Printing Embedded Sensors for Turbine Blades by Electro-spraying Polymer Derived Ceramics

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This award provides funding for the realization of a new technology for direct printing of low-profile ceramic sensors onto curved surfaces such as turbine blades. In the proposed process a liquid phase polymer precursor ink will be electrosprayed, cured, and pyrolyzed to yield a surface-conformed ceramic sensor element. To be amenable to printing, special consideration of the ink rheology and electrical conductivity is required. The research plan is a combination of experiments and modeling of the electrospray process with consideration of sensor functionality, device resolution and durability.The research results could find broad use where surface conformance and low profile are needed for sensor applications in harsh environments such as power plants, nuclear reactors, coal mines and aircraft. The proposed printing method has the potential manufacturing advantages of being rapid and low-cost. The focus here will be on turbine blades and successful completion would enable real time, in situ thermal and mechanical measurements in turbines which operate at increasingly higher temperatures. Acquired data would enable enhanced engine control, health monitoring, and design optimization as well as contribute to improved efficiency and reliability during operation. Graduate students will be directly involved in the project and K-12 students will benefit from classroom demonstration of advanced printing process concepts.