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At least 19 records

Depth-Selective Diagnostics of Thermal Barrier Coatings Incorporating Thermographic Phosphors

Thermographic phosphors have been previously demonstrated to provide effective non-contact, emissivity-independent surface temperature measurements. Because of the translucent nature of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), thermographic-phosphor-based temperature measurements can be extended beyond the surface to provide depth-selective temperature measurements by incorporating the thermographic phosphor layer at the depth where the temperature measurement is desired. In this paper, thermographic phosphor (Y2O3:Eu) fluorescence decay time measurements are demonstrated for the first time to provide through-the-coating-thickness temperature readings up to 1000 C with the phosphor layer residing beneath a 100-Fm-thick TBC (plasma-sprayed 8wt% yttria-stabilized zirconia). With an appropriately chosen excitation wavelength and detection configuration, it is shown that sufficient phosphor emission is generated to provide effective temperature measurements, despite the attenuation of both the excitation and emission intensities by the overlying TBC. This depth-selective temperature measurement capability should prove particularly useful for TBC diagnostics, where a large thermal gradient is typically present across the TBC thickness.

Eldridge, Jeffrey I.↗

Depth-Selective Diagnostics of Thermal Barrier Coatings Incorporating Thermographic Phosphors

Thermographic phosphors have been previously demonstrated to provide effective non- contact, emissivity-independent surface temperature measurements. Because of the translucent nature of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), thermographic-phosphor-based temperature measurements can be extended beyond the surface to provide depth-selective temperature measurements by incorporating the thermographic phosphor layer at the depth where the temperature measurement is desired. In this paper, the use of thermographic phosphor (Y2O3:Eu) luminescence decay time measurements is demonstrated for the first time for through-the-thickness temperature readings up to 1000 C with the phosphor placed beneath a 100-micron-thick TBC (plasma-sprayed 8wt% yttria-stabilized zirconia). With an appropriately chosen excitation wavelength and detection configuration, it is shown that sufficient phosphor emission is generated to provide effective temperature measurements, despite the attenuation of both the excitation and emission intensities by the overlying TBC. This depth-selective temperature measurement capability should prove particularly useful for TBC diagnostics, where a large thermal gradient is typically present across the TBC thickness.

Eldridge, J. I.↗

Depth-Penetrating Temperature Measurements of Thermal Barrier Coatings Incorporating Thermographic Phosphors

Thermographic phosphors have been previously demonstrated to provide effective non-contact, emissivity-independent surface temperature measurements. Because of the translucent nature of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), thermographic phosphor-based temperature measurements can be extended beyond the surface to provide depth-selective temperature measurements by incorporating the thermographic phosphor layer at the depth where the temperature measurement is desired. In this paper, thermographic phosphor (Y2O3:Eu) fluorescence decay time measurements are demonstrated to provide through-the-coating thickness temperature readings up to 1100 C with the phosphor layer residing beneath a 100 micron thick TBC (plasma-sprayed 8wt% yttria-stabilized zirconia). With an appropriately chosen excitation wavelength and detection configuration, it is shown that sufficient phosphor emission is generated to provide effective temperature measurements, despite the attenuation of both the excitation and emission intensities by the overlying TBC. This depth-penetrating temperature measurement capability should prove particularly useful for TBC diagnostics where a large thermal gradient is typically present across the TBC thickness. The fluorescence decay from the Y2O3:Eu layer exhibited both an initial short-term exponential rise and a longer-term exponential decay. The rise time constant was demonstrated to provide better temperature indication below 500 C while the decay time constant was a better indicator at higher temperatures.

Eldridge, Jeffrey I.↗

Surface Temperature Measurements from a Stator Vane Doublet in a Turbine Engine Afterburner Flame Using a YAG:Tm Thermographic Phosphor

Luminescence-based surface temperature measurements were obtained from a YAG:Tm-coated stator vane doublet exposed to the afterburner flame of a J85 test engine at University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI). The objective of the testing was to demonstrate that reliable surface temperatures based on luminescence decay of a thermographic phosphor producing short-wavelength emission could be obtained from the surface of an actual engine component in a high gas velocity, highly radiative afterburner flame environment. YAG:Tm was selected as the thermographic phosphor for its blue emission at 456 nm (1D23F4 transition) and UV emission at 365 nm (1D23H6 transition) because background thermal radiation is lower at these wavelengths, which are shorter than those of many previously used thermographic phosphors. Luminescence decay measurements were acquired using a probe designed to operate in the afterburner flame environment. The probe was mounted on the sidewall of a high-pressure turbine vane doublet from a Honeywell TECH7000 turbine engine coated with a standard electron-beam physical vapor deposited (EB-PVD) 200-m-thick TBC composed of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) onto which a 25-m-thick YAG:Tm thermographic phosphor layer was deposited by solution precursor plasma spray (SPPS). Spot temperature measurements were obtained by measuring luminescence decay times at different afterburner power settings and then converting decay time to temperature via calibration curves. Temperature measurements using the decays of the 456 and 365 nm emissions are compared. While successful afterburner environment measurements were obtained to about 1300C with the 456 nm emission, successful temperature measurements using the 365 nm emission were limited to about 1100C due to interference by autofluorescence of probe optics at short decay times.

thermographic phosphor↗

Depth-Penetrating Measurements Developed for Thermal Barrier Coatings Incorporating Thermographic Phosphors

The insulating properties of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) provide highly beneficial thermal protection to turbine engine components by reducing the temperature sustained by those components. Therefore, measuring the temperature beneath the TBC is critical for determining whether the TBC is performing its insulating function. Currently, noncontact temperature measurements are performed by infrared pyrometry, which unfortunately measures the TBC surface temperature rather than the temperature of the underlying component. To remedy this problem, the NASA Glenn Research Center, under the Information Rich Test Instrumentation Project, developed a technique to measure the temperature beneath the TBC by incorporating a thin phosphor layer beneath the TBC. By performing fluorescence decay-time measurements on light emission from this phosphor layer, Glenn successfully measured temperatures from the phosphor layer up to 1100 C. This is the first successful demonstration of temperature measurements that penetrate beneath the TBC. Thermographic phosphors have a history of providing noncontact surface temperature measurements. Conventionally, a thermographic phosphor is applied to the material surface and temperature measurements are performed by exciting the phosphor with ultraviolet light and then measuring the temperature-dependent decay time of the phosphor emission at a longer wavelength. The innovative feature of the new approach is to take advantage of the relative transparency of the TBC (composed of yttria-stabilized zirconia) in order to excite and measure the phosphor emission beneath the TBC. The primary obstacle to achieving depth-penetrating temperature measurements is that the TBCs are completely opaque to the ultraviolet light usually employed to excite the phosphor. The strategy that Glenn pursued was to select a thermographic phosphor that could be excited and emit at wavelengths that could be transmitted through the TBC. The phosphor that was selected was yttria doped with europia (Y2O3:Eu), which has a minor excitation peak at 532 nm (green) and an emission peak at 611 nm (red)--both are wavelengths that exhibit significant transmission through the TBC. The measurements were performed on specimens consisting of a 25- m-thick phosphor layer beneath a 100- m-thick TBC. The 532-nm (green) excitation light was provided by a frequency-doubled YAG:Nd (yttrium-aluminum-garnet:neodymium) laser, and the fluorescence decay time measurements were acquired with a modified Raman microscope. The preceding graph compares the intensity of the phosphor emission of the phosphor layer above the TBC versus that of the phosphor layer beneath the TBC. Although there was considerable attenuation of the phosphor signal (a factor of 30), the phosphor emission at the reduced intensity was more than sufficient to perform fluorescence decay time measurements. The following graph shows the fluorescence lifetime temperature dependency for the Y2O3:Eu phosphor layers both above and below the TBC. These curves show an excellent match and indicate that, despite the attenuation due to the overlying TBC, the phosphor layer beneath the TBC still functions as an effective temperature indicator.

Eldridge, Jeffrey I.↗

Surface Temperature Measurements from a Stator Vane Doublet in a Turbine Engine Afterburner Flame using Ultra-Bright Cr-Doped GdAlO3 Thermographic Phosphor

Luminescence-based surface temperature measurements from an ultra-bright Cr-doped GdAlO3 perovskite (GAP:Cr) coating were successfully conducted on an air-film-cooled stator vane doublet exposed to the afterburner flame of a J85 test engine at University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI). The objective of the testing at UTSI was to demonstrate that reliable thermal barrier coating (TBC) surface temperatures based on luminescence decay of a thermographic phosphor could be obtained from the surface of an actual engine component in an aggressive afterburner flame environment and to address the challenges of a highly radiant background and high velocity gases. A high-pressure turbine vane doublet from a Honeywell TECH7000 turbine engine was coated with a standard electron-beam physical vapor deposited (EB-PVD) 200-m-thick TBC composed of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) onto which a 25-m-thick GAP:Cr thermographic phosphor layer was deposited by EB-PVD. The ultra-bright broadband luminescence from the GAP:Cr thermographic phosphor is shown to offer the advantage of over an order-of-magnitude greater emission intensity compared to rare-earth-doped phosphors in the engine test environment. This higher emission intensity was shown to be very desirable for overcoming the necessarily restricted probe light collection solid angle and for achieving high signal-to-background levels. Luminescence-decay-based surface temperature measurements varied from 500 to over 1000C depending on engine operating conditions and level of air film cooling.

Eldridge, Jeffrey I.↗

Development of YAG:Dy Thermographic Phosphor Coatings for Turbine Engine Applications

The selection and development of thermographic phosphor coatings were pursued to meet the objective of demonstrating luminescence-decay-based temperature measurements up to 1300C on the surface of a vane in an operating demonstrator turbine engine. To meet this objective, YAG:Dy was selected based on the desirable luminescence performance observed for YAG:Dy powder: (1) excellent temperature sensitivity and intensity at operating turbine engine temperatures, (2) an emission peak at the relatively short wavelength of 456 nm, where the interference from background blackbody radiation is fairly low, and (3) its nearly single exponential decay which makes for a simple, reliable temperature calibration. However, implementation of YAG:Dy for surface temperature measurements required application of YAG:Dy as a coating onto the surface of a superalloy component with a preexisting yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thermal barrier coating (TBC). An inherent dilemma in producing a YAG:Dy coating is that coating processing is constrained to be performed at temperatures below (less than 1200C) what is considered safe for the superalloy component, much lower than temperatures used to produce the high quality crystalline powder. Therefore, YAG:Dy coatings tend to exhibit lower luminescence performance compared to well prepared YAG:Dy powder, and the luminescence performance of the coating will depend on the method of coating deposition. In this presentation, the luminescence performance of YAG:Dy coatings prepared by the different methods of (1) application of a binder-based YAG:Dy-containing paint, (2) solution precursor plasma spray (SPPS), and (3) electron-beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) and the effect of post-deposition heat treatments will be discussed.

Eldridge, J. I.↗

Implementation of an Ultra-Bright Thermographic Phosphor for Gas Turbine Engine Temperature Measurements

The overall goal of the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) Seedling Phase II effort was to build on the promising temperature-sensing characteristics of the ultrabright thermographic phosphor Cr-doped gadolinium aluminum perovskite (Cr:GAP) demonstrated in Phase I by transitioning towards an engine environment implementation. The strategy adopted was to take advantage of the unprecedented retention of ultra-bright luminescence from Cr:GAP at temperatures over 1000 C to enable fast 2D temperature mapping of actual component surfaces as well as to utilize inexpensive low-power laser-diode excitation suitable for on-wing diagnostics. A special emphasis was placed on establishing Cr:GAP luminescence-based surface temperature mapping as a new tool for evaluating engine component surface cooling effectiveness.

temperature↗

Quantitative surface temperature measurement using two-color thermographic phosphors and video equipment

A thermal imaging system provides quantitative temperature information and is particularly useful in hypersonic wind tunnel applications. An object to be measured is prepared by coating with a two-color, ultraviolet-activated, thermographic phosphor. The colors emitted by the phosphor are detected by a conventional color video camera. A phosphor emitting blue and green light with a ratio that varies depending on temperature is used so that the intensity of light in the blue and green wavelengths detected by the blue and green tubes in the video camera can be compared. Signals representing the intensity of blue and green light at points on the surface of a model in a hypersonic wind tunnel are used to calculate a ratio of blue to green light intensity which provides quantitative temperature information for the surface of the model.

Buck, Gregory M.↗

An imaging system for quantitive surface temperature mapping using two-color thermographic phosphors

A technique for obtaining detailed quantitative temperature distributions on test models in hypersonic wind tunnels is presented. This technique is based on the ratio of blue to green (450, 520 nm) emission from an UV (365 nm) excited phosphor coating. Separately filtered images are recorded from a three-tube color camera, utilizing off-the-shelf front-end video optics to discriminate wavelengths. Two demonstration studies in a 31-inch Mach 10 tunnel are discussed. One study presents the windward surface temperature-time history for a transatmospheric vehicle, and the other illustrates nosetip heating on a spherically blunted slender cone.

Buck, Gregory M.↗

High Temperature Thermographic Phosphor Coatings Development

For many years, phosphor thermometry has been used for non-contact temperature measurements. A large number of applications have been associated with high temperatures, especially for aerospace systems where blackbody radiation backgrounds are large and in challenging environments, such as vibration, rotation, flame, or noise. These environments restrict the use of more common thermocouples or infrared thermometric techniques. In particular, temperature measurements inside jet turbines, rocket engines, or similar devices are especially amenable to phosphor techniques. Often the fluorescent materials are used as powders, either suspended in binders and applied like paint or applied as high-temperature sprays. Thin coatings that are less than 50 m thick are used on the surfaces of interest. These coatings will quickly assume the same temperature as the surface to which they are applied. The temperature dependence of fluorescent materials is a function of the base matrix atoms and a small quantity of added activator or dopant ions. Often for high temperature applications, the selected materials are refractory and include rare earth ions. Phosphors like Y3Al5O12 (YAG) doped with Eu, Dy, or Tm, Y2O3 doped with Eu, or similar rare earth compounds, will survive high temperatures and can be configured to emit light that changes rapidly in lifetime and intensity. For example, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently observed fluorescence from YAG:Dy and YAG:Tm at temperatures above 1400 C. One of the biggest challenges is to locate a binder material that can withstand tremendous variations in temperature in an adverse aerospace environment. This poster will provide an overview into our attempt to utilize phosphors for thermometry purposes. Emphasis will be placed on the use of selected binder materials that can withstand high temperatures. This research was completed for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

Goedeke, Shawn↗

Thermographic Phosphor Measurements of Shock-Shock Interactions on a Swept Cylinder

The effects of fin leading-edge radius and sweep angle on peak heating rates due to shock-shock interactions were investigated in the NASA Langley Research Center 20-inch Mach 6 Air Tunnel. The fin model leading edges, which represent cylindrical leading edges or struts on hypersonic vehicles, were varied from 0.25 inches to 0.75 inches in radius. A 9deg wedge generated a planar oblique shock at 16.7deg to the flow that intersected the fin bow shock, producing a shock-shock interaction that impinged on the fin leading edge. The fin angle of attack was varied from 0deg (normal to the free-stream) to 15deg and 25deg swept forward. Global temperature data was obtained from the surface of the fused silica fins using phosphor thermography. Metal oil flow models with the same geometries as the fused silica models were used to visualize the streamline patterns for each angle of attack. High-speed zoom-schlieren videos were recorded to show the features and temporal unsteadiness of the shock-shock interactions. The temperature data were analyzed using one-dimensional semi-infinite as well as one- and two-dimensional finite-volume methods to determine the proper heat transfer analysis approach to minimize errors from lateral heat conduction due to the presence of strong surface temperature gradients induced by the shock interactions. The general trends in the leading-edge heat transfer behavior were similar for the three shock-shock interactions, respectively, between the test articles with varying leading-edge radius. The dimensional peak heat transfer coefficient augmentation increased with decreasing leading-edge radius. The dimensional peak heat transfer output from the two-dimensional code was about 20% higher than the value from a standard, semi-infinite onedimensional method.

Jones, Michelle L.↗

Real-Time Thermographic-Phosphor-Based Temperature Measurements of Thermal Barrier Coating Surfaces Subjected to a High-Velocity Combustor Burner Environment

Surface temperature measurements were conducted on metallic specimens coated with an yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thermal barrier coating (TBC) with a YAG:Dy phosphor layer that were subjected to an aggressive high-velocity combustor burner environment. Luminescence-based surface temperature measurements of the same TBC system have previously been demonstrated for specimens subjected to static furnace or laser heating. Surface temperatures were determined from the decay time of the luminescence signal of the YAG:Dy phosphor layer that was excited by a pulsed laser source. However, the furnace and laser heating provides a much more benign environment than that which exists in a turbine engine, where there are additional challenges of a highly radiant background and high velocity gases. As the next step in validating the suitability of luminescence-based temperature measurements for turbine engine environments, new testing was performed where heating was provided by a high-velocity combustor burner rig at Williams International. Real-time surface temperature measurements during burner rig heating were obtained from the decay of the luminescence from the YAG:Dy surface layer. The robustness of several temperature probe designs in the sonic velocity, high radiance flame environment was evaluated. In addition, analysis was performed to show whether the luminescence decay could be satisfactorily extracted from the high radiance background.

Eldridge, Jeffrey I.↗

A relative-intensity two-color phosphor thermography system

The NASA LaRC has developed a relative-intensity two-color phosphor thermography system. This system has become a standard technique for acquiring aerothermodynamic data in LaRC Hypersonic Facilities Complex (HFC). The relative intensity theory and its application to the LaRC phosphor thermography system is discussed along with the investment casting technique which is critical to the utilization of the phosphor method for aerothermodynamic studies. Various approaches to obtaining quantitative heat transfer data using thermographic phosphors are addressed and comparisons between thin-film data and thermographic phosphor data on an orbiter-like configuration are presented. In general, data from these two techniques are in good agreement. A discussion is given on the application of phosphors to integration heat transfer data reduction techniques (the thin film method) and preliminary heat transfer data obtained on a calibration sphere using thin-film equations are presented. Finally, plans for a new phosphor system which uses target recognition software are discussed.

Merski, N. Ronald↗

Laser-induced fluorescence of phosphors for remote cryogenic thermometry

Remote cryogenic temperature measurements can be made by inducing fluorescence in phosphors with temperature-dependent emissions and measuring the emission lifetimes. The thermographic phosphor technique can be used for making precision, noncontact, cryogenic-temperature measurements in electrically hostile environments, such as high dc electric or magnetic fields. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is interested in using these thermographic phosphors for mapping hot spots on cryogenic tank walls. Europium-doped lanthanum oxysulfide (La2O2S:Eu) and magnesium fluorogermanate doped with manganese (Mg4FGeO6:Mn) are suitable for low-temperature surface thermometry. Several emission lines, excited by a 337-nm ultraviolet laser, provide fluorescence lifetimes having logarithmic dependence with temperature from 4 to above 125 K. A calibration curve for both La2O2S:Eu and Mg4FGeO6:Mn is presented, as well as emission spectra taken at room temperature and 11 K.

Beshears, D. L.↗

Laser-induced fluorescence of phosphors for remote cryogenic thermometry

Remote cryogenic temperature measurements can be made by inducing fluorescence in phosphors with temperature-dependent emissions and measuring the emission lifetimes. The thermographic phosphor technique can be used for making precision, noncontact, cryogenic-temperature measurements in electrically hostile environments, such as high dc electric or magnetic fields. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is interested in using these thermographic phosphors for mapping hot spots on cryogenic tank walls. Europium-doped lanthanum oxysulfide (La2O2S:Eu) and magnesium fluorogermanate doped with manganese (Mg4FGeO6:Mn) are suitable for low-temperature surface thermometry. Several emission lines, excited by a 337-nm ultraviolet laser, provide fluorescence lifetimes having logarithmic dependence with temperature from 4 to above 125 K. A calibration curve for both La2O2S:Eu and Mg4FGeO6:Mn is presented, as well as emission spectra taken at room temperature and 11 K.

Beshears, D. L.↗

Optical Diagnostics for Thermal Barrier Coatings

The translucent nature of ceramic oxide thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) provides an opportunity to employ optical probes to monitor temperature gradients and buried damage propagation within the coating. An important advantage of noncontact optical diagnostics is that they are amendable to health monitoring of TBCs in service. In this paper, two optical diagnostic approaches, operating in different wavelength regimes, are discussed. The first approach is the use of mid-infrared reflectance (MIR) to monitor the progression of TBC delamination produced by thermal cycling. This approach takes advantage of the maximum transparency of the TBCs at mid-infrared wavelengths, in particular, between 3 and 5 microns. Recent progress in extending the MIR method to a more practical visual inspection tool will be presented. A second approach, using visible wavelengths, is the embedding of thermographic phosphors within the TBC to add sensing functions to the coating that can provide depth-selective information about temperature gradients and TBC integrity. Emphasis will be given to the use of fluorescence decay time measurements to provide temperature readings from a thermographic phosphor layer residing beneath the TBC.

Eldridge, J. I.↗