HOLOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSTICS FOR RAPID SOLIDIFICATION PROCESSING & OSPREY RESEARCH

VARIOUS TYPES OF RAPID SOLIDIFICATION PROCESSES, RSP, ARE CRITICAL AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGIES SUPPORTING THE TRANSITION FROM NICKEL BASED SUPERALLOYS TO BIMETALLIC ALLOYS. PULSED LASER HOLOGRAPHY OFFERS THE POTENTIAL FOR RESOLVING THE MICROSCOPIC DETAILS OF RSP ATOMIZATION, OSPREY, AND PLASMA DEPOSITION PROCESSES; THEREBY PROVIDING INFORMATION TO IMPROVE AND CONTROL THE PROCESS. DESIRABLE ASPECTS OF PULSED LASER HOLOGRAPHY INCLUDE: REJECTION OF SELF LUMINOUS LIGHT, ULTRA-FAST PULSES TO FREEZE HIGH VELOCITY PARTICLES, HIGH SPATIAL RESOLUTION IMAGING THROUGHOUT ATOMIZATION REGION, AND DOUBLE PULSE RECORDING TO MEASURE PARTICLE VELOCITY. THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INNOVATIVE DUAL REFERENCE WAVE HOLOGRAM RECORDING SYSTEM AND AN INTEGRATED HOLOGRAPHICRECONSTRUCTION/IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM IS PROPOSED. PRELIMINARY DEMONSTRATION WITH A CONVENTIONAL HOLOGRAPHIC SYSTEM REVEALED DRAMATIC IMAGES OF RSP ATOMIZATION, BUT ALSOREVEALED THE NEED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW AND SPECIALIZED HOLOGRAPHIC TECHNOLOGY. SEVERAL INNOVATIVE FEATURES WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR THIS SPECIALIZED HOLOGRAPHY SYSTEM; INCLUDING CONVENTIONAL RECORDING ON GLASS PLATES ANDAUTOMATIC RECORDING (10 PPM) ON FILM, HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGE FORMING OPTICS WITH INTEGRAL LASER LINE FILTER, DUAL REFERENCE WAVE FOR OBSERVATION OF EITHER OR BOTH HOLOGRAMS SUPERIMPOSED, AND IMAGE PROCESSING SOFTWARE FOR DIMENSIONAL MEASUREMENT OF SIZE AND POSITION.