Under the Ceramic Stationary Gas Turbine (CSGT) and Advanced Material Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a team led by Solar Turbines Incorporated (Solar) has successfully designed engines utilizing silicon carbide/silicon carbide (SiC/SiC) continuous fiber-reinforced ceramic composite (CFCC) combustor liners. Their potential for low NOx and CO emissions was demonstrated in nine field-engine tests for a total duration of more than 52,000-hours. In the first four engine tests, the durability of the liners was limited primarily by the long-term stability of SiC in the high steam environment of the gas turbine combustor. Consequently, the need for an environmental barrier coating (EBC) to meet the 30,000-hour life goal was recognized. An EBC developed under the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) High Speed Civil Transport, Enabling Propulsion Materials program was improved, optimized and applied on the SiC/SiC liners by United Technologies Research Center (UTRC) from the fifth engine test onwards. The results of the evaluation after the seventh engine test with greater than 15,000-hours is compared against the results of a previous engine test with approximately 14,000-hours.

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