Project Group W10 –
55 years of applied materials research for the energy industry

To design high-temperature components reliably, for example for use in steam turbines for the power plant industry, and assess their service life accurately, the properties of the materials used must be known under conditions close to the application.
For five decades now, the Research Association for Creep-resistant Steels and High-temperature Materials (Forschungsvereinigung Warmfeste Stähle und Hochtemperaturwerkstoffe FVWHT) has been coordinating projects to research the behaviour of materials under alternating loads.
The activities are bundled in the project group W10 ›High-temperature Behaviour of Materials under Changing Loads‹, in which the FVWHT, together with the FVV, conducts practice-oriented research into metallic materials for the energy industry.

Photo: Rotor of a steam turbine // Source: GE Vernova

The energy transition represents a significant change in energy generation and utilisation, in which fossil fuels and nuclear energy are gradually being replaced by renewable energies. Germany and Europe are thus embarking on a sustainable and climate-neutral course in the heating and electricity sectors. However, with the increasing share of renewable energies, new challenges are emerging that require innovative solutions. Thermal power plants in particular, which are increasingly acting as reserve capacity, are faced with the task of ensuring security of supply despite flexible operating modes.

This is where materials research has an important role to play. It provides the basis for new technologies that fulfil these requirements. The findings of the project group W10 create the basis for more efficient and durable turbines and thus for a stable and sustainable energy supply.

Materials research as a source of innovation

The results of the W10 are not only important for new turbines, but also contribute to extending the service life of existing plants. With the data obtained, power plant operators can better estimate which components can still be operated safely under which conditions. This not only saves costs, but also reduces the use of materials and thus contributes to the conservation of resources.

As standards such as DIN, EN or ISO standards do not apply to many materials, the W10 fills a crucial gap. Its research defines the framework conditions that are used by industrial partners to develop innovative materials for the energy transition.

However, the significance of this work goes beyond the energy industry. It shows how collective research - supported by science, industry and public funding - is driving technological development and strengthening Germany's competitiveness at the same time.

Acknowledgement

The FVV would like to thank the W10 project group headed by Dr Martin Reigl (GE Vernova) and Henning Almstedt (Siemens Energy Global) and the Research Association for Creep-resistant Steels and High-temperature Materials FVWHT headed by Dr Stefanie Brockmann (Steel Institute VDEh) for their commitment and many years of cooperation.

Special thanks go to the German Steel Application Research Foundation AVIF and the Industrial Collective Research IGF programme of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) for their support, which enables small and medium-sized enterprises to actively participate in research and thus ensure the competitiveness of German SMEs.