Xingbo Liu, Statler chair of engineering, conducts research at his WVU lab.
A professor at West Virginia University (WVU) is working on new cutting-edge coatings for the blades of turbines used in large-scale power generation. The coatings will protect the blades from higher heat and corrosion from using hydrogen. The coated blades will be able to withstand a mix of hydrogen and natural gas being burned. The hottest part of any turbine is the blades. The WVU research is focused on creating coatings that will keep a turbine's blades from corroding, oxidizing, or even melting when hydrogen fuel is added to natural gas. The early results are promising.
