Advanced Environmental Barrier Coating Development for SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composite Turbine Vane Components
No abstract available
Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Jaskowiak, Martha H..
No abstract available
The goals of the NASA Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Project are to reduce the NO(x) emissions, fuel burn, and noise from turbine engines. In order to help meet these goals, commercially-produced ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components and environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) are being evaluated as parts and panels. The components include a CMC combustor liner, a CMC high pressure turbine vane, and a CMC exhaust nozzle as well as advanced EBCs that are tailored to the operating conditions of the CMC combustor and vane. The CMC combustor (w/EBC) could provide 2700 F temperature capability with less component cooling requirements to allow for more efficient combustion and reductions in NOx emissions. The CMC vane (w/EBC) will also have temperature capability up to 2700 F and allow for reduced fuel burn. The CMC mixer nozzle will offer reduced weight and improved mixing efficiency to provide reduced fuel burn. The main objectives are to evaluate the manufacturability of the complex-shaped components and to evaluate their performance under simulated engine operating conditions. Progress in CMC component fabrication, evaluation, and testing is presented in which the goal is to advance from the proof of concept validation (TRL 3) to a system/subsystem or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment (TRL 6).
No abstract available
In this innovation, light weight, high temperature, compact aerospace structures with increased design options are made possible by using self-assembling, flexible, pre-ceramic composite materials. These materials are comprised of either ceramic or carbon fiber performs, which are infiltrated with polymer precursors that convert to ceramics upon thermal exposure. The preform architecture can vary from chopped fibers formed into blankets or felt, to continuous fibers formed into a variety of 2D or 3D weaves or braids. The matrix material can also vary considerably. For demonstration purposes, a 2D carbon weave was infiltrated with a SiC polymer precursor. The green or unfired material is fabricated into its final shape while it is still pliable. It is then folded or rolled into a much more compact shape, which will occupy a smaller space. With this approach, the part remains as one continuous piece, rather than being fabricated as multiple sections, which would require numerous seals for eventual component use. The infiltrated preform can then be deployed in-situ. The component can be assembled into its final shape by taking advantage of the elasticity of the material, which permits the structure to unfold and spring into its final form under its own stored energy. The pre-ceramic composites are converted to ceramics and rigidized immediately after deployment. The final ceramic composite yields a high-temperature, high-strength material suitable for a variety of aerospace structures. The flexibility of the material, combined with its high-temperature structural capacity after rigidization, leads to a less complex component design with an increased temperature range. The collapsibility of these structures allows for larger components to be designed and used, and also offers the potential for increased vehicle performance. For the case of collapsible nozzle extensions, a larger nozzle, and thus a larger nozzle exit plane, is possible because interference with surrounding structures can be avoided in the collapsed state. The larger exit plane leads to an increase in expansion area ratio, which has the potential to increase thrust and overall rocket performance. In general, the use of advanced ceramic materials can lead to improved engine and vehicle performance. The ceramics can run hotter, so less cooling is required. Fuel to coolant ratios can be balanced more readily to reduce weight. Engine efficiency can also be increased with hotter combustion and exhaust temperatures. In addition, the ceramic composites themselves can reduce the component weight by as much as 50 percent, which can translate into greater payload for the vehicle
This invention is intended for use as a load-bearing device under cryogenic temperatures and/or abrasive conditions (i.e., during missions to the Moon). The innovation consists of small-diameter, ceramic fibers that are woven or braided into devices like ropes, belts, tracks, or cables. The fibers can be formed from a variety of ceramic materials like silicon carbide, carbon, aluminosilicate, or aluminum oxide. The fiber architecture of the weave or braid is determined by both the fiber properties and the mechanical requirements of the application. A variety of weave or braid architectures is possible for this application. Thickness of load-bearing devices can be achieved by using either a 3D woven structure, or a layered, 2D structure. For the prototype device, a belt approximately 0.10 in. (0.25 cm) thick, and 3.0 in. (7.6 cm) wide was formed by layering and stitching a 2D aluminosilicate fiber weave.
Ceramic composites and monolithics are widely recognized by NASA as enabling materials for a variety of aerospace applications. Compared to traditional materials, ceramic materials offer higher specific strength which can enable lighter weight vehicle and engine concepts, increased payloads, and increased operational margins. Additionally, the higher temperature capabilities of these materials allows for increased operating temperatures within the engine and on the vehicle surfaces which can lead to improved engine efficiency and vehicle performance. To meet the requirements of the next generation of both rocket and air-breathing engines, NASA is actively pursuing the development and maturation of a variety of ceramic materials. Anticipated applications for carbide, nitride and oxide-based ceramics will be presented. The current status of these materials and needs for future goals will be outlined. NASA also understands the importance of teaming with other government agencies and industry to optimize these materials and advance them to the level of maturation needed for eventual vehicle and engine demonstrations. A number of successful partnering efforts with NASA and industry will be highlighted.
NASA's Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) Program has successfully demonstrated cooled ceramic matrix composite (CMC) technology in a scramjet engine test. This demonstration represented the world s largest cooled nonmetallic matrix composite panel fabricated for a scramjet engine and the first cooled nonmetallic composite to be tested in a scramjet facility. Lightweight, high-temperature, actively cooled structures have been identified as a key technology for enabling reliable and low-cost space access. Tradeoff studies have shown this to be the case for a variety of launch platforms, including rockets and hypersonic cruise vehicles. Actively cooled carbon and CMC structures may meet high-performance goals at significantly lower weight, while improving safety by operating with a higher margin between the design temperature and material upper-use temperature. Studies have shown that using actively cooled CMCs can reduce the weight of the cooled flow-path component from 4.5 to 1.6 lb/sq ft and the weight of the propulsion system s cooled surface area by more than 50 percent. This weight savings enables advanced concepts, increased payload, and increased range. The ability of the cooled CMC flow-path components to operate over 1000 F hotter than the state-of-the-art metallic concept adds system design flexibility to space-access vehicle concepts. Other potential system-level benefits include smaller fuel pumps, lower part count, lower cost, and increased operating margin.
In a partnership between the NASA Glenn Research Center and Pratt & Whitney, a ceramic heat exchanger panel intended for use along the hot-flow-path walls of future reusable launch vehicles was designed, fabricated, and tested. These regeneratively cooled ceramic matrix composite (CMC) panels offer lighter weight, higher operating temperatures, and reduced coolant requirements in comparison to their more traditional metallic counterparts. A maintainable approach to the design was adopted which allowed the panel components to be assembled with high-temperature fasteners rather than by permanent bonding methods. With this approach, the CMC hot face sheet, the coolant containment system, and backside structure were all fabricated separately and could be replaced individually as the need occurred during use. This maintainable design leads to both ease of fabrication and reduced cost.
High temperature composite heat exchangers are an enabling technology for a number of aeropropulsion applications. They offer the potential for mass reductions of greater than fifty percent over traditional metallics designs and enable vehicle and engine designs. Since they offer the ability to operate at significantly higher operating temperatures, they facilitate operation at reduced coolant flows and make possible temporary uncooled operation in temperature regimes, such as experienced during vehicle reentry, where traditional heat exchangers require coolant flow. This reduction in coolant requirements can translate into enhanced range or system payload. A brief review of the approaches, challenges and test results are presented, along with a status of recent government-funded projects.
Regeneratively cooled ceramic matrix composite (CMC) structures are being considered for use along the walls of the hot-flow paths of rocket-based or turbine-based combined-cycle propulsion systems. They offer the combined benefits of substantial weight savings, higher operating temperatures, and reduced coolant requirements in comparison to components designed with traditional metals. These cooled structures, which use the fuel as the coolant, require materials that can survive aggressive thermal, mechanical, acoustic, and aerodynamic loads while acting as heat exchangers, which can improve the efficiency of the engine. A team effort between the NASA Glenn Research Center, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and various industrial partners has led to the design, development, and fabrication of several types of regeneratively cooled panels. The concepts for these panels range from ultra-lightweight designs that rely only on CMC tubes for coolant containment to more maintainable designs that incorporate metal coolant containment tubes to allow for the rapid assembly or disassembly of the heat exchanger. One of the cooled panels based on an all-CMC design was successfully tested in the rocket combustion facility at Glenn. Testing of the remaining four panels is underway.
High temperature composite heat exchangers are an enabling technology for a number of aeropropulsion applications. They offer the potential for mass reductions of greater than fifty percent over traditional metallics designs and enable vehicle and engine designs. Since they offer the ability to operate at significantly higher operating temperatures, they facilitate operation at reduced coolant flows and make possible temporary uncooled operation in temperature regimes, such as experienced during vehicle reentry, where traditional heat exchangers require coolant flow. This reduction in coolant requirements can translate into enhanced range or system payload. A brief review of the approaches and challengers to exploiting this important technology are presented, along with a status of recent government-funded projects.
In a joint effort between the NASA Glenn Research Center and the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, regeneratively cooled ceramic matrix composite (CMC) thrustcells were developed and successfully tested in Glenn's Rocket Combustion Lab. Cooled CMC's offer the potential for substantial weight savings over more traditional metallic parts. Two CMC concepts were investigated. In the first of these concepts, an innovative processing approach utilized by Hyper-Therm, Inc., allowed woven CMC coolant containment tubes to be incorporated into the complex thruster design. In this unique design, the coolant passages had varying cross-sectional shapes but maintained a constant cross-sectional area along the length of the thruster. These thrusters were silicon carbide matrix composites reinforced with silicon carbide fibers. The second concept, which was supplied by Ceramic Composites, Inc., utilized copper cooling coils surrounding a carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon matrix composite. In this design, a protective gradient coating was applied to the inner thruster wall. Ceramic Composites, Inc.'s, method of incorporating the coating into the fiber and matrix eliminated the spallation problem often observed with thermal barrier coatings during hotfire testing. The focus of the testing effort was on screening the CMC material's capabilities as well as evaluating the performance of the thermal barrier or fiber-matrix interfacial coatings. Both concepts were hot-fire tested in gaseous O2/H2 environments. The test matrix included oxygen-to-fuel ratios ranging from 1.5 to 7 with chamber pressures to 400 psi. Steady-state internal wall temperatures in excess of 4300 F were measured in situ for successful 30-sec test runs. Photograph of actively cooled composite thrustcell fabricated by Hyper-Therm is shown. The thrustcell is a silicon-carbide-fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix composite with woven cooling channels. The matrix is formed via chemical vapor infiltration. Photograph of hot-fire test of an actively cooled carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon matrix composite thrustcell is also shown. This composite thrustcell, which was fabricated by CCI, Inc., was wound with copper cooling coils to contain the water coolant. The tests were run with oxygen fuel ratios up to seven with chamber pressures of 200 psia.
A viewgraph presentation outlines NASA's goals for the Second and Third Generation Reusable Launch Vehicles, placing emphasis on improving safety and decreasing the cost of transporting payloads to orbit. The use of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) technology is discussed. The development of CMC components, such as the Simplex CMC Blisk, cooled CMC nozzle ramps, cooled CMC thrust chambers, and CMC gas generators, are described, including challenges, test results, and likely future developments.
Sixteen ply unidirectional zirconia coated single crystal Al2O3 fiber reinforced polycrystalline Al2O3 was tested in uniaxial tension at temperatures to 1400 C in air. Fiber volume fractions ranged from 26 to 31%. The matrix has primarily open porosity of approximately 40%. Theories for predicting the Young's modulus, first matrix cracking stress, and ultimate strength were applied and evaluated for suitability in predicting the mechanical behavior of Al2O3/Al2O3 composites. The composite exhibited pseudo tough behavior (increased area under the stress/strain curve relative to monolithic alumina) from 22 to 1400 C. The rule-of-mixtures provides a good estimate of the Young's modulus of the composite using the constituent properties from room temperature to approximately 1200 C for short term static tensile tests in air. The ACK theory provides the best approximation of the first matrix cracking stress while accounting for residual stresses at room temperature. Difficulties in determining the fiber/matrix interfacial shear stress at high temperatures prevented the accurate prediction of the first matrix cracking stress above room temperature. The theory of Cao and Thouless, based on Weibull statistics, gave the best prediction for the composite ultimate tensile strength.
The development of advanced engines for aerospace applications depends on the availability of strong, tough materials that can withstand increasingly higher temperatures under oxidizing conditions. The need for such materials led to the study of an oxide-based composite composed of an alumina matrix reinforced with zirconia-coated sapphire fibers. Because the nonbrittle behavior of this system depends on the interface and its ability to prevent fiber-to-matrix bonding and reduce interfacial shear stress, the microstructure of the zirconia must be carefully controlled during both coating application and composite processing. When it was both porous and unstabilized, zirconia (which does not react easily with alumina) was found to be the most effective material tested in reducing interfacial shear strength between the fiber and matrix.
Zirconia coated sapphire reinforced alumina matrix composites have been tested both after heat treatment to 1400 C and at temperatures ranging from 800 C to 1200 C in. air. Interfacial shear stress has also been measured with fiber pushout tests performed in air at room temperature, 800 C and 1OOO C. Matrix crack spacing was measured for the tensile tested composites and used to estimate interfacial shear stress up to 1200 C. Electron microscopy was used to determine the source of fiber fracture and to study interfacial failure within the composite.
The use of guanidine salts of organic fatty acids (guanidine soaps) as vehicles and binders for coating substrate surfaces is disclosed. Being completely organic, the guanidine soaps can be burned off leaving no undesirable residue. Of special interest is the use of guanidine 2-ethyl hexanoate as the vehicle and binder for coating problematic surfaces such as in coating alumina fibers with platinum or zirconia. For this application the guanidine soap is used as a melt. For other applications the guanidine soap may be used in a solution with a variety of solvents, the solution containing chlorometalates or powdered metals, refractories or ceramics.
Soaps made from strong organic base guanidine and organic fatty acids serve as vehicles and binders for coating ceramic fibers, various smooth substrates, and other problematic surfaces with thin precious-metal or metal-oxide films. Films needed to serve as barriers to diffusion in fiber/matrix ceramic composite materials. Guanidine soaps entirely organic and burn off, leaving no residues.