High Throughput, High Temperature Mechanical Test Platform

Corvid Technologies, in partnership with the Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), proposes to develop a high-throughput laser heated, high temperature mechanical testing system, capable of reaching a minimum of 3000°C while maintaining high accuracy measurement of Young’s modulus, proportional limit, strain rate, and ultimate tensile stress. Laser heating systems can reach higher temperatures than traditional heating methods based on induction or resistive heating and are also capable of elevating the sample temperature at a faster rate, reducing the duration of each test and thus leading to lower costs and faster turnaround times. Corvid and NIAR will build our system with a solid-state laser using a combination of a beam splitter and optics to uniformly heat the gauge region of the test sample to the desired temperature. The sample will be heated from two sides to improve temperature uniformity, and the system will be designed with custom grips to mitigate heat transfer, prevent damage to the test equipment, and permit faster transition between tests. We will design an environmental chamber with windows for laser entry and automation features to remove samples before complete cooling has occurred, further increasing turn-around time per test.