How Neutrons Facilitate Research into Gas Turbines and Batteries from Development to Engineering Applications
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ow Neutrons Facilitate Research into Gas Turbines and Batteries from Development to Engineering Applications R. Gillesa,* a
Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum, Technische Universität München, Garching, 85748 Germany *e-mail: [email protected] Received July 23, 2019; revised August 18, 2019; accepted August 21, 2019
Abstract—This contribution presents an overview of how neutrons support the development of gas turbine materials and batteries due to their unique properties of being non-destructive, having a large beam cross section, offering relatively high sensitivity to light elements in the neighborhood of heavy elements and proving suitable for in situ and/or operando studies. Various neutron techniques, together with sophisticated sample environments, are applied to measure materials under real working conditions. For gas turbines, the focus is on the in situ characterization of the strengthening precipitates of high-temperature alloys at elevated temperatures. Battery research using neutrons deals mainly with the observation of Li movements and distributions, e.g., during charging and discharging of a cell or under the influence of an external parameter, such as temperature. Keywords: neutron diffraction, small-angle neutron scattering, neutron imaging, superalloy, gas turbine, battery DOI: 10.1134/S1027451020070162
INTRODUCTION The relentless growth in population and industry has led to an unprecedented global increase in the demand for energy and mobility. Meeting these requirements necessitates supplying far more energy and transportation, and doing so more efficiently. Despite an abundance of possibilities for generating new types of power – especially in the field of renewable energies – the burning of fossil fuels will play a central role in emerging economies in the coming decades. Consequently, it is crucial that power-generating heat engines are as efficient as possible. Gas turbines for aircraft and stationary power engines, as well as batteries for electromobility and consumer electronics, are two key technological fields for research. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Gas Turbines In the field of high-temperature alloy applications, gas turbines play a significant role in terms of energy conversion. In particular, improvements to Ni-based and Co-based superalloys from wrought to cast alloys that have excellent properties in regard to high-temperature strength or corrosion and creep resistance, including high fracture toughness, are a case in point. The main goal of existing superalloys is to increase the operating temperature of these alloys in gas turbines [1] to allow engine manufacturers to improve fuel efficiency. Most superalloys consist of so-called γ′ precip-
itates in a γ matrix plus additional high-temperature phases [2]. The last few decades have seen the scientific community put great effort into the development of superalloys for stationary gas turbines with operating temperatures above 650°C whilst keeping the good processing characteristics of the well-known superalloy 718. In addition, new all
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