The 300kW Industrial Ceramic Gas Turbine (CGT) Research and Development Project is going on as a part of New Sunshine project under the contract of Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). The objective of this project is to achieve higher efficiency and lower pollutant emissions for small sized gas turbine engines used in co-generation systems.
Under this project, Kyocera has been developing various ceramic components for the CGT302 engine designed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI). This engine has set a thermal efficiency of over 42% at a turbine inlet temperature (TIT) of 1350°C as a final target. For such operations, we have developed the new silicon nitride materials, SN281 and SN282, which have excellent stress rupture strength and superior oxidation resistance at elevated temperatures up to 1500°C.
We have also developed improved fabrication technologies for the use of SN281 and SN282 as engine components. In 1997 fiscal year, all ceramic components for the CGT302 were successfully fabricated by using these new materials. Especially, the large sized monolithic power turbine (PT) rotor, which has a 192mm outer diameter, was manufactured by SN282, and exhibited fracture rotating speeds greater than 120% of the design rotating speed in cold spin tests.
This paper discusses the mechanical properties of these new materials and the results of ceramic components evaluated under engine test conditions.
