Testing Ceramic Stator Vanes for Industrial Gas Turbines

A program to design and test ceramic stator'vanes of the size required for large industrial gas turbines has been in progress for the past two years. These ceramic vanes are designed for operation at 2200-2500°F (1204-1341°C) without cooling.

The first testing phase was completed. This consisted of subjecting a full-scale prototype stator vane assembly and all supporting structures to 100 cycles of startup and shutdown for a turbine inlet temperature of 2200°F (1204°C). Details of the test assembly, the Si₃N₄ ceramic parts, and the test rig are described and the results of the tests are discussed.

Results completed to date indicate that a viable design has been achieved which can be translated into high-temperature testing and future turbine design with only minor modifications.