Micro-Scale Additive Manufacturing of Strain Gauges on Non-planar Surface of Jet Engine Blades: Extended Objectives

该项目是滑铁卢大学和通用电气航空公司合作项目的延伸，该合作项目的目标是将添加制造(AM)技术应用于喷气发动机叶片非平面表面的应变计制造。鉴于微型气溶胶-喷气调幅提供的机会以及健康监测、载荷检测以及关键航空航天部件的有效应变和振动测量的重要性，提出了该项目的第一阶段，结果是向通用电气披露了14项技术，其中7项可能申请专利保护。**在这个扩展的CRD项目中，将进行几个剩余的挑战，包括彻底的故障分析、打印工艺优化以及低温(基于银)和高温打印(基于钯-铬)的温度补偿方法。另一个目标是开发适用于高温印刷仪表的焊丝焊接程序、用于创建绝缘层的新的溶胶凝胶法，以及用于打印最高可达1200°C的仪表的新型油墨。此外，GE团队将在恶劣和高温环境下对喷气发动机叶片上的低温和高温应变片进行彻底的静态、动态和振动测试。**喷气发动机叶片应变片的喷雾喷雾调幅的好处是巨大的。与可以安装在表面上的商业应变传感器相比，打印的传感器将被微型化。预计气溶胶喷射式AM应变仪将提供高分辨率测量，因为它们的微型尺寸和高打印分辨率将允许每表面积有更大的传感器密度，从而最有可能提供连续测量。**如果这项技术成功，结果将是普遍的，并将产生深远而广泛的影响。许多行业将受益于更多按需小型化的印刷应变计，最直接的例子是航空航天以外的汽车行业，因为它们的集成无源传感器。**

This project is an extension to a collaborative project between the University of Waterloo and GE Aviation in which the aim has been to deploy additive manufacturing (AM) to the fabrication of strain gauges on the non-planar surface of jet engine blades. Given the opportunities provided by Micro-Scale Aerosol-Jet AM and also the importance of health monitoring, load detection, and effective strain and vibration measurements in critical aerospace parts, the first phase of the project was proposed resulting in 14 technology disclosures to GE from which 7 might be filed for patent protection. **In this extended CRD project, several remaining challenges including a thorough failure analysis, printing process optimization along with temperature compensation methods for low temperature (Ag-based) and high temperature printed gauges (Pd-Cr based) will be conducted. Development of a proper wire soldering procedure for high temperature printed gauges, a new sol-gel method for the creation of insulation layer, and development of a new ink to print gauges that can stand up to 1200°C are other objectives. In addition, thorough static, dynamic and vibration tests on low and high temperature strain gauges on jet engine blades in harsh and high temperature environments will be conducted by the GE team. **The benefit of aerosol-jet AM of strain gauges for jet engine blades is tremendous. The printed sensors will be miniaturized compared to commercially available strain sensors that can be mounted on the surface. It is also expected that aerosol-jet AM strain gauges will provide high resolution measurements because their micro-size and high printing resolution will allow a larger sensor density per surface area, thus most likely providing continuous measurement.**The outcome of this technology, if successful, will be pervasive and will have a deep and broad impact. Many industries will benefit from more on-demand miniaturized printed strain gauges, with the most immediate example beyond aerospace being the automotive industry, for their integrated passive sensors. **