A Prototype Software Tool for Life Time Assessment of Thermal Barrier Coating Systems

Abstract:

The modeling equations used for spallation prediction are becoming increasingly more sophisticated due to the consideration of a wider range of thermal and thermo-mechanical loading conditions. Consequently, a software application would make such life time models more practical and may become a desired tool that both academic and applied researchers may want to use. As a starting point for further development a prototype software has been developed based on a simple phenomenological spallation analysis model. This software features a Windows based graphical user interface and works with other Windows applications, such as, Power Point, Excel or Origin. The software analyzes laboratory spallation life time data acquired from isothermal, thermal cyclic and/or burner rig testing and provides confidence limits and accuracy assessment of the analysis model. It further calculates the life time for a given bond coat temperature, temperature gradient across the coating, and thermal cycle frequency.