Laser Facilities

Laser Facilities

High power laser facilities at the NASA Glenn Research Center provide a unique way for high temperature materials testing under a variety of temperature and stress conditions. The facilities include 1.5 kW and 3.0 kW (wavelength 10.6 microns) CO₂ lasers , pyrometry and thermography temperature measurement instruments, and state-of-the-art PC data acquisition and control systems. Laser beam optic systems are incorporated to achieve various laser beam configurations and energy distributions.

3.0 kW CO₂ Laser

Laser Thermal Conductivity Rig

Sophisticated laser test rigs have been developed to achieve near-realistic transient and steady-state temperature and thermal gradients encountered in advanced engine systems. The test rigs include a 6 ATM (95 psi) high pressure laser test rig, a combined thermal and mechanical fatigue laser bend test rig, and high heat flux laser thermal conductivity rigs for simulated engine tests under aero, diesel and space propulsion engine conditions. Recent and ongoing investigations have focused on advanced thermal barrier and environmental barrier coating systems, ceramic coated combustor liners and CMC nozzle acoustic tiles for gas turbine and diesel engines, detonation chamber combustor materials for pulse detonation engines, as well as single crystal oxide refractive solar concentrators for space satellite propulsion applications.

These simulated engine mission tests have provided vital information for advanced materials development and insight into materials response and failure mechanisms under high heat flux conditions. The laser test rig systems have been successfully used to obtain critical material properties such as ceramic sintering and creep, thermal conductivity and elastic modulus change kinetics, thermal fatigue and thermal shock behavior under simulated engine conditions.

A coated button specimen under laser testing

Laser Bend Rig

Contact: Dr. Dongming Zhu or Dr. Bob Miller