On the kinetics of thermal oxidation of the thermographic phosphor BaMgAL10O17:Eu

Decreased photoluminescence of the phosphor BaMgAL10O17:Eu due to oxidation of the europium dopant at high temperatures has been a subject of study for many years in relation to its use in lighting applications. However, understanding of the underlying effects that cause this reduction in photoluminescence remains incomplete and some of the mechanisms proposed in the literature are contradictory. Recent use of this phosphor as a thermal history sensor has extended the range of exposure conditions normally investigated in lighting applications to higher temperatures and multiple exposure times. The kinetics of the process were investigated by means of spectroscopy and material characterisation techniques. It was found that changes in the luminescence are the result of two simultaneous processes: the oxidation of Eu2+ ions (through a process of diffusion) and a phase transition. The level of degradation of the phosphor is suggested to follow the Kolmogorov-Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (KJMA) model above 900 °C and thus can be predicted with knowledge of the exposure time and temperature. This is useful in applications of the phosphor as a temperature sensor

A detailed characterization of BaMgAl10O17 : Eu phosphor as a thermal history sensor for harsh environments

Knowledge of component temperatures in gas turbines is essential for the design of thermal management systems and to maintain the lifetime of highly loaded parts as the firing temperature increases in pursuit of improved thermal efficiency. When on-line methods such as pyrometers and thermocouples are not suitable, a thermal history sensor can be used to record the maximum temperatures and read them out after operation. Currently, temperature sensitive paints are applied to obtain temperature profiles in gas turbine components but they present some limitations. A new method based on irreversible changes in the optical properties of thermographic phosphors can potentially overcome some of these difficulties. In particular, a sensor based on the oxidation of europium based phosphors has shown great potential. In this work the temperature sensing capabilities of the phosphor BaMgAl10O17:Eu are investigated in the temperature range from 700 °C to 1200 °C, and suitable measurands defined. The influence of practical factors comprising excitation fluence, exposure time, dopant concentration, cooling down time and atmosphere composition, on measurement accuracy and sensitivity are also reported

Development of an optical thermal history coating sensor based on the oxidation of a divalent rare earth ion phosphor

The measurement of temperatures in gas turbines, boilers, heat exchangers and other components exposed to hot gases is essential to design energy efficient systems and improve maintenance procedures. When on-line measurements, such as those performed with thermocouples and pyrometers, are not possible or inconvenient, the maximum temperatures of operation can be recorded and measured off-line after operation. Although thermal paints have been used for many years for this purpose, a novel technique based on irreversible changes in the optical properties of thermographic phosphors, can overcome some of the disadvantages of previous methods.In particular, oxidation of the divalent rare earth ion phosphor BaMgAl10O17:Eu (BAM:Eu) has shown great potential for temperature sensing between 700 °C and 1200 °C. The emission spectra of this phosphor change with temperature, which permits to define an intensity ratio between different lines in the spectra that can be used as a measurand of the temperature. In this paper, the study of the sensing capabilities of a sensor coating based on BAM:Eu phosphor material is addressed for the first time. The sensitivity of the intensity ratio is investigated in the temperature range from 800 °C to 1100 °C, and is proved to be affected by ionic diffusion of transition metals from the substrate. The use of an interlayer made of zirconia proves efficient in reducing ionic diffusion and coatings with this diffusion barrier present sensitivity comparable to that of the powder material

Sparse-Lagrangian PDF Modelling of Silica Synthesis from Silane Jets in Vitiated Co-flows with Varying Inflow Conditions

This paper presents a comparison of experimental and numerical results for a series of turbulent reacting jets where silica nanoparticles are formed and grow due to surface growth and agglomeration. We use large-eddy simulation coupled with a multiple mapping conditioning approach for the solution of the transport equation for the joint probability density function of scalar composition and particulate size distribution. The model considers inception based on finite-rate chemistry, volumetric surface growth and agglomeration. The sub-models adopted for these particulate processes are the standard ones used by the community. Validation follows the “paradigm shift” approach where elastic light scattering signals (that depend on particulate number and size), OH- and SiO-LIF signals are computed from the simulation results and compared with “raw signals” from laser diagnostics. The sensitivity towards variable boundary conditions such as co-flow temperature, Reynolds number and precursor doping of the jet is investigated. Agreement between simulation and experiments is very good for a reference case which is used to calibrate the signals. While keeping the model parameters constant, the sensitivity of the particulate size distribution on co-flow temperature is predicted satisfactorily upstream although quantitative differences with the data exist downstream for the lowest coflow temperature case that is considered. When the precursor concentration is varied, the model predicts the correct direction of the change in signal but notable qualitative and quantitative differences with the data are observed. In particular, the measured signals show a highly non-linear variation while the predictions exhibit a square dependence on precursor doping at best. So, while the results for the reference case appear to be very good, shortcomings in the standard submodels are revealed through variation of the boundary conditions. This demonstrates the importance of testing complex nanoparticle synthesis models on a flame series to ensure that the physical trends are correctly accounted for