Research Terms
Center for Advanced Turbomachinery and Energy Research (CATER)
Director |
Jayanta Kapat |
Phone | 407-823-2179 |
Website | http://cater.cecs.ucf.edu/ |
Mission | CATER is a center for research & student training focused on turbomachineries and associated technologies for power generation, aviation and space propulsion. Central Florida has a unique position in the world as a convergence for Turbine, Energy, and Space technologies. With the presence of Siemens Energy, Pratt & Whitney, Mitsubishi Power Systems, Alstom / Power Systems Manufacturing, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Florida Turbine Technologies, Chromalloy, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Embraer, Kennedy Space Center in or near Central Florida, the Center for Advanced Turbomachinery and Energy Research at the University of Central Florida has a unique opportunity and responsibility for taking the leadership in innovation and advanced technology development for:
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Researchers at the University of Central Florida have invented a revolutionary way for existing fossil fuel-fired power plants to significantly reduce their maintenance costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and produce even more electricity in the process. By simply retrofitting their turbine systems with UCF's specially designed recuperators and hot gas path components, companies can operate at peak efficiency much longer and harness their CO2 exhaust gas to operate a supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2)-based power cycle to increase energy production. Made of a unique polymer-derived ceramic composite (PDCC) material, the new components are smaller, lighter, and much stronger than traditional hot gas path components and recuperators.
The invention consists of a power generation system that includes a turbine with ceramic-based recuperators (heat exchangers) and hot gas path components (such as combustion liners, transition pieces and sealings). All components are made of an innovative, inexpensive PDCC material. Compared to superalloys found in turbines today, PDCC fibers have twice the strength and can handle much higher operating temperatures (more than 2,200 F). The invention also comprises configurations for high and low temperature recuperators, each with multiple matrix panels that interconnect to define hot and cold fluid channels. For example, the hot fluid channels can be adjacent to cold fluid channels and arranged in a counterflow and stair-step configuration. Companies can use the invention to retrofit both closed and semi-closed Brayton power generation systems.
The University of Central Florida invention is a hydrogen-oxygen storage mechanism integrated with an H2/O2-sCO2 direct-fired power cycle enabling long-time energy storage and high-efficient reconversion of electricity from the storage medium. Current power cycle systems are designed to produce cheap energy for the commercial, residential, or industrial sector, which maximizes the use of fuel. However, with increasing energy production, there is associated pollution and CO2 emission. Renewable energy sources such as wind and sun can be fossil-free energy alternatives. Still, the intermittent nature of these sources requires rebalance of the production and consumption of the power grid.
A Novel Long-Duration Hydrogen Storage Concept Without Liquefaction and High Pressure Suitable for Onsite Blending, Proceedings Paper, Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air; The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, June 7-11, 2021.
Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed two technologies for catalytically cracking ammonia into hydrogen as a fuel source. The technologies enable ammonia to be both a carrier of hydrogen as fuel and to provide cooling for compressor intercooling. Their use also helps to eliminate nitrogen oxides (NOx), air-polluting chemical compounds that form smog, ozone and acid rain. Compared to hydrogen storage, ammonia has advantages for volumetric energy density, safety, and the supply chain. Example applications include aircraft, land or water vehicles and power generation.
Technical Details: