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Penn State Gets $4.5M for Turbine Efficiency Testing

March 29, 2023 by Shannon Cuthrell

The Department of Energy extends new funding to Pennsylvania State for research to boost turbine efficiency for electricity generation and aviation.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $4.5 million in funding to Pennsylvania State University for research on improving the performance and efficiency of turbines for power generation and aviation applications. 

The funding—provided through the DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management and National Energy Technology Laboratory—will be used to expand Penn State’s Steady Thermal Aero Research Turbine (START) laboratory, which simulates gas turbine operating conditions, alongside its National Experimental Turbine (NExT) testing platform. The funding will add new compressors to provide higher flow and pressure capabilities than the facility’s current infrastructure.

After the DOE’s announcement in early March, Penn State followed up with a separate news release noting that the expansion represents a $26 million commitment from the DOE, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the lab’s key industry partner: Connecticut-based aircraft manufacturer and Raytheon subsidiary Pratt & Whitney. A $1.1 million grant from the FAA kicks off a five-year effort to develop a two-stage turbine rig, dubbed “START+.” Meanwhile, the DOE’s latest grant will add new air compressors to boost START’s overall capabilities. 

According to the DOE’s press release, the researchers plan to increase turbine efficiency with ceramic matrix composites and other advanced materials that enable turbines to keep spinning at higher temperatures. They’ll also use simulation tools to measure combustor efficiency on natural gas, hydrogen and blends, and other fuels. 

Overall, the research supports the federal government’s push to validate and deploy sustainable aviation fuels and hydrogen power sources, targeting net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 

 

Penn State’s START and NExT Facilities

Founded in 2012 as an extension of Penn State’s mechanical engineering department, the START turbine test facility was built to operate in a range mirroring a modern turbine. It features two large compressors that split the flow into a main gas path for the turbine and secondary cooling airflow. 

As part of the START expansion, four new compressors will be added to the existing pair to increase the flow and pressures and simulate combustor profiles from different fuels, including hydrogen or ammonia varieties and lower aromatic content sustainable aviation fuels. 

START’s main gas path is operational at 450 degrees Fahrenheit (F), but the system is designed to run as high as 750 F. It also includes a dynamometer water brake to absorb the turbine’s energy production and continue at a constant rotation. 

 

Photos of Penn State’s START system: The left image shows the flow path facing the one-stage test section, which is displayed in more detail on the right, along with the instrumentation. Images used courtesy of Pennsylvania State University

 

The DOE funding will also advance research on Penn State’s National Experimental Turbine (NExT) rig, the university’s industry-facing test bed for innovative cooling designs and secondary seals. The START lab was awarded $6 million from the DOE in 2019 to develop the rig to modernize domestic energy infrastructure. 

In addition to Pratt & Whitney, other private companies such as North Carolina-based conglomerate Honeywell, German industrial giant Siemens, and Caterpillar subsidiary Solar Turbines use the NExT rig to test new designs. Most of the funding for NExT came from the DOE, but the participating companies contributed 20% of the cost-sharing.

 

START Lab’s test infrastructure and NExT test section design envelope. Image used courtesy of Pennsylvania State University
 

More Turbine Research From Penn State

The new funding comes as the FAA and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have been collaborating with the START lab to improve turbine technologies for the ongoing transition to renewable energy sources

Penn State is working with NASA’s University Leadership Initiative to optimize gas turbine design for hybrid electric propulsion, aiming to match the efficiencies of large cores and reduce consumption by 8-12% over flights. Separately, it’s working with the FAA on ASCENT Project 56, focusing on optimized cooling designs for turbine airfoils.