STTR Phase I: EBC/TBC coating system for Si-based ceramic components for improved gas turbine performance and lifetimes

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。等离子技术公司和波士顿大学之间的小企业技术转移第一阶段项目将开发用于航空航天和发电燃气轮机的功能梯度热障/环境屏障涂层（TBC/EBC）系统。将陶瓷组件（如SiC/SiC复合材料）引入燃气轮机可提高其工作温度，从而提高效率并减少对环境的影响。然而，这些硅基陶瓷在热腐蚀气体、颗粒和水蒸气的存在下容易受到热腐蚀和衰退。该项目的创新包括在燃气轮机的SiC/SiC复合材料部件上开发集成的TBC/EBC系统，其中多功能莫来石基化学气相沉积EBC层可以防止衰退和热腐蚀，并通过功能梯度、致密和无裂纹来减少热应力。这种涂层也比目前使用的ebc薄得多，从而减轻了重量，这在航空航天应用中至关重要。随后，等离子喷涂具有工程裂纹微观结构的YSZ面漆将沉积在EBC层上，这将进一步提高操作温度和/或降低组件暴露的温度，从而提高燃气轮机组件的可持续性。这种创新的涂层系统将通过增加涂层寿命和减少翻新和维修的需要来降低成本。它还将通过提高效率和减少对全球气候产生不利影响的排放来节省燃料，从而提高环境的可持续性。该项目还将为材料科学与工程研究生提供在燃气轮机技术这一非常关键的领域具有商业相关研究经验的学生。受益的主要客户是太阳能涡轮机公司、通用电气、西门子和普惠公司。世界涡轮机产业大约是一个900亿美元的产业，而且这种发达的技术有很高的市场潜力。例如，预计到2012年，仅在美国，涡轮发动机的供应和需求就将达到100亿美元。只要成功地占据这个潜在市场的0.1%，就能转化成1000万美元的业务。因此，巨大的市场潜力为开发EBC涂层技术提供了理由，PTI将与行业合作伙伴密切合作，将该技术商业化。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project between Plasma Technology Incorporated and Boston University will develop a functionally graded thermal barrier/environmental barrier coating (TBC/EBC) system for aerospace and power generation gas turbines. Introducing ceramic components (such as SiC/SiC composites) into gas turbines increases their operating temperatures, leading to increased efficiency and reduced environmental impact. However, these silicon-based ceramics are susceptible to hot-corrosion and recession in the presence of hot corrosive gases, particulates, and water vapor. The innovation in this project involves developing an integrated TBC/EBC system on SiC/SiC composite components in gas turbines, where the multifunctional mullite-based chemically vapor deposited EBC layer prevents recession and hot-corrosion and reduces thermal stresses by being functionally graded, dense, and crack-free. This coating layer is also substantially thinner than EBCs currently being used, leading to weight savings, which is of critical importance in aerospace applications. Subsequently, a plasma sprayed YSZ topcoat with engineered crack microstructure will be deposited over the EBC layer which will further increase the operating temperature and/or reduce the temperatures the components are exposed to, thereby enhancing sustainability of the gas turbine components.This innovative coating system will reduce costs by increasing the coating lifetime and reducing the need for refurbishment and repair. It will also lead to fuel savings due to increased efficiency and reduce emissions that adversely affect the global climate, thereby increasing environmental sustainability. This project will also provide a Materials Science and Engineering graduate student with commercially relevant research experience in this very critical area of gas turbine technology. The major customers who will be benefited are Solar Turbines, GE, Siemens and Pratt & Whitney. The world turbine industry is roughly a $90 billion industry, and there is a high market potential for the developed technology. For example, the projected supply and demand for turbine engines alone in the United States is about $10 billion by year 2012. Successfully capturing just 0.1 % of this potential market translates into a $10 million business. Therefore, the large market potential provides justification for the development of EBC coating techniques and PTI will work closely with industry partners to commercialize the technology.