The Ceramic Stationary Gas Turbine (CSGT) Program has utilized the SPSLIFE computer code to evaluate the preliminary design of ceramic components. The CSGT program is being performed under the sponsorship of the United States Department of Energy, Office of Industrial Technology, to improve the performance of stationary gas turbines in cogeneration through the selective replacement of hot section components with ceramic parts. Preliminary design evaluation and life assessment results are presented here for the following components: (1) Stage 1 Turbine Blade, (2) Stage 1 Turbine Nozzle, and (3) Combustor Inner Liner. From the results of the analysis, recommendations are made for improving the life and reliability of the components. All designs were developed in Phase I (preliminary design) of the CSGT program and will be optimized in Phase II (detail design) of the program.

The Ceramic Stationary Gas Turbine (CSGT) Program is evaluating the potential of using monolithic and composite ceramics in the hot section of industrial gas turbines. Solar Turbine’s Centaur 50 engine is being used as the test bed for ceramic components. The first stage blade, first stage nozzle and the combustor have been selected to develop designs with retrofit potential, which will result in improved performance and lowered emissions. As part of this DOE sponsored initiative a design and life prediction database under relevant conditions is being generated. This paper covers experiments conducted to date on the evaluation of monolithic silicon based ceramics. Mechanical property characterizations have included dynamic fatigue testing of tensile as well as flexural specimens at the temperatures representative of the blade root, the blade airfoil and the nozzle airfoil. Data from subcomponent testing of blade attachment concepts are also included.

In a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Solar Turbines Incorporated is currently investigating the use of ceramics in industrial gas turbines by selectively replacing cooled metallic components with uncooled ceramic parts. As part of this program, Solar has developed CFCC (SiC/SiC) combustor liners and demonstrated their potential for low emissions in three field-engine tests for a total duration of over 3000 hours. The durability of the SiC/SiC liners appears to be primarily limited by surface recession, composite embrittlement and fiber degradation (particularly for CG-Nicalon). The microstructural, mechanical properties, and nondestructive evaluation of the CFCC liners after the three field tests are discussed in this paper.