Company Name Swansea Materials Research & Testing Ltd 
Description Mechanical testing laboratory incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Swansea University in order to commercialise research conducted within the Institute of Structural Materials. 
Year Established 2009 
Impact SMaRT has been used as an exemplar of knowledge transfer between academia and industry by Swansea University and forms a key project on the new Science and Innovation Bay Campus. SMaRT was instrumental in securing development funds for the SAIBC from Welsh Government and the European Community Bank. SMaRT is one of three major strategic suppliers to Rolls-Royce (Global) for the provision of mechanical testing services. SMaRT was identified as the sole exemplar for Wales in the most recent EPSRC Industrial Impact report (2017).
Website http://www.smart-swansea.com
 
Description Inter-European Conference on Ceramics (CIEC, various locations) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact European conference held every two years, hosted in turn by one of the so called motors of European economic development, focussed on advanced functional and structural ceramics. Draws an audience approaching 100 delegates, mainly from academia and in particular encourages attendance and participation from young researchers (postgraduate and post doctoral). Prof Bache has acted as an invited member of the CIEC Organising Committee for 10 years and co-hosted the event in Swansea in 2006. Papers submitted to this conference are published in a volume of technical proceedings.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity Pre-2006,2006,2008,2010,2012,2014,2016
URL http://ciec15.sciencesconf.org/
 
Description Plenary Presentation to the European Inter-Regional Conference on Ceramics (CIEC 16), Turin, 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Presented to approximately 125 delegates from key research teams across Europe in the field of ceramics research. Paper focused on the development of novel test techniques for the structural assessment of ceramics. Led to an invitation to submit a paper to the online journal "Ceramics", Ed. Prof Gilbert Fantozzi, European Ceramics Society.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Session Organiser to the ASME International Gas Turbine Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 2019 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Invited as a member of the organising committee for the ceramics sessions of the ASME IGTI conference scheduled for June in Phoenix, AZ. Acted as co-editor and review organiser. Future involvement likely during the next ASME GT event scheduled for June 2020 in London, UK.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019