NASA Technical Memorandum 107286

Temperature Measurement Involving

Nanostructured Thermal Barrier Coating

Using a Multiwavelength Pyrometer

Daniel Ng

Lewis Research Center

Cleveland, Ohio

July 1996

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT INVOLVING NANOSTRUCTURED

THERMAL BARRIER COATING

USING A MULTIWAVELENGTH PYROMETER

DANIEL NG

NASA Lewis Research Center

Cleveland, OH 44135

Introduction

It has been reported that erroneous results were obtained when a conventional pyrometer was used

to measure the surface temperature of turbine engine components. Temperatures discrepancies were

observed in components which were identical, except that one had its measured surface covered by a

nanostructured thermal barrier coating (TBC) whereas the other component's surface was not so

coated. These components were placed in an identical environment, receiving identical heat fluxes.

A pyrometer measured the TBC covered surface hundreds degrees lower. These coatings were about

25 Bm thick, consisting of hundreds of layers of finer structures. The TBCs had very low thermal

conductivity, heat flux calculations indicated that the temperatures of the coated surface should

exhibit much higher temperature than the uncoated surface. Because these coatings were transparent

to radiation from the visible to the infrared region, the temperatures measured by the pyrometer

should be the temperature of the covered surface. Turbo components' performance and service life

depend critically on the temperatures that it would experience, it is therefore important to know

accurately and confidently the real surface temperature. Out of these concerns, an investigation into

the measurement of nanostructured material surface temperature was carried out.

Method

Because it is difficult to know accurately the temperature of a surface beneath these coatings, in order

to verify the accuracy of a pyrometry measurement, we designed a functionally equivalent experiment

to investigate the issue of temperature measurement through nanostructured TBC. The

multiwavelength pyrometer was calibrated using a black body furnace whose controlled stable

temperature is measured accurately by a thermocouple. Nanostructured TBC coatings (thickness

about 25 ]am) are deposited on sapphire disks 25 mm in diameter and 3 mm thick. The nanostructure

coated sapphire disk is positioned in the opening of a black body furnace. The multiwavelength

pyrometer views the furnace opening at 90* incidence. Because the sapphire is transparent and nonemitting in the less than 5 ]_m spectral region, temperature measurement obtained using radiation

in this region would give the temperature of the black body furnace. Measurement of the furnace

temperature through the sapphire nanostructure combination is therefore equivalent to temperature

measurement of turbo components beneath nanostructure TBCs.

Results

Radiation of the black body furnace is received by the multiwavelength pyrometer (1) directly, (2)

through a plain sapphire disk, and (3) through a nanostructure TBC coated sapphire disk. These

radiation spectra are shown in Figure 1. The black body furnace is at a temperature of 1334 K

measured by a thermocouple. The apparent transmission coefficients of the plain sapphire disk and

the nanostructure coated sapphire disks were obtained by dividing the respective spectrum by the

direct spectrum of the black body furnace (Figure 2). These transmission coefficients show large

fluctuations at the shorter wavelength region due to the poor signal to noise of the multiwavelength

pyrometer detector in this spectral region at that temperature. We will show how the temperature

of the furnace can be obtained from the spectra shown in Figure 1.

(1) Transmission of Radiation by Nanostructure

The nanostructure coating is a proprietary material. Its exact structure, chemical composition and

manufacture process are not revealed by the manufacturer. It is known only that its total thickness

1
is about 25 tun, consisting of hundreds of alternating layers of at least two materials. Based on these

two pieces of information, we attempt to analyze the transmission mechanism.

The transmissionformulafora generalk-layeredstructure,with k+l interfacesisgivenas a ratioof

two finitequantitiesgiven b_ I)

tIt2t3 ..... tk+lexp (-i [_i +_2 + .... +_k] )

• - (i)

I+_ rll. r12 .... exp (-2i [_11-_12+ .... ] )

_v=_z+_2 + .... _v-z, v=2,3 .... k+l; _z=O (2)

where t,,t2 ....arethe transmissionatthe boundary interfaces,and rl,r2 ....arethe reflectionatthese

interfaces, the summation in the denominator is over all the possible even products of r1 r 2 ... The

statement "all the possible" means one must take all monotonic subsets of

11<12 .... <i s (3)

where S=2,4,6 .... , but never exceeding k+l, and

_i=2_ 2di 1 (4)

n i l

is the phase difference experienced by radiation of wavelength k passing through a layer, ni is the

nanostructure layer's refractive index, and _ the thickness of the nanostructure layer. For k=l, the

case of a single layer, we have the familiar transmission formula (2)

tIt2ex p (-i_)

_= (5)

1 +rzr2exp (-2i_)

for a single layer interference filter.

Eqn. 1 can be interpreted in the following way: the numerator describes the magnitude of transmitted

radiation through the nanostructured layers, and the denominator expresses the constructive and

destructive interference of radiation as it passes back and forth through the many layers of the

material that makes up the TBC. The wiggles in the transmission curve is manifestation of the

interference process. Under most application situations, the denominator is too complicated to write

down explicitly in closed form.

Assume that the nanostructure has just 2 different compositional layers, one of them acting as a thin

separation boundary and the pattern repeated. There are thus k pairs. For the i-th one, ti is the

result of scattering through this pair. In the nanostructure, the thickness of this layer pair is d/k,

where d is now the total thickness of the nanostructure layers, and k the number of pairs in them.

The nanostructure is considered to be a collection of scatterers with a density of N per unit volume.

Each scatterer has a scattering cross section a, the radiation that is scattered away by them is Nad/k.

For a unit intensity input, the unscattered fraction will be transmitted, therefore %=l-Nad/k, the final

fraction that is transmitted after passing through k of them is (1-N<_d/k) k. When k is large, this

becomes exp(-Nad).

In the propagationofultrasonicwaves in solids,the acousticenergy isattenuatedaccordingto the

square ofthe frequency (frequencyisinverselyproportionalto _.)due to defects.Ifwe considerthe

nanostructureasa collectionofdefectsasfaras radiationpropagationisconcerned,itisexpectedthat

the same processwould produce similaropticaltransmissiondependence.

The transmissions of plain sapphire and nanostructure coated sapphire are shown in Figure 2. The

transmissionofsapphireisuniform throughoutthe measurement spectralregion.The nanostructure

transmissionindeed exhibitedstrongspectralvariation.A plotofLn(_)k2 vs _,isshown in Figure 3

inwhich a constantstraightlineisobtainedforwavelength above 1 Inn,thus indicatingthe presence

2
of a term inversely proportional to the square of the wavelength. The indication of possible 1/X4

wavelength dependence at wavelength shorter than 1 tun is also possible because it would indicate

Rayleigh scattering,but it might be just due to poor signal to noise in that region there. The peaks

and valleys beyond 3 inn are due to the interference effectspresent in the nanostructure. For our

analysis,we assume that the wavelength dependence of nanostructure scatteringis inverse square in

nature and is expressed as

rnano (_ ) =_ sap (_ )exp(_Nd_ ) (6)

where zup(_)is the transmission of the sapphire on which the nanostructure is deposited, (x is a

constant.

(2)Temperature Determination from a Sapphire Transmitted Black Body Radiation Spectrum

The sapphire transmitted radiation spectrum is described by Planck's law of black body radiation(s)

L,:_ Ci 1 =r Clexp(_c2/_.T ) 1 (7)

^ As exp(c2/IT) -i _ I.s l-exp(-c2/IT)

where c,,c_ are the radiation constants, I._and % the radiation intensity and transmissivity of the

optical medium at wavelength k between the pyrometer and the radiation source, e.g.the plain

sapphire disk.

For data analysis,this equation is rewritten as

(8)

)ts Lt][_ L l-exp(--i-T) _ I_ i Ln(_t)

c_/ l ] c2/ i r c 2

This is the working equation ofthe traditional l-colorpyrometer analysis method which would require

knowing the emissivity,which in this case is the transmissivity, but in multiwavelength pyrometry,

we do not need to know this value to determine temperature. Because the quantity (l-exp(-c_T)) is

practicallyunity at short wavelengths, the logarithm of which would be zero,Eqn. 8 says that the plot

of the data y=Ln(c,/(_.SL_))/(c_)as a function of I (in the Wien approximation of Planck's law) would

be a straight line ifLn(q) is wavelength independent, and the slope is Ln(z)/c2. The intercept of the

straight line at _=0 is l/T, the reciprocal of the unknown temperature. If the transmissivity is not

independent of k but known at each wavelength, Eqn. I can be used to calculatethe many values of

T at the differentwavelengths, and the results averaged. Figure 4 c/earlyindicates that the plotted

data at the shortest wavelength is a straightline. The intercept derived temperature is 1332 I_ The

data deviates from the straight line for wavelengths longer than 2 tun. If the data is modified to

include the quantity (1-exp(-c_T)), the straight line then describes the data well beyond 3 _un with

a corresponding determined temperature of 1334 K, exactly as measured by a thermocouple for the

furnace temperature.

(3) Temperature Determination from the Nanostructure Transmitted Radiation Spectrum

Because the transmission of nanostructure is given by Eqn. 6, Eqn. 8 when used to describe

nanostructure becomes

_5 LA}.[_ i i _D_ _ _ _,_Tsa f(_) ]

)-r+-f c2

We have neglected the correction(l-exp(-c_T)) term in thisformula. The logarithm of the sapphire

transmission term can also be ignored because itis almost unity the logarithm of which is therefore
almost zero. Eqn. 9 therefore says, the quantity on the left is inversely proportional to wavelength.

When the data is plotted as a function of inverse wavelength, a straight line is obtained (Figure 5).

The slope is the quantity Ndcqc.2. In this way, the scattering coefficient Nda is determined. The

intercept of this straight at zero inverse wavelength (_---_) is the inverse temperature. From this

intercept, we obtained a temperature 1304 K, which differs from the correct furnace temperature by

3O Ir_

Because the exponential coefficient (Nda) in Eqn. 6 is determinable from the slope, we use its

determined value in this formula, and adjusting the sapphire transmission as an adjustable constant

to least squares fit the data to Eqn. 7 to obtain the furnace temperature. The temperature obtained

is 1335 K, almost exactly the TC temperature of the furnace. The resulting curve fit is shown in

Figure 6.

Conclusion

Temperature measurement of nanostructure coated turbo machinery surfaces were reported to be in

error when done using traditional pyrometers. The measurement error was found to be due to an

inverse square wavelength depending transmission of radiation by the nanostructure. We showed that

the multiwavelength pyrometer measured the temperature of an object behind or beneath a

nanostructure coating from the spectrum of radiation transmitted through it. The multiwavelength

pyrometer made use of it ability to analyze the transmitted radiation, determine its spectral

dependence, determine the magnitude of its transmission coefficient, to derive a transmission formula

for the nanostructure and to use it to determine the temperature accurately. The multiwavelength

pyrometer measured the surface temperature by two approaches: (1) by an intercept method and (2)

by a more accurate curve fitting method. At 1334 K, the error was 30 K compared to hundreds of K

by traditional pyrometers using the intercept method and 1 K using the curve fitting method.

Reference

.

2.

3.

Zdenek, Knittl, Optics of Thin Films, John Wiley & Sons.

Rossi, Bruno, 1957.

DeWitt, D.P., Nutter, G.D., Theory and Practice of Radiation Thermometry, John Wiley &

Sons, New York, 1988.

4
FigureCaption

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

BB Spectraviewed i)directly,2)through sapphire,3)through Nanostructured TBC.

Transmission ofsapphireand nanostructure.

Wavelength dependence ofnanostructuretransmission.

Plotofsapphiretransmittedspectrum vs wavelength.

Plotofnanostructuretransmittedspectrum vs inversewavelength.

Fittedspectrum ofnanostructuretransmitteddata.
6
I

o.

/

J I

0

+ + ÷ ÷ +

+

., ...+ .- +._._÷_, .--

• oe eP

I ' I ' I

NOI£11/_£NVEI.L

q

0

IZ

ILl

.-I

iii

I=

0

,@

q-,

0

1=

0

1"41

I,_

em
Z

_w

ZZ

_w

n,n

_-W

W D

n'I

OZ

_LU

n'--

_LU

Z

I'1'1

0 00

o,P_

I'I'I'I'I

I

_ (uo!ss!tusueJ_)ul

' I ' I

•q" (D

! !

u')

m

§

u

¢3

o

=

N

elm

8
W

-r-_

LUZ

LUg"

FIo0o

I I I'I

(_oo

0o0

ooo

•o

B

II

._

o

oo

0mm

9
0 nO 0 I0 0 I0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

8.

- !

0

0 o

m

10
11
REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE J Form OMB Approved No. 0704-0188

PiJo4icreposing _en tot this collection of Infom_k_. _ _-_mamd to.aver_ l how p_..r_l_, includk_.g_ _ lot f_L_;r_,h_-_, ___,-_ _k____R__s_oun_/_

g=hedng and rnalnminin_the data needed, am comp_mg _ revmmg Ihe ¢011ec_onm ,mom=¢_. _ _o_'mlpnmr.ega,'?mgm_ ou_m., m F any om_._.aal_. = m=

coaoctionof information,incimlingsuggestionsfor reducingth_ burden,to WashlzlgtonHeadquarters _8_v_, D_.ratp tor_,m._.__._e_r_... _ .Hepon_ _z_b Jene_on

Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington,VA 22202-4302, and to the Off'solo_ Mana_t and BtXlget, Paperwork HeouctlonP'rojo_ (u/uu_Ol_), wasmngton, _ _.

1. AGENCY USE OHLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORTDATE 3, REPORT TYPE AND DATES COV,-H_u

July 1996 Teclmical Memorandum

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5. FUNDING NUMBERS

Temperature Measurement Involving Nanosmcmred Thermal Barrier Coating

Using a Mulfiwavelength Pyrometer

6. AUTHOR(S)

Daniel Ng

7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Lewis Research Center

Cleveland, Ohio 44135-3191

9. SPONSORING/MONITORINGAGENCYNAME(S)ANDADDRESS(ES)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Washington, D.C. 20546-0001

WU-505--63-12

8. PEFIFORMING ORGANIZATION

REPORT NUMBER

E-10361

10. SPONSORING/MONITORING

AGENCY REPORT NUMBER

NASA TM- 107286

11. SUPPLEMENTARYNOTES

Responsible person, Daniel Ng, organization code 2510, (216) 433-3622.

12a. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. Di_l HiSUTION CODE

Unclassified - Unlimited

Subject Category 35

This publication is available from the NASA Center for AeroSpace Information, (301) 621-0390

13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words)

It has been reported that en_oneous results were obtained when a conventional pyrometer was used to measure the surface

temperature of turbine engine components. Temperatures discrepancies were observed in components which were

identical, except that one had its measured surface covered by a nanostructured thermal barrier coating (TBC) whereas the

other component's surface was not so coated. These components were placed in an identical environment, receiving

identical heat fluxes. A pyrometer measured the TBC covered surface hundreds degrees lower. These coatings were about

25 I.tm dtick, consisting of hundreds of layers of finer structures. The TBCs had very low thermal conductivity, heat flux

calculations indicated that the temperatures of the coated surface should exhibit much higher temperature than the uncoated surface. Because these coatings were transparent to radiation from the visible to the infrared region, the temperatures measured by the pyrometer should be the temperature of the covered surface. Turbo components' performance and

service life depend critically on the temperatures that it would experience, it is therefore important to know accurately and

confidently the real surface temperature. Out of these concerns, an investigation into the measurement of nanostructured

material surface temperature was carried out.

14. SUBJECTTERMS

Temperature; Pyrometer; Nanostructure; Optical transmission

17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

OF REPORT

Unclassified

NSN 7540-01-280-5500

18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

OF THIS PAGE

Unclassified

19, SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

OF ABSTRACT

Unclassified

15. NUMBER OF PAGES

13

16. PRICE CODE

A03

20. LIMITATION OF AB_,iHACT

Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89)

Ptesaribed by ANSI Std. Z39-18

296-102

_ _o

w ¢I)

c c Ox- -'_9,o

_ ,_,__:___

f ,m =

0

z ¢_

e

¢-

3