NETL experts attended the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Exposition — also known as the Turbo Expo — in Phoenix, Arizona, June 17-21 to support finding new solutions to today’s energy challenges.

The three-day annual exhibition attracts the industry’s leading professionals and key decision-makers whose innovation and expertise help shape the future of the turbomachinery industry. At the expo, NETL showcased its capabilities by displaying its research and development competencies and exploration into coal-fueled turbine-based power systems to attendees.

The conference featured over 300 paper sessions with more than 1,000 papers and more than 80 panel, tutorial and lecture sessions. Richard Dennis, a member of the NETL’s Efficient Energy Conversion team, chaired panel sessions surrounding important issues relevant to the turbomachinery industry. Topics ranged from discussing the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Turbines Program to future trends and opportunities in turbomachinery and clean energy technology.

NETL attendees also presented the Lab’s latest research in pressure gain combustion (PGC) and supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) power cycles, which increase turbine operating efficiency and have garnered much interest from the turbine community. Organizations in collaboration with NETL, such as NASA and the Department of Defense, were present along with other experts in the field to learn about these recent developments.

PGC has the potential to significantly improve combined cycle performance when integrated with combustion gas turbines. PGC is able to raise the pressure of the combustor while consuming the same amount of fuel, which increases the combustor’s efficiency in generating energy.

Supercritical carbon dioxide power cycles operate in a manner similar to other turbine cycles but use CO₂ as the working fluid in turbomachinery. The cycle is operated above the critical point of CO₂, which allows for increased heat-to-electricity conversion efficiency, high power density and simplicity of operation.

“Attending the Turbo Expo promotes the exchanging of ideas in developing the nation’s leading technological advancements in turbomachinery,” Dennis said. “NETL’s research heavily contributes to the diverse body of research present at the expo, which offers unrivaled networking opportunities for the Lab’s researchers.”

Sharing the Lab’s work with other industry professionals facilitates potential collaborations and contributes to the larger goal of enhancing America’s energy foundation through technological solutions for today and options for tomorrow.