The European gas turbine manufacturing industry is under pressure to minimize the resources required to bring a new design to market, due to global competition and increasing customer expectations.
Accurate design and prediction tools are keys to success in this process. The PREMECCY project has identified rotor blade combined cycle fatigue (CCF) as an area where there are shortcomings in existing industry-standard tools, and thus an area where significant benefits can be achieved. Rotor blade CCF accounts for up to 40% of the total number of issues that arise during an engine development program and a similar proportion of in-service problems.
PREMECCY (Predictive Methods for Combined Cycle Fatigue in Gas Turbine Components) is a project under the European Union’s 6th RTD (Research & Technological Development) Framework Program.
The project’s primary objective is to develop new and improved CCF prediction methods for use in the design process. The goal is to halve the number of development and in-service CCF problems, thereby reducing the time and cost required to develop a new engine and reducing operating costs once in service. Use of the methods also will enable the design of lighter, more efficient blades, reducing specific fuel consumption.
To develop the new prediction methods the project will first generate high-quality materials test data. Advanced specimens and mechanical, geometric, and environmental testing representative of operating conditions will be used to verify the enhanced methodology.
The 15-strong consortium includes nine major European gas turbine manufacturers, a subject matter expert, and five world-class research facilities.
For more information, contact: Adrian Webster, Turbine Systems-Engineering, Rolls-Royce PLC, 65 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AT, UK; (+44) 1332 243 528. Web: www.transport-research.info/web. Search “PREMECCY”