“This enabled us to achieve better performance”

Researchers at the University of Virginia have made a major breakthrough in turbine engine technology. According to a recent article published in Tech Xplore, the team of scientists has developed a new protective coating that improves turbine efficiency.

Hotter engines are more efficient, according to UVA professor Elizabeth J. Opila, a principal investigator on the project. However, higher temperatures pose a danger to the turbines. When the turbines become hot, combustion produces reactive gases that can damage the turbines.

To combat this, the research team developed a protective coating that protects the turbines from heat damage while optimizing energy efficiency.

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To develop this protective coating, researchers used refractory metal alloys – a type of durable, heat-resistant material – combined with rare earth oxides such as yttrium, erbium and ytterbium. They then used computer simulations and machine learning to test different material combinations

“By combining multiple rare earth oxides, tailored properties to better protect the underlying substrate can be achieved with just a single layer,” says Kristyn Ardrey, Ph.D. Alumna of Opila’s lab and first author of the paper told Tech Xplore. “This allowed us to achieve better performance without the need for complex multi-layer coatings.”

In the energy industry, efficiency means using less fuel. And as fuel consumption decreases, operating costs also decrease, saving turbine users money.

Efficiency also means lower emissions and therefore a reduction in the total amount of pollutants released into the atmosphere.

Further testing is required in the future as the new coatings are among the first to contain multi-component rare earth oxides. The team’s findings, published in Scripta Materialia, continue to represent an important step in turbine energy technology.

“Reducing fuel consumption and emissions while improving engine performance is not only beneficial for industries such as energy and aviation,” Professor Opila told Tech Xplore. “It also means a cleaner environment and lower costs for everyday consumers.”

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