Dr. R. Wesley Jackson

Senior Principal Engineer, RTX Technology Research Center

Bio: Dr. R. Wesley Jackson is a Senior Principal Engineer at RTX Technology Research Center (RTRC), specializing in high-temperature materials development, testing and lifing. Prior to joining RTRC, Dr. Jackson was a Senior Engineer at the RTX business unit Pratt and Whitney. He is the holder of 30 patents pertaining to high-temperature materials and has authored 15 peer-reviewed journal articles. He received his B.S. (2004), M.S. (2007) and Ph.D (2010) from the University of Pittsburgh and was a post-doctoral scholar at University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Jackson was the chair of the Gordon Research Seminar on High-Temperature Corrosion in 2010 and received RTRC’s Technical Excellence Award in 2024.

Topic: "Model-Based Design of Coatings for Gas-Turbine Engines"

Abstract: Gas-turbine components operate in a harsh environment in which they are subjected to highly pressurized high-velocity combustion gases. Ceramic coatings are used to protect the load-bearing advanced alloys and structural ceramics from this extreme environment and these coatings must simultaneously withstand multiple thermo-chemical and thermo-mechanical degradation mechanisms. This environment may become even more demanding as new technologies are developed to support the aerospace industry goal of reaching net zero aviation CO2 emissions by 2050, due to the increased steam concentration associated with the combustion of hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuels.

This presentation will highlight the utility of fundamental science in industrial research and development focusing on two examples: the influence of steam concentration on coating degradation mechanisms and silicate deposit-induced degradation (CMAS attack).

Thursday, September 5, 2024

11:00am

102 BEH

Host: Brian Gleeson