The application of CMCs in high integrity gas turbine engines

Rolls-Royce is a world class manufacturer of high integrity power systems which are used extensively in the generation of power for land, sea and air. To ensure future competitiveness, Rolls-Royce is active in the pursuit of improved technologies which are applicable to its products. In particular, the quest for higher temperature materials has been in progress during the fifty year life of gas turbine engines. For the last eight years, work on non-metallic high temperature materials has focused on continuous fibre reinforced ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). Component development programmes involving the design, manufacture and testing of engine parts in CMCs has lead to a good understanding of the issues involved in bringing this relatively new technology to sufficient maturity to enter service. This experience and the resultant strategy for application of CMCs is summarised in this paper, with the hope of stimulating those working in the field to address the relevant issues. This should allow this exciting technology to generate efficiency, performance and emissions improvements of universal benefit.