SBIR Phase I: Smart Thermal Barrier Coating for Gas Turbine Surface Temperature Monitoring

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project focuses on developing a novel thermographic phosphor thermometry technique, combined with a thermal barrier coating (TBC) material, for monitoring gas turbine surface temperature and TBC condition (i.e., to monitor the coating for spallation and deterioration). Design of efficient and low-emission power generation gas turbines requires detailed knowledge of the temperatures, heat fluxes and flow regimes experienced by hot-gas path (HGP) components under realistic operating conditions. Hence, there is an urgent need for innovative and non-intrusive experimental techniques suitable for accurate measurement of surface temperatures in excess of 2500 K for HGP components in high-temperature regions of the gas turbine, where conventional techniques cannot be applied. In this project, a unique upconversion phosphor thermometry technology will be developed which will overcome the issues confronting widely-used down-conversion thermometry techniques. The proposed temperature sensing mechanism is independent of variations in the excitation power and environmental conditions, and hence is especially suitable for hazardous gas turbine applications.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be significant, because gas turbines are used to power aircraft, trains, ships, generators, and ground vehicles. Almost all manufacturers in the aerospace, transportation, and energy generation fields would benefit from the technology developed in this project. If successful, this Phase I project will directly result in an enabling technique for non-intrusive monitoring of temperature and surface conditions of materials experiencing extremely high-temperature environments. The data gathered by such a technique will also add to the scientific understanding of high-temperature combustion and fluid flow processes.