Advanced laser ultrasonic receiver for process control and in-service inspection of thermal barrier coatings

This SBIR Phase II project will apply the laser ultrasonic receiver technology demonstrated in the Phase I program to the development of laser ultrasonics for process monitoring and in-service inspection of thermal barrier coatings (TBC's). Thermalbarrier coatings are critical elements in propulsion and power generation turbines that provide more efficient operation at higher temperatures and longer component lifetimes. We have shown that laser ultrasonics can provide information on coatingproperties that can be used for materials characterization and defect detection. In the Phase II program we will apply these techniques for manufacturing process control, in-service condition monitoring and lifetime assessment of TBC's. We will optimizethe inspection geometry and develop robust signal processing techniques for measurement of coating thickness and elastic properties and for high sensitivity detection and localization of defects in TBC's and other related coatings. We will optimize thereceivers we developed in the Phase I program for use in this application. We will develop a field prototype inspection system for evaluation at user sites. User feedback will be important for the commercial system to be developed in Phase III.