Materials for green hydrogen fueled gas turbines through additive manufacturing

Research Project, 2021 – 2024

Purpose and goal: Gas turbines have demonstrated their effectiveness in balancing volatile renewable energy generation thanks to their flexibility and short ramp-up times. Future carbon-free power generation requires ramping of hydrogen capability in gas turbines.
Still, burning hydrogen gas faces a lot of challenges connected to high temperatures. Project is aiming to develop powder, LB-PBF process and post-AM processing (HIP) for novel Ni-base materials with excellent high-temperature mechanical and corrosion properties, that are required for application in hydrogen fueled gas turbines. Expected results and effects: The project aims to create knowledge base regarding critical factors of alloy design, powder characteristics and AM fabrication recipes for successful manufacturing of tailored Ni-based alloys with excellent high-temperature mechanical and corrosion properties. These knowledge will allow Höganäs to introduce new powders on the market for AM, allow Siemens to develop LB-PBF manufacturing of the components for hydrogen fueled gas turbines, and allow to introduce new LB-PBF (EOS) and post-AM (Quintus) processes allowing fabrication of difficult-to-build AM materials. Approach and implementation: Project aims to develop solutions for Ni-base alloys with high sensitivity to cracking during LB-PBF processing for high-temperature applications, required for hydrogen fueled gas turbines. MAGDA will implement a comprehensive approach by combining tailored alloy design, LB-PBF process and post-AM process development. Project involves development/optimisation of the powder material, design for AM coupled to component requirements, extensive microstructure and properties characterisation, including the development and evaluation of a demonstrator.