DOE Offers US$4 Million For Improving Hydrogen Turbine Performance

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) has announced US$4 million in funding to advance the development of ceramic-based materials to improve the efficiency of hydrogen-fueled turbines. According to the DOE, electricity made from hydrogen — whether produced from renewable resources or from fossil or carbon-based waste resources, coupled with pre-combustion carbon capture and durable storage — will help in achieving the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of a zero-carbon US power sector by 2035.

Potential projects selected under this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) will focus on the research and development (R&D) of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components, which allow hydrogen turbines to operate at higher working temperatures, ultimately improving cycle efficiency. Specifically, this R&D will enable operation at 150°C higher than current CMC technology and 450°C higher than existing nickel-based materials allow, while reducing the amount of cooling air required. These improvements will lead to increased turbine efficiency, ultimately resulting in reduced electricity costs, as well as lower greenhouse gas emissions as clean hydrogen displaces natural gas as the turbine fuel.

Projects will be selected under two areas of interest — Benchmark Of CMC Performance With Predictive Modeling; and Improvement To Temperature Performance of CMC Materials.

For more information, or to read the full FOA, click here