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Podcasts

Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz break down the myth that electrification and electric-motor drives are decarbonized. 

TurboTime Podcast: Debunking Machinery Decarbonization Myths

During this episode of the TurboTime Podcast, Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz discuss how hydrogen is transported and its use as an energy carrier. They then discuss how ammonia is produced, its advantages and limitations, and for what industries it’s a suitable solution.

“We’ve previously talked about hydrogen in some of our Myth Buster podcasts and how it’s relevant to a decarbonized energy economy as an energy carrier. Unfortunately, hydrogen itself has a lot of nasty characteristics: it's hard to compress, highly flammable, as a gas it’s not easy to deal with, etc. From a transportation and storage perspective, it leaks, has many safety issues, causes hydrogen embrittlement, etc., making it difficult to transport.”

“Making ammonia is nothing new. We know how to how the process works, but it is an energy-intensive process. But ammonia is a very toxic gas. It causes skin burns rapidly if you touch it in liquid form. In vapor form, even at less than 100 PPMs, it’s very irritating, so it creates a lot of issues from the handling perspective.”

In this episode of the TurboTime podcast, Myth Buster Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz discuss ammonia. 

TurboTime Podcast: Ammonia with the Myth Busters

In this episode of the TurboTime Podcast, we talk with Giuseppe Tilocca, Scientific Officer at ETN Global, a non-profit member association in the gas turbine technology space. ETN Global’s recent global report, 

Decentralized Energy Systems: Toward Carbon-Neutral Energy Solutions for Gas Turbines

, compares decentralized systems to centralized heat and power units and highlights its advantages—including modularity, the possibility to exploit waste heat avoiding energy transmission losses, and reducing energy distribution costs. Tilocca reviews these advantages in detail, as well as trends and emerging market opportunities, and he dives into gas turbines and how they fit into decentralized energy systems.

“Considering this specific report, we all know that the energy sector is transforming very quickly, and it's mainly driven by the increasingly high share of renewable energy sources,” Ticolla said. “In this scenario, which is dominated by variable sources whose daily, weekly, and seasonal flexibility are set to go dramatically, to meet the system requirements while accomplishing the ambitious decarbonization goals, we need to support traditional centralized generation with a mix of the centralized components.”

So, how does ETN Global define decentralized energy systems, and what are their advantages?

“Historically, we established centralized energy systems, meaning large plants located far from consumers,” Tilocca explained. “The reason behind it is merely economy of scale and efficiency, so it is cheaper to have one big plant than many small ones; however, with the increasing integration of variable renewable energy sources, which are inherently decentralized, we now need to adapt our infrastructure and incorporate technologies that are traditionally used for centralized energy. By definition, a decentralized energy system is located close to the consumption nodes—so on the end user side of the network—and therefore it's connected to the distribution grid rather than the transmission grid. The advantages of a decentralized energy system are mainly modularity, the possibility of exploiting waste heat, and a positive contribution to stability. In particular, one of the main advantages of being close to consumption nodes is avoiding transmission and distribution losses and also costs compared to centralized generation. Centralized energy systems are pivotal in meeting the pillars of the energy trilemma, which stress the principles of affordability, security, and climate neutrality and hence it aligns with the requirements for the transition toward 2030 but also 2040 and 2050.”

ETN Global’s Scientific Officer, Giuseppe Tilocca, talks about the association’s recent report on decentralized energy systems—their advantages and challenges, trends, and where and how gas turbines fit in.  

TurboTime Podcast: Decentralized Energy Systems with ETN Global 

In this episode of the TurboTime Podcast, the Myth Busters discusses the role of turbomachinery in energy transport and storage, including how gas turbines maximize energy density. They dive into various forms of energy storage—including batteries, hydrogen, and mechanical and thermal energy—for various energy sources such as wind, solar, fossil fuels, etc., and more.

During the energy transport and conversion processes, for example in the case of hydrogen, there are significant energy losses. The lowest losses are with coal, then oil and fossil fuels. As a result of these losses, “Hydrogen is a viable solution for storage, but it’s not a great solution to power a large-scale electric power plant by itself,” Kurz said.

Really, energy comes down to sustainability, affordability, and sustainability of supply – and in this equation, renewables are typically intermittent and not a reliable full-time source of energy.

So where does turbomachinery fit into all of this?

“From a turbomachinery perspective, if you exclude electric—because as Rainer said, it's not always applicable, as you can’t transport energy from Venezuela to Florida along an electric line—then you have to convert your energy stored material, be it natural gas, oil, coal, or from an alternative source then you have to convert it into hydrogen or ammonia or something else, and then transport it,” Brun explained. “All these convergent processes utilize turbomachinery. We have maybe 100 years of experience transporting oil in pipelines and ships and trucks and that involves a lot of pumping—we're very good at pumping – it’s very efficient. We also have about a similar amount of time compressing natural gas, which over the last 40 - 50 years we've used a lot more centrifugal compressors for transporting natural gas. Now we're running into the challenge of sustainable alternative energies where basically you're saying, ‘OK, I'm going to take my wind and solar electric and convert them to let's say hydrogen or ammonia or dimethyl ether or methanol—there are a lot of fluids that you can make from electricity that are energy carriers—but then they have to be transported. Hydrogen is the lightest gas (We had a previous podcast where we talked about the challenges of 

). Similarly, ammonia is a liquid that has to be transported at slightly refrigerated temperatures, and it brings its own challenges because it's highly poisonous and very corrosive to a lot of materials. Dimethyl ether is not that hard to transport—it’s similar to diesel—but it's very expensive to make. Methanol is also highly poisonous. So there are a lot of other challenges that you now face with these energy carriers that you worry about when transporting your original form of energy to the end user.”

Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz dial into energy storage and transport—why they are necessary, how turbomachinery fits into these processes, and more. 

TurboTime Podcast: Energy Transport and Storage with the Myth Busters 

In this episode of the TurboTime podcast, we are featuring part of an interview with Dr. Jeffrey Goldmeer, the Global Hydrogen Value Chain Leader at GE Vernova, recorded at POWERGEN 2024 with our assistant editor, James Cook. Dr. Goldmeer discusses the many pathways to decarbonization, including next-generation combustors that support hydrogen and ammonia.

Below is a quick snippet of the interview with GE Vernova's global hydrogen leader:

 In the United States, in the South and Southwest, there are only approximately 1,600 miles of hydrogen-ready pipeline. Why is there a lack of hydrogen infrastructure in the United States, and are there roadblocks for hydrogen development in other areas of the country?

 When you say lack of infrastructure, if you're here in the Gulf Coast, where most hydrogen in the United States is consumed and produced, I don't think they would tell you they have an infrastructure issue. What we're talking about is a future where we might see the production and use of hydrogen more decentralized, across the United States. So that might imply maybe there's a lack of infrastructure in those places, but those places today don't have large-scale hydrogen production and consumption, So, I don't think it's a lack of infrastructure; I think that we haven't developed the hydrogen ecosystem in those locations. Now that's not to say that hydrogen isn't produced locally and used locally around the world, even in the United States—I think about companies that are producing hydrogen to use in fuel cells and forklifts. but they're producing it and transporting it by truck because they don’t have the volume of needing a pipeline.”

 featuring more content from our interview with Dr. Goldmeer.

This episode of the TurboTime podcast features an interview with Dr. Jeffrey Goldmeer, the Global Hydrogen Value Chain Leader at GE Vernova. 

TurboTime Podcast: Hydrogen, Ammonia, Decarbonization with GE Vernova

In Part 2 of this episode of the TurboTime podcast on pumping/compressing CO

, Myth Busters Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz discuss the impact CO

has on centrifugal compressor performance and carbon sequestration.

The duo talks about how the pressure of CO

 in a pipeline, for example, affects centrifugal compressor performance. They also discuss carbon sequestration challenges and how the industry is optimizing these technologies for emissions control, specifically in terms of gas leakage and losses.

In Part 2 of this episode of the TurboTime podcast, Myth Busters Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz discuss the impact CO2 has on centrifugal compressor performance and carbon sequestration.

TurboTime Podcast: Part 2 - Compressing CO2

In Part 1 of this episode of the TurboTime podcast, Myth Busters Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz discuss pumping/compressing CO

can be captured pre-combustion or post-combustion (from the flue gas), and it then must be transported in a pipeline in which it would have to be re-pump or compressed, and then put into the ground at a geological site. The Myth Busters flesh out this process and explain in detail the process of pumping/compressing CO

 and how it plays into the hydrogen discussion. They also discuss why is it so important to know about the supercritical state of CO

In Part 1 of this episode of the TurboTime podcast, Myth Busters Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz discuss pumping/compressing CO2. 

TurboTime Podcast: Part 1 - Compressing CO2

In part 2 of the TurboTime podcast on hydrogen, Myth Busters Rainer Kurz and Klaus Brun talk about the compression and transportation of hydrogen and the challenges each presents for mainstream usage. The duo also discusses a realistic timeframe for mainstream prominence, including use in fertilizers and for refineries and power generation.

For more on hydrogen, check out our feature from the July/Aug print issue, 

The Future of Hydrogen as a Gas Turbine Fuel.

In part 2 of the TurboTime podcast on hydrogen, Myth Busters Rainer Kurz and Klaus Brun talk about the compression and transportation of hydrogen and the challenges each presents for mainstream usage. 

TurboTime: Part 2 - Compression, Transport of Hydrogen

Natural gas-powered thermal generation, carbon capture, and hydrogen must complement renewable energies as grid stability and capacity becomes paramount.

ETN Global Addresses CCUS, Hydrogen Deployment as Capacity Gap Grows

The TM2500 turbine will provide emergency power for utilities, municipalities, data centers, and other industries with its rapid start-up cycle.

GE Vernova Unveils Water-Free, Mobile Aeroderivative Gas Turbine

Springfield City Utilities will require increased power generation capacity by 2026 due to higher electricity demand, aging power assets, and extreme weather events.

GE Vernova’s Aeroderivative Turbines Expand Capacity at Missouri Generating Station

The maritime LNG-fired power train combines solid-oxide fuel cells with onboard CO2 liquefaction and storage, decarbonizing maritime transport vessels.

LNGameChanger Consortium is Decarbonizing Maritime Sector with New LNG Power Train

The centrifugal hydrogen compressor uses a newly developed impeller to handle high flow rates, boost hydrogen pressure, and improve liquefaction efficiency. 

Kawasaki Constructing Demo Facility for New Hydrogen Compressor: KM Comp-H2

Welcome to the second edition of the Turbomachinery News Network. I’m James Cook, assistant editor at 

The Turbomachinery News Network, for the week of March 24, 2025, covers news from GE Vernova, GE Aerospace, Baker Hughes, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and LNGameChanger.

GE Conducts Outage, Inaugurates XEOS, Baker Hughes Executes Drilling, KHI Builds Demo Facility, LNGameChanger Develops Powertrain

 completed gas turbine outage and maintenance operations at the Riyadh 8 power plant. The outage was led by GE Vernova’s Gas Power One Field Services Team and supported the reliability and efficiency of the plant’s power generation assets.Saudi engineers and specialists conducted detailed planning and execution, established strict safety protocols, and delivered the project on schedule with GE Vernova’s Live Outage digital tool.

GE Aerospace and Lufthansa Technik recently inaugurated the 

 engine maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility—a 35,000-square-meter facility that leverages GE Aerospace’s lean operating system, FLIGHT DECK, to deploy best practices in design and operation.XEOS is currently conducting LEAP-1B shop visits and LEAP-1A module work and engine testing, with plans to increase overhaul capacity and repair capability in the coming months.

Baker Hughes, under a multi-year contract with the Dubai Petroleum Establishment and Dubai Supply Authority, will execute 

 work at the Margham Gas Storage Project. The company will leverage its CoilTrak coiled-tubing bottomhole assembly system and under-balanced drilling expertise.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) started building a 

hydrogen compressor demonstration facility

 at its Harima Works in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The facility will test the company’s new, world-first centrifugal hydrogen compressor for hydrogen liquefaction plants, the KM Comp-H

. KHI expects to complete construction in November 2025, followed by one year of operational testing. The new machine achieves high-boosting performance through ultra-high-speed rotating technology, including KHI’s newly developed impeller, which optimizes a small molecular weight gas like hydrogen.

The HAV Group, Havila Voyages, Molgas Norway, and SINTEF established a consortium to decarbonize the maritime transport industry: 

. Their main objective is to design, manufacture, test, and commercialize an LNG-fired power train that uses solid-oxide fuel cells and onboard CO

 liquefaction and storage, meeting the CO

-equivalent intensity of Norway’s 2045-2050 emission standards.

 spoke with Bert Warner, Director of Commercial Business Development at the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), and Jim Crouse, the President and CEO of Capstone Engineered Solutions. The duo discussed the apprehension surrounding further propane integration, trends and growth opportunities, and where PERC sees the energy source in 10 years.

TURBO: What are the current roadblocks to widespread propane integration in the power generation industry?

A challenge is that it’s still seen as a fossil fuel, which can be seen as a polarizing thing. As we traverse the future, we need diversity when it comes to our energy sources. We need electric, natural gas, hydrogen, propane to face the challenges we have. I think it gives propane an opportunity due to the green aspects, economic viability, and its additional benefits. It’s a first-choice energy as opposed to a solutions-based energy.

There are more perceived roadblocks than actual roadblocks. We find that customers tend to do what they’ve done last time. They have to be educated and receive the information needed to make a different decision. Working with PERC, we can help educate customers about other options in the marketplace.

TURBO: What are the latest trends in propane power generation technologies?

There are three areas that are growth opportunities: portable power generation, electric vehicle (EV) charging, and combined heat-and-power (CHP). These are the segments with significant need and demand, and companies like 2G and Claris are putting together portable propane-fired charger. It encompasses both a CHP unit and the propane side of it, so a few different systems are working together to provide a portable system that’s really unmatched.

Bert Warner of the Propane Education & Research Council identifies three growth opportunities for propane: portable power generation, EV charging, and combined heat-and-power.

Propane Supports the Needs of Current, Future Energy Transition

Conference Coverage

In our final video from PowerGen 2025 with Jeffrey Benoit, Vice President of Clean Energy Solutions at PSM - a Hanwha company, and Bobby Noble, Senior Program Manager, Gas Turbine R&D – EPRI, the duo talks about the future of and what a decarbonized electric grid may look like, how OEMs are answering the call to create more power to satisfy demand coming from data centers, and availability versus sustainability.

Bobby Noble of EPRI says gas turbines are “well sought after” thanks to data center power demands and shifts in the energy portfolio mix. 

A Decarbonized Electric Grid is a Mix of Gas Turbines, Low-Carbon Fuels, Renewables

TURBO: In 10 years, what may the decarbonized electric grid look like?

 Ten years from now seems like a long time, but it's really not. Many projects take five to 10 years to develop and actually come full circle. It's one of those deals where, 10 years from now, we really need to start today. We're seeing capabilities being extended for utilizing low-carbon fuels, and we are starting to see some of these examples. When we think about the mix and what the future looks like, we have to think about gas turbines, low-carbon fuels, and carbon capture. Still, we also need to think about how renewables will continue to grow—wind and solar— and energy storage options and how those play into the mix. Lastly, nuclear, advanced nuclear, and small modular reactors —all these advancements that we need to be working on and focusing on today must be part of that mix in the future.

Gas turbines are playing an even more crucial role in ensuring the reliability and flexibility of our power-production landscape and portfolio in the United States. When we look at decarbonization on an overall basis, tremendous quantities of renewables are being put in place that can destabilize the grid. And gas turbines can provide that underpinning of reliability. Battery storage will also be very important in handling the microvoltage variations in various parts of the grid. Hydrogen for power production will be enabled mostly by the oil and gas industry. Here we are in Dallas, but right here in Texas, there are tremendous investments by the oil and gas industries and by those moving hydrocarbons, ammonia, and natural gas around. This is where I believe the genesis of the decarbonized power for gas turbines is going to happen.

Check out our first two videos with Jeff and Bobby! 

Gas Turbines are Centerstage in the Energy Future 

Gas Turbines Evolving to Reduce Technical Barriers, But Go-to-Market Challenges Remain

Jeffrey Benoit, Vice President of Clean Energy Solutions at PSM - a Hanwha company, and Bobby Noble, Senior Program Manager, Gas Turbine R&D – EPRI, spoke to

at PowerGen 2025 in downtown Dallas. The duo discussed roadblocks with lower-carbon fuel supply, how technology is not standing in the way of advancing gas turbines in the new energy era, and, as Noble said, “Carbon capture is just another tool in our toolbox” of developing a cleaner energy landscape.

Jeffrey Benoit of PSM says there are no big technical barriers, “it’s a matter of getting these technologies into products and commercially operated gas turbines.”

Gas Turbines Don’t Suffer from Technical Roadblocks, Just To Market 

TURBO: Are there any policy- or technology-related roadblocks for gas turbines during the clean energy transition?

 When we think about roadblocks, there are technical aspects and certain limitations for as-found gas turbines. But then, of course, there's the entire supply chain for the hydrogen. Where is hydrogen or ammonia or other low-carbon/no-carbon fuel coming from? Those are challenges that are being addressed by other parts of the industry. As we focus on the gas turbine itself, it's really just the continual development of capabilities.

 One of the great things that we're focused on is we, from a technology standpoint, don't see any significant barriers. It is simply a just a matter of putting the pedal to the metal and getting these technologies into products, validated, not only in 10th full-pressure, full-condition test rigs but also into gas turbines that are operating in a commercial environment and finding that partner with an operator—that is part of the DNA of PSM. A lot of our capabilities and products have been done with these true innovators looking to put first-of-a-kind types of technology. So, when it comes to fuel flexibility and optionality, this is an area we are very focused on. It's just a matter of focusing on it and getting it done. We know the hydrogen economy; the ammonia economy is coming; we want to be right there and make it as seamless as possible for the end users, particularly those in power, to take advantage of this.

TURBO: How does carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) fit into this developing energy landscape?

 Carbon capture is another tool in our toolbox. So, when we think about options, this is yet another option. As Jeff and some of our other panelists pointed out this morning, as we're looking at 

the role of the gas turbine in the future

, we think about a base-loaded combined cycle unit that may not be the ideal place to utilize hydrogen or ammonia, simply because of the sheer amounts of fuel needed for those gas turbines. So, if this unit is a unit that will be base-loaded, carbon capture can play a crucial role in ensuring that that unit becomes a carbon-free asset that we need for the future. At EPRI, we're doing a lot of work in the space of CCS. We've been involved in a couple of demonstrations, particularly right now a lot of the work full-scale-wise has been around coal units. But we're continuing to move in and looking at opportunities for gas turbines and to continue to push the capabilities there further, so as we see this continuing to progress as in parallel, we're progressing the capability for utilizing low-carbon fuels.

Check out Benoit and Noble's video interview,

 Gas Turbines are Centerstage in the Energy Future

With POWERGEN 2025 concluding last week in Dallas, 

 caught up with Kevin Clark, Senior Content Director at Clarion Events, to glean more insights into the show’s performance and post-pandemic growth, hot industry topics, and what’s coming down the pipeline for next year. He said POWERGEN 2025 saw a resurgence in traditional power generation topics, specifically for gas turbines. 

TURBO: What are you most excited about in the industry?

You can say that power generation is having its day again. After a couple decades of flat demand, we’re seeing utilities beef up their projections in response to increased demand from data centers, onshoring from manufacturing, and increased electrification. There’s still a mission to decarbonize, but the wrinkle is maintaining reliability.

There’s a lot of interest in gas turbines for flexibility, as well as continued renewables growth. Utilities and industrials are exploring the prospect of nuclear energy through reviving previously retired plants or building smaller, modular ones. There are many micro-trends in the space and it’s a really exciting time.

TURBO: What is planned for POWERGEN 2026? Will there be a new theme?

We’re looking forward to hearing feedback from exhibitors and attendees following the show—we already had a lot of great feedback onsite. We’ll continue to focus on end-user content and bringing that to the floor. We’re also bringing along our HYDROVISION audience, so I’ll expect to see more of those attendees and exhibitors. We’ll also be back in Texas, which is a great setting for all the developments happening in the industry.

Kevin Clark of Clarion Events says, "Power generation is having its day ... again," with data centers, onshoring manufacturing, and electrification beefing up demand.

Kevin Clark Shares Post-POWERGEN Conference Insights, Industry Microtrends

Kevin Clark of Clarion Events says, "Power generation is having its day ... again," with data centers, onshoring manufacturing, and electrification beefing up demand. 

During our visit to PowerGen 2025 in downtown Dallas, 

Jeffrey Benoit, Vice President of Clean Energy Solutions at PSM - a Hanwha company

, and Bobby Noble, Senior Program Manager, Gas Turbine R&D at EPRI, about gas turbine-equipped power plants, hydrogen- and ammonia-fueled 

, and other updates and advancements in the industry.

Jeff Benoit and Bobby Noble discuss the reliability and flexibility of gas turbines and how they satisfy many needs within power generation. 

TURBO: With increasing renewable energy penetration, how will existing gas turbine-equipped power plants be modified to support an intermittent grid?

 With the increased penetration of renewables, one thing we have to continue to focus on is the resiliency and reliability of the grid. Anytime you put an asset onto the grid that is not dispatchable and to the controls outside of your home, there are challenges. So, one of the things for gas turbines is filling that dispatchable need and being flexible and able to respond.

 For me, my company is responsible for retrofits, conversions, and upgrades for the installed fleet of gas turbines. So, one of the things that we're doing, and being asked for by our customers, is how to improve operational flexibility, how to improve efficiency, how to provide peaking power while maintaining emission compliance. All these technologies that we have can be manifested in products that can be easily dropped into these gas turbines, and you need that resiliency and the ability to modify the operational profile to balance renewables.

TURBO: What role will hydrogen- and ammonia-fired gas turbines play in a decarbonized future? What are the latest developments in these fields?

 Hydrogen and ammonia add to our optionality, which is going to be key as we look at the needs for decarbonization. These fuels act not only as fuel and a potential fuel replacement for gas turbines but also as an energy-storage mechanism. Coupled with energy storage and the energy released at dispatchable opportunities, these will continue to be an avenue to help us have that resilient and reliable future.

 Fuel flexibility with hydrogen, refinery off-gas, or ammonia is just a natural extension of the flexibility inherent in the gas turbines. We are focused on combustion retrofits that allow hydrogen consumption up to 100%. So, think about this: meeting emissions requirements, with the ability to operate on 100% natural gas all the way with a variable blend up to 100% hydrogen—these are products that we've spent years and years developing in our test facility in Germany to make sure that we're not going to cause any issues with the operation of the power plant. Of course, the other side of the equation is where is the hydrogen or ammonia going to come from?

Check out our other two interviews with Jeff and Bobby on 

Turbomachinery International spoke to Klaus Brun, Ph.D., the Director of Research and Development at Ebara Elliott, at Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS) 2024 in Houston. He shared insight into Elliott Group’s rebranding under Ebara Corp. and how the new entity will tackle industry challenges with an upcoming portfolio of sustainability-focused products.

“Elliott, like any other company in our industry, must follow what our customers do and what our market does. We’ve seen a significant transition in the energy industry over the last 10-15 years. We’ve seen more sustainability and more green energy, and so our products need to change with that market. That doesn’t mean we’re neglecting our current customers or the industry we’ve been serving for over 100 years, but we do have to address the changes we see in the energy industry. Our new name is Ebara Elliott Energy Co., with a specific focus on the energy market and not just on products.”

TURBO: What are the biggest challenges facing the industry?

“Everybody’s talking about decarbonization of the industry, so we’re looking at hydrogen and CO

. These are very new products that need to be developed—they currently don’t exist or are not as optimal as they should be. To meet these drastic market changes, we must develop new products and it’s not just the products, but the entire organization. As our customers change toward decarbonization and sustainability, we must change with them.”

Dr. Klaus Brun of Ebara Elliott addresses the company’s rebranding, prominent industry challenges, and upcoming products for sustainability and green energy at TPS 2024. 

Ebara Elliott Discusses Rebrand, Upcoming Projects for Industry Challenges

At TPS 2024, Klaus Brun of Ebara Elliott addresses the company’s rebranding, prominent industry challenges, and upcoming products for sustainability and green energy. 

Ebara Elliott Discusses Rebrand, Upcoming Products for Industry Challenges

Turbomachinery International interviewed Tim Allison, Ph.D., the Director of the Machinery Department at Southwest Research Institute (SWRI), at Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS) 2024 Houston. The director shared what new research projects SWRI is working on and what turbomachinery advancements the institute is most excited about regarding decarbonization.

TURBO: What new research projects is SWRI working on?

 “We have several pretty exciting research projects,” Allison said. “Standing next to this turbine highlights one of our projects in supercritical CO

 turbine that was developed with GE Vernova. We are running the Gen. 2 turbine at the STEP sCO

 Demo Pilot Plant. We've run it this year a couple of times with the completion scheduled for this fall.”

TURBO: In terms of decarbonization, what turbomachinery advancements is SWRI excited about?

 “I’m excited about a couple of other projects that we have. One is using turbomachinery to decarbonize ethylene cracking—we have a project for the DOE with Siemens Energy to prove out a rotating olefin cracker, or a turbo cracker, product they're commercializing. We’ll do a full-scale test of that product. We also have some projects on thermal energy storage for long-duration energy storage for the grid. But I am really excited about the trends that couple thermal storage to turbomachinery systems—think a gas turbine that's fed with thermal storage or integrates the thermal storage for another process.”

At TPS 2024, Tim Allison, Ph. D. from the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI), shares what’s happening at SWRI. 

SWRI Shares Research Projects, Turbo Trends

At TPS 2024, Tim Allison, Ph.D., from the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) shares what’s happening at SWRI. 

SWRI Shares Research Projects, Gas Turbine Decarbonization Advancements 

At Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS) 2024, Tim Allison, Ph.D., the Director of the Machinery Department at Southwest Research Institute (SWRI), shares what he's most excited about at this year's show and provides insights into the turbomachinery trends is seeing.

Allison said: “We see a lot of trends focusing on the decarbonization of turbomachinery that includes gas turbine—actually gas turbines are growing in the power-generation mix. They are a very good bridge technology, but with the growth of gas turbines, there's a lot of talk about how to decarbonize them through hydrogen or carbon capture, and that includes discussions of retrofit or load-following behaviors. We see a lot on the compressor side about the transport of hydrogen or CO

Tim Allison, Ph.D., Director of the Machinery Department at Southwest Research Institute, shares what he's most excited about at TPS 2024 and provides insights into turbomachinery trends. 

Hydrogen

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