University Turbine Systems Research | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Department of Energy, through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), released the "University Turbine Systems Research" funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0001993) to support university-led research and development aimed at making combustion turbines in combined-cycle power plants more efficient and higher performing when used for fossil-fuel-based electricity generation. The central purpose is to fund early-stage, laboratory- and bench-scale projects that tackle scientific and engineering barriers limiting turbine performance in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) and natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) settings. The underlying policy and technical driver is straightforward: if turbines and associated cycles can be improved to achieve better heat rates (less fuel per unit of electricity), then CO2 emissions per megawatt-hour drop as a direct consequence, even when the fuels are coal-derived or natural gas.

The FOA is structured around five defined Areas of Interest (AOIs), each representing a pathway to major gains in efficiency, durability, or system capability. AOI 1 focuses on pressure gain combustion, a class of combustion approaches intended to increase the pressure across the combustor rather than losing pressure as in conventional combustors, which can translate into meaningful cycle efficiency improvements if practical designs and stable operation can be achieved. AOI 2 targets advanced materials development for hot gas path turbine components, recognizing that higher firing temperatures and harsher environments demand new alloys, ceramics, coatings, and material systems with improved high-temperature strength, oxidation and corrosion resistance, creep life, and overall durability. AOI 3 emphasizes advanced manufacturing development for hot gas path components, which typically includes improved fabrication methods, repair techniques, and manufacturing approaches that enable more complex geometries, better cooling features, tighter tolerances, reduced defects, and potentially lower cost or faster development cycles. AOI 4 is dedicated to fundamental research for supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycle development, an area that has attracted interest because sCO2 Brayton cycles can offer compact turbomachinery and potentially higher efficiencies, but still require foundational work on components, materials compatibility, thermal management, and cycle integration. AOI 5 looks at fossil-fuel-based power generation combined with large-scale energy storage, supporting concepts that help power plants better respond to grid needs, improve utilization, and potentially reduce emissions impacts through more flexible and optimized operation.

This is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, meaning DOE anticipates substantial involvement during the project period (for example, through technical coordination, review milestones, and alignment with program goals), rather than a hands-off grant structure. Eligible applicants are limited to institutions of higher education, including both public/state-controlled universities and private universities, which reinforces the goal of building a university-centered pipeline of turbine and power cycle innovation while producing results that can be transitioned to industry.

In terms of scale and expectations, the FOA listed an award ceiling of $800,000 per award and anticipated making about eight awards. The opportunity was created on December 21, 2018, with an original closing date of March 4, 2019, and it falls under CFDA number 81.089. Overall, the program is designed to generate early, actionable technical advances that industry can adopt to resolve key hurdles sooner, enabling next-generation turbine systems and combined-cycle configurations that deliver improved efficiency and correspondingly lower CO2 emissions per unit of electricity produced.

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