NEW STRAIN MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE MATERIALS

A MAJOR PROBLEM FACING DESIGNERS OF HIGH TEMPERATURE STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS IS THE LACK OF ACCURATE HIGH TEMPERATURE MECHANICAL PROPERTY DATA. ONE OF THE CENTRAL CAUSES OF THIS PROBLEM IS THE DIFFICULTY IN ATTACHING STRAIN GAUGES IN A MANNER WHICH WILL ENSURE SURVIVAL UNDER SEVERE THERMAL STRESSES AND NOT INTERFERE WITH STRAIN MEASUREMENT. FOSTER-MILLER IS PROPOSING AN INNOVATIVE NEW CONCEPT IN STRAIN MEASUREMENT WHICH WILL BE APPLICABLE TO A VARIETY OF MATERIALS AND WILL BE USABLE TO TEMPERATURES OVER 2,000 DEG F. THE CONCEPT INVOLVES CREATION OF A NEW TYPE OF CAPACITANCE GAUGE AND A NEW ATTACHMENT TECHNIQUE, WITH SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGES OVER PRESENT TECHNOLOGY. THESE ADVANTAGES INCLUDE: GAUGE DOES NOT NEED TO BE ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED FROM THE TEST SPECIMEN; BRAZE AND WELD ATTACHMENT TECHNIQUES CAN BE EMPLOYED; THIN FILM TECHNOLOGY REDUCES ATTACHMENT STRESS, INCREASES GAUGE STRAIN CAPABILITY, ENSURES ACCURACY OF STRAIN MEASUREMENT; INCREASED DURABILITY AND RESISTANCE TO OPEN CIRCUIT FAILURES. UNAFFECTED BY CHANGE IN GAUGE RESISTANCE WITH TEMPERATURE.