National project under the programme M-ERA.NET – TBC4H2

Title:
Thermal barrier coatings for green heat-to-energy applications: understanding the constraints of hydrogen combustion and sustainability perspective

Acronym: TBC4H2

Programme name: M-ERA.NET

Co-financing for Łukasiewicz-GIT: PLN 804,829.00

Total project value: EUR 1,302,633.00

Start: 01.10.2023 / End: 30.06.2027

Executive Agency: European Commission (National Centre for Research and Development)

Consortium:

1. Łukasiewicz Research Network – Upper Silesian Institute of Technology [Leader]
2. AVIO POLSKA Spółka z ograniczoną odpowiedzialnością
3. Silesian University of Technology
4. MINES PARIS – CDM Centre
5. Fraunhofer IWS

Project Manager:
Radosław Swadźba, BEng, PhD, DSc
Tel.: 32 2345 201
E-mail: radoslaw.swadzba@git.lukasiewicz.gov.pl

Objective:

Increasing the operating temperature and thus the efficiency of aero-engine turbines will enable reduction of fuel consumption of new generation aircraft and will directly contribute to reducing CO₂ emissions to the environment, thus meeting the needs in terms of climate neutrality. In addition, the use of hydrogen as a fuel is expected to eliminate CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere. However, the use of hydrogen fuels will contribute to new mechanisms of degradation of materials related to the increased concentration of water vapour in flue gas. For this reason, it is necessary to develop new technologies to produce protective coatings that will enable the operation of aircraft engine components in elevated temperature and atmosphere with increased water vapour content.

The main objective of the project is to acquire new knowledge about the high-temperature oxidation of Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBC) used in aircraft engine turbine blades operating at temperatures exceeding the capabilities of conventional nickel superalloys – 1200 °C. The project will develop and produce TBCs consisting of an external ceramic coating obtained using SPS (suspension plasma spraying) and EB-PVD (electron beam physical vapour deposition) methods on a heat-resistant monocrystalline nickel superalloy of the 2nd generation – René N5 with diffusion and adhesive interlayers. The project provides for determining the impact of the increased water vapour content in the atmosphere, characteristic of hydrogen combustion, on the durability of advanced TBC coatings on nickel-based superalloys.

The project will be implemented in close cooperation with an industrial partner – Avio Polska (GE Aerospace Business) and research units: Silesian University of Technology from Poland, MINES ParisTech (Centre des Matériaux) from France and Fraunhofer IWS (Institute for Material and Beam Technology) from Germany.