Fabrication and testing of micromachined silicon carbide and nickel fuel atomizers for gas turbine engines

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 similar 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 improvement over similar silicon (Si) devices, which are limited in operation to pressures below 1400 kPa and are comparatively not resistant to erosive wear.