On April 21, 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $28 million in funding for a new Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program called ULtrahigh Temperature Impervious Materials Advancing Turbine Efficiency (ULTIMATE).[1][2] The goal of the ULTIMATE program is to improve the efficiency of gas turbines by increasing the temperature capability of the materials used in parts such as the turbine blade. Blade material temperature capability has improved steadily over the last few decades to 1100 ºC, the DOE believes there are opportunities to discover, develop, and implement novel materials that work at temperatures significantly higher than industry standard superalloys. ULTIMATE projects will develop and demonstrate ultrahigh temperature materials that can operate in high temperature and high stress environments of a gas-turbine blade. The ULTIMATE program will target enabling gas-turbines blades to operate continuously at 1300 ºC in a material test environment—or with coatings, with turbine inlet gas temperatures of 1800 ºC or higher. According to the DOE, improving gas turbine efficiency will create opportunities to generate more energy savings, lower carbon emissions, and benefit the economy.

[1] https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-announces-28-million-develop-ultrahigh-temperature-materials-gas-turbine

[2] https://arpa-e.energy.gov/?q=arpa-e-programs/ultimate