Seetha Raghavan

Work In Progress - A Remote e-Laboratory for Student Investigation, Manipulation and Learning

The development and evaluation of a remote laboratory for student manipulation and learning is reported in this work in progress paper. The laboratory allows students to observe and control a physical setup of a multi-pipe fluid flow experiment through the Internet and to predict and analyze the results. The laboratory learning environment interface was developed using Lab VIEWtrade and structured to enhance students understanding of basic engineering concepts, problem solving, experimental error, data analysis and curve fitting. It further provides students with the opportunity to use engineering software to develop their own algorithm to predict the results. A key aspect of the remote experimentation design is that it allows students to manipulate flow paths on a test bed section of the pipe flow network to obtain parameters they require for the prediction of the results. This allows the use of creativity in experimentation, a feature available in physical experimentation but often restricted in Web-based remote laboratories. The remote environment provides increased individual access to equipment during and outside of regular hours from any Web-enabled location. The overall architecture of the remote laboratory presented here can be easily applied to other technical fields

Spectral Analysis of R-lines and Vibronic Sidebands in the Emission Spectrum of Ruby Using Genetic Algorithms

The advancement in spectral analysis methods for the emission spectrum of ruby has been driven by the characterization of R-line peak shifts with stress in order to establish piezospectroscopic relationships. These relationships form the basis for the development of photo-stimulated luminescence spectroscopy (PSLS) as a nondestructive method to determine the integrity of the thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer on jet engine turbine blades. Besides the measurement technique, the accuracy of PSLS in stress measurements is influenced by the spectral analysis methodology, which is the focus of this paper. Gradient-based algorithms have been used widely in the methods developed thus far. The approach of using genetic algorithms in the spectral analysis of R-lines and vibronic bands is presented here for the first time and validated with the well-known piezospectroscopic coefficients of the R-lines. The implementation of this method has led to significant new results in the quantification of peak shifts with uniaxial stress in the vibronic bands of the spectrum. The use of genetic algorithms is instrumental in the deconvolution and fitting of the numerous peaks in these bands. Fitting statistics, such as the fitness function and number of function evaluations, were used to assess the effectiveness of the procedures used in this method.

Synchrotron X-ray measurement techniques for thermal barrier coated cylindrical samples under thermal gradients.

Measurement techniques to obtain accurate in situ synchrotron strain measurements of thermal barrier coating systems (TBCs) applied to hollow cylindrical specimens are presented in this work. The Electron Beam Physical Vapor Deposition coated specimens with internal cooling were designed to achieve realistic temperature gradients over the TBC coated material such as that occurring in the turbine blades of aeroengines. Effects of the circular cross section on the x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements in the various layers, including the thermally grown oxide, are investigated using high-energy synchrotron x-rays. Multiple approaches for beam penetration including collection, tangential, and normal to the layers, along with variations in collection parameters are compared for their ability to attain high-resolution XRD data from the internal layers. This study displays the ability to monitor in situ, the response of the internal layers within the TBC, while implementing a thermal gradient across the thickness of the coated sample. The thermal setup maintained coating surface temperatures in the range of operating conditions, while monitoring the substrate cooling, for a controlled thermal gradient. Through variation in measurement location and beam parameters, sufficient intensities are obtained from the internal layers which can be used for depth resolved strain measurements. Results are used to establish the various techniques for obtaining XRD measurements through multi-layered coating systems and their outcomes will pave the way towards goals in achieving realistic in situ testing of these coatings.

Strain response of thermal barrier coatings captured under extreme engine environments through synchrotron X-ray diffraction

The mechanical behaviour of thermal barrier coatings in operation holds the key to understanding durability of jet engine turbine blades. Here we report the results from experiments that monitor strains in the layers of a coating subjected to thermal gradients and mechanical loads representing extreme engine environments. Hollow cylindrical specimens, with electron beam physical vapour deposited coatings, were tested with internal cooling and external heating under various controlled conditions. High-energy synchrotron X-ray measurements captured the in situ strain response through the depth of each layer, revealing the link between these conditions and the evolution of local strains. Results of this study demonstrate that variations in these conditions create corresponding trends in depth-resolved strains with the largest effects displayed at or near the interface with the bond coat. With larger temperature drops across the coating, significant strain gradients are seen, which can contribute to failure modes occurring within the layer adjacent to the interface.

Optical stress probe: in-situ stress mapping with Raman and Photo-stimulated luminescence spectroscopy

The optical stress probe system, developed in this work, provides a non-invasive method of monitoring and mapping the optical properties of a material during in situ stress tests. The design and construction of such a system was achieved by coupling a fiber optic probe based spectrometer system with an electromechanical loading system. This novel instrumentation integration enables the quantitative study of Raman or Photo-stimulated luminescence peak shifts with stress, known as piezospectroscopy. It further enables mapping of these spectral shifts over a surface of the specimen under load. To achieve this, a focusing method was developed that optimizes the intensity of specific optical bands of interest with the probe position. Individual software programs for the various systems that make up the instrumentation including the spectrometer, load frame and the XYZ stage were integrated and a single user interface was created. The system was calibrated by replicating published linear correlation between compressive stress and spectral peak position, 2.5cm−1/GPa for polycrystalline alumina.

Portable Piezospectroscopy system: non-contact in-situ stress sensing through high resolution photo-luminescent mapping

Through the piezospectroscopic effect, certain photo-luminescent materials, once excited with a laser, produce spectral emissions which are sensitive to the stress or strain that the material experiences. A system that utilizes the piezospectroscopic effect for non-contact stress detection over a materials surface can capture important information on the evolution of mechanical response under various conditions. Therefore, the components necessary for piezospectroscopic mapping and analysis have now been integrated into a versatile and transportable system that can be used with photo-luminescent materials in any load frame or on a variety of structures. This system combines compact hardware components such as a portable laser source, fiber optics, spectrograph, charge-coupled device (CCD), and an X-Y-Z stage (with focusing capabilities) with a series of data analysis algorithms capable of analyzing and outputting high resolution photo-luminescent (PL) maps on-site. Through a proof of concept experiment using a compressed polycrystalline alumina sample with sharp machined corners, this system successfully captured high resolution PL maps with a step size of 28.86μm/pixel and located high stress concentrations in critical areas, which correlated closely with the results of a finite element model. This work represents an important step in advancing the portability of piezospectroscopy for in-situ and non-contact stress detection. The instrumentation developed here has strong implications for the future of non-destructive evaluation and non-invasive structural health monitoring.

Piezospectroscopic Measurements Capturing the Evolution of Plasma Spray-Coating Stresses with Substrate Loads

Plasma-spray coatings have a unique microstructure composed of various types of microcracks and weakly bonded interfaces which dictate their nonlinear mechanical properties. The intrinsic photo-luminescence (PL) characteristics of alpha-alumina (α-Al2O3) within these coatings offer a diagnostic functionality, enabling these properties to be probed experimentally at the microscale, under substrate loading. The piezospectroscopic (PS) measurements from the coatings are capable of revealing microstructural stress at high spatial resolution. Here, for the first time, the evolution of stresses within air plasma spray (APS) coatings under increasing substrate loads were captured using piezospectroscopy. With mechanical cycling of the substrate, the PS properties revealed anelastic and inelastic behavior and a relaxation of residual tensile stress within the APS coatings. With decreasing substrate thickness, the coating was observed to sustain more stress, as the substrates influence on the mechanical behavior decreased. The findings provide an insight into the microstructural response that can serve as the basis for model validation and subsequently drive the design process for these coatings.

Role of mechanical loads in inducing in-cycle tensile stress in thermally grown oxide

Experimental in situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction results tracking the strain behavior of the various layers during a cycle, under thermo-mechanical conditions are presented in this work. The quantitative strain measurements here show that the thermally grown oxide briefly experiences in-plane tensile stress (σ22=+36.4 MPa) with increased mechanical loading during ramp-up in the thermal cycle. These findings are the first in situ experimental observations of these strains under thermo-mechanical conditions, envisaged to serve as a catalyst for crack initiation. The depth resolved measurements of strain taken during applied thermal and mechanical load in this work are a significant step towards achieving realistic testing conditions.

Enhancement in ballistic performance of composite hard armor through carbon nanotubes

The use of carbon nanotubes in composite hard armor is discussed in this study. The processing techniques to make various armor composite panels consisting of Kevlar®29 woven fabric in an epoxy matrix and the subsequent V50 test results for both 44 caliber soft-point rounds and 30 caliber FSP (fragment simulated projectile) threats are presented. A 6.5% improvement in the V50 test results was found for a combination of 1.65 wt% loading of carbon nanotubes and 1.65 wt% loading of milled fibers. The failure mechanism of carbon nanotubes during the ballistic event is discussed through scanning electron microscope images of the panels after the failure. Raman Spectroscopy was also utilized to evaluate the residual strain in the Kevlar®29 fibers post shoot. The Raman Spectroscopy shows a Raman shift of 25 cm−1 for the Kevlar®29 fiber utilized in the composite panel that had an enhancement in the V50 performance by using milled fiber and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Evaluating both scenarios where an improvement was made and other panels without any improvement allows for understanding of how loading levels and synergistic effects between carbon nanotubes and milled fibers can further enhance ballistic performance.

Stress and structural damage sensing piezospectroscopic coatings validated with digital image correlation

The piezospectroscopic effect, relating a material’s stress state and spectral signature, has recently demonstrated tailorable sensitivity when the photo-luminescent alpha alumina is distributed in nanoparticulate form within a matrix. Here, the stress-sensing behavior of an alumina-epoxy nanoparticle coating, applied to a composite substrate in an open hole tension configuration, is validated with the biaxial strain field concurrently determined through digital image correlation. The coating achieved early detection of composite failure initiation at 77% failure load, and subsequently tracked stress distribution in the immediate vicinity of the crack as it progressed, demonstrating non-invasive stress and damage detection with multi-scale spatial resolution.