Defining a Testbed for the U.S. Turbine Industry: The National Experimental Turbine (NExT)

The importance of continued advancements in gas turbine technology for power generation, aviation, and oil and gas applications is critical to reducing the carbon footprint and to the U.S. economy. To reduce the time, costs, and risks involved in making substantial advancements, a collaborative approach with strong support from a federal agency is essential. This paper presents such a collaborative approach among U.S. gas turbine engine manufacturers representing each of the application areas, a turbine design firm, and academia all through strong support by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Lab. The collaborative effort involves the design, development, manufacturing, and testing of a single stage research turbine referred to as the National Experimental Turbine (NExT). The primary goal for the effort is to develop a modern research turbine for U.S. manufacturers and institutions that provides a platform for acquiring detailed data to be used for new design method development and new design concept validation. Multiple institutions will also be engaged in the project through the DOE University Turbine Systems Research (UTSR) program. Beyond the initial test campaigns that are planned to acquire detailed data for the baseline geometry, collaborating partners will be given opportunities to develop proprietary concepts that can be incorporated into the existing NExT framework thereby reducing time, costs, and risks associated with research programs. This paper provides the background and goals for the NExT project; it describes relevant design practices, identifies collaborating members, introduces the research facility where the NExT will be operated, and provides an overview for measurements defining the initial test programs.