Exhaust Gas Trace Species Detection System for Turbine Engines

Sponsored by: Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC), and Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS)
Team Member: University of Maryland, College Park

AITHER, with subcontractor University of Maryland at College Park (UMD), is developing a Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) system for engine exhaust monitoring. The LIBS system is designed to detect metallic wear debris particles in the engine exhaust stream. The LIBS system is capable of performing material identification through signal processing analysis of the collected atomic emission spectra. Diagnostic algorithms are currently under development to identify engine components experiencing high levels of wear. A data archive for previous engine test data will be developed to enable comparative testing of individual engines or engine classes.

The LIBS system is well suited for measurement of trace species at relatively high sampling rates. The system can sample at rates up to 30 Hz and can detect a variety of metallic particulates corresponding to single size particles of roughly 100 to 250 nm primary particle size. These detection limits should thus be more than sufficient to detect wear debris particles, which are expected to be in the 500 nm to 2 micron size range. Elements that can be sensitively measured using LIBS include Al, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cs, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Se, Ti, and V, among others.

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Contact us to learn how LIBS technology may be your sensing solution.