Abstract:

High temperature structural materials are the backbone of turbine engines that are powering highly efficient ground-based power turbines or light-weight, highly durable aeronautical jet engines. In order to achieve the current state-of-the art in Brayton cycle and propulsive efficiency, many challenges have had to be overcome during the last 60 years. As we look to the future, it is clear that the top-level challenges for materials are increasing, driven by ever more stringent requirements from the design community; less tolerance for long, drawn-out development programs; and need for concomitant advances in materials processes and in the supporting industrial base. This presentation highlights the leading edge opportunities for materials in gas turbines, and the challenges that these present to materials developers. The presentation concludes with a new systems engineering development paradigm that emphasizes creativity, reduced development cycle time, and concurrency of manufacturing development that is necessary to successfully meet new challenges.