THE ROLE OF MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES AS ENABLERS IN GAS TURBINE COOLING FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE ENGINES

摘要

Gas turbines contribute a significant portion of the world's power demand, as well as the majority of aircraft propulsion needs. Today's complex cooled gas turbine components would not be possible without continuous advances in both materials and manufacturing science and technology. The turbine hot gas path is the most costly portion of the engine and as a consequence, improvements in materials and manufacturing, especially those that enable better cooling, carry a high return on investment. This summary identifies the elements in turbine cooling that can benefit from materials and manufacturing enabling technologies, as well as many of the emerging means for making these a reality.