NOVEL ULTRASONIC THERMOMETERS WITH NON-METAL SENSING ELEMENTS FOR HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS

THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT ARE TO DEVELOP AND TEST ULTRASONIC THERMOMETERS WITH NON-METAL SENSING ELEMENTS FOR TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL IN HIGHLY CORROSIVE MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENTS. CANDIDATE NON-METAL MATERIALS FOR THE SENSING ELEMENT INCLUDE SAPPHIRE, ZIRCONIUM OXIDE, GRAPHITE,SILICON CARBIDE, AND HAFNIUM OXIDE. THE PHASE I RESEARCH CONCENTRATES ON THE DESIGN, FABRICATION, AND IN-HOUSE FURNACE TESTING AND CALIBRATION OF ULTRASONIC SENSORS FABRICATED FROM THESE CANDIDATE MATERIALS. PHASE II WILL BE DEVOTED TO INSTALLING, EVALUATING, AND QUALIFYING THE SENSORS (SELECTED FROM THE PHASE I RESEARCH) IN PRODUCTION PLANTS WHERE THE PROCESS IS SO CORROSIVE THAT IT PRECLUDES THE SUCCESSFUL USE OF CONVENTIONAL INSTRUMENTS. NON-METAL SENSORS CAN POTENTIALLY ELIMINATE SENSOR DEGRADATION FROM CHEMICAL AND EROSIVE ATTACK THUS IMPROVING, AND, IN SOME SITUATIONS, MAKING POSSIBLE FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE REAL-TIME CONTROL OF MANY INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES.