Enhancing Microturbine Efficiency with IoT: A Case Study of Connecticut Reserve Technologies

Connecticut Reserve Technologies (CRT) faced a significant challenge in the development of microturbines for compact cogeneration units. These units, designed to provide economical and reliable power for manufacturing plants and other facilities, relied on advanced structural ceramics like silicon nitride. While these ceramics allowed the microturbines to operate at higher temperatures than conventional metal alloys, leading to significant fuel savings and emissions reductions, they also exhibited large variations in fracture strength. This was particularly true when considering the inherent flaws resulting from various surface treatments. The challenge was to account for these complex statistical strength distributions to make more accurate predictions of expected component life. Another challenge was defining and implementing a method that establishes Weibull distribution metrics for silicon nitride suppliers based on the particular component. This required combining service stress states from the various treated surfaces of a rotor blade with a stipulated component reliability to develop material performance curves.

Connecticut Reserve Technologies, LLC (CRT) is an engineering consulting firm based in the United States. They specialize in the development of distributed electrical power systems, with a particular focus on microturbines for compact cogeneration units. These units are designed to provide on-site power for manufacturing plants and other facilities, offering an economical and reliable alternative to public utility lines. CRT's work often involves the use of advanced structural ceramics, such as silicon nitride, which allow microturbines to operate at higher temperatures than conventional metal alloys. This leads to significant fuel savings and emissions reductions. CRT's work is often conducted under the U.S. Department of Energy's Distributed Energy Program.