Potential of high entropy alloys in hydrogen technologies

Greenhouse gas emissions are one of the biggest issues that need to be addressed today. Jet engines (JE) and stationary gas turbines are one of the sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The energy and air transport sectors are thought to account for two-thirds of global greenhouse gas (mainly CO2) emissions. Therefore, there is a strong need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in these sectors. One solution may be to increase the efficiency of the turbine. According to the Carnot cycle, the simplest way to increase turbine efficiency is to increase the inlet temperature. However, it should be noted that the currently used materials, i.e. nickel-based alloys, work close to their temperature limits. Another way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to use an alternative and environmentally friendly fuel. Hydrogen, especially green hydrogen, is considered as a potential candidate for such an alternative fuel. The use of green hydrogen-enriched fuel simultaneously causes two effects: a significant increase in operating temperature and an increase in the water vapor content in the exhaust. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new type of material that will be characterized by reliable resistance to oxidation under the conditions of combustion of hydrogen-enriched fuel, i.e. at a much higher temperature and in an atmosphere containing a significant amount of water vapor. In the present talk development of a new material that will perform better than state-of-the-art materials used for parts in the hottest part of hydrogen-rich gas turbines. As strong candidate the high entropy alloys are proposed. The results obtained under laboratory conditions will be shown and discussed.