Status of the Development of the CGT301, a 300 KW Class Ceramic Gas Turbine

Abstract

The CGT301 ceramic gas turbine is being developed under a contract from NEDO as a part of the New Sunshine Program of MTTI to improve the performance of gas turbines for cogeneration through the replacement of hot section components with ceramic parts. The project is conducted in three phases. The project currently in Phase 2 focuses on the development of the “primary type” ceramic gas turbine (turbine inlet temperature: 1,200°C). CGT301 is a recuperated, single-shaft, ceramic gas turbine. The turbine is a two-stage axial flow type. The major effort has been on the development of the turbine which consists of metallic disks and inserted ceramic blades (“hybrid rotor”). Prior to engine tests, component tests were performed on the hybrid rotor to prove the validity of the design concepts and their mechanical integrity. The engine equipped with all ceramic components except the second stage turbine blades was tested and evaluated. The engine was operated successfully for a total of 23 hours without failure at the rated engine speed of 56,000 rpm with the turbine inlet temperature of 1,200 °C. Further, the engine equipped with all ceramic components was successfully tested for one hour under the same conditions. Engine testing of the “primary type” ceramic gas turbine is continuing to improve the performance and the reliability of the system for the purpose of moving forward to the development of the “pilot” ceramic gas turbine (turbine inlet temperature: 1,350 °C) as the final target of this project. This paper summarizes the progress in the development of the CGT301 with the emphasis on the test results of the hybrid rotor.