Preliminary Design of Ceramic Components for the ST5+ Advanced Microturbine Engine

Progress in the preliminary design of an axial vane ring and axial turbine rotor composed of silicon nitride structural ceramics is presented. The silicon nitride components allow for significantly increased turbine inlet temperature in the ST5+, an advanced version of the Pratt & Whitney Canada’s ST5, which powers the DTE Technologies ENT400 Distributed Energy Generator. Preliminary aerodynamic and mechanical design, steady state thermal and stress analysis, and life prediction results will be reviewed. Foreign object damage resistance will be compared between ceramic versions of the baseline rotor blade geometry and that developed for the ST5+ engine.© 2002 ASME