Comparison of Thermal Barrier Coating Stresses via High Energy X-Rays and Piezospectroscopy

Abstract

Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBC) have been instrumental in advancing the performance and e�ciency of turbine engines over the last decades. The use of high temperature ce- ramics has allowed increased temperatures by way of protecting the load bearing blade substrate and extending its lifetime. Today there continues to exist the need to under- stand the behavior of the TBC to extend the life and performance of both the TBC and the underlying substrate blades. In this study, the TBC was examined by the use of optical spectroscopy and synchrotron X-Ray di�raction to understand the strain and stress expe- rienced by each of the layers in the coating. Raman and Photoluminescence spectroscopy were employed to examine the thermally grown oxide layer (TGO) and the ceramic top coat and to identify the in uence of variations in temperature distribution. X-Ray di�rac- tion measurements were conducted at the Advanced Photon Source, at Argonne National Laboratory allowing the in-situ investigation of variation in loading conditions including a representative ight cycle. A pre-aged specimen was used for di�raction measurements for a more mature oxide layer. Optical spectroscopy measurements provided high resolution stress maps of the oxide scale. The results from this study provide a more complete un- derstanding as to the behavior of the TBC and its development through the lifetime, and can serve to validate and further the development numerical models.