N. Rajan et al., Fabrication and testing of micromachined silicon carbide and nickel fuel atomizers for gas turbine engines, J MICROEL S, 8(3), 1999, pp. 251-257
Bulk micromachining of high-temperature materials is an enabling technology
for the application of MEMS devices in high-temperature environments. This
paper presents a novel molding method for fabricating silicon carbide (SiC
) fuel atomizers for gas turbine engines. The devices are compared to simil
ar nickel (Ni) atomizers fabricated using the LIGA process. Performance and
erosion tests demonstrate that both types of atomizers are able to perform
well at pressures in excess of 2500 kPa, with the SiC devices exhibiting a
higher erosion resistance, The results demonstrate a significant improveme
nt over similar silicon (Si) devices, which are limited in operation to pre
ssures below 1400 kPa and are comparatively not resistant to erosive wear.