Optical Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBC) Lifing Technology

Thermal barrier coatings (TBC’s) are widely used in aircraft engines to protect metal components from high operating temperatures in order to improve the durability and engine efficiency. Since coating spallation can lead to premature component failure, it is highly desirable to have a non-destructive inspection (NDI) technique to detect early damage of TBC and assess the remaining life. Southwest Sciences in collaboration with the University of Connecticut proposes an innovative approach that utilizes a combination of optical methods as a means of NDI of TBC’s. The measured characteristics will be used as input parameters for the TBC life predicting theory, providing the TBC remaining life assessment. The Phase I effort will provide experimental evidence of the feasibility of this approach and outline the design of the Phase II prototype instrument.