§16298b High Efficiency Turbines

Summary

The Secretary, through the Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, must set up a multiyear, multiphase program to research, develop, and test ways to make gas turbines more efficient for electric power plants and aviation. The program must support first-of-a-kind engineering and detailed designs for small and utility-scale turbines, covering things like high‑temperature materials, better heat transfer, advanced manufacturing for complex parts, cleaner high‑temperature combustion, controls and systems integration, improved compressors, and testing facilities. It must include component, subscale, and full‑scale tests and field demonstrations, study whole‑system performance, work to let turbines run on large shares of hydrogen or renewable gases, improve low‑emission combustion knowledge for high‑pressure/high‑temperature cycles, speed start‑ups and increase operating flexibility, and any other needed work the Secretary and industry agree on. The program’s goals are to design and demonstrate turbines that, on a lower heating value basis, in Phase I reach at least 65% combined cycle efficiency or 47% simple cycle efficiency, and aviation turbines that cut fuel burn by 25% versus current best-in-class turbofans; in Phase II to reach at least 67% combined cycle or 50% simple cycle efficiency. If those goals are met, the Secretary, with industry and the National Academy of Sciences, may set more goals. The Secretary may give financial help, including grants, and must ask for proposals within 180 days after December 27, 2020. Project selection must be competitive, focus on technical merit, and give special weight to U.S. job creation/retention and U.S. technology leadership. Awards must follow the cost‑sharing rules in section 16352 of this title. Up to $50,000,000 is authorized for each fiscal year 2021 through 2025.