Eric M Jordan

US Patent:

20130062323, Mar 14, 2013

Filed:

Nov 16, 2010

Appl. No.:

13/509971

Inventors:

Waled T. Hassan - Indianapolis IN, US
William J. Brindley - Hebron CT, US
Eric H. Jordan - Storrs CT, US
Michael W. Renfro - Manchester CT, US

Assignee:

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT - Farmington CT
ROLLS-ROYCE CORPORATION - Indianapolis IN

International Classification:

B23K 26/38

US Classification:

21912162

Abstract:

Systems and techniques are disclosed for removing contaminants from a surface of a thermal barrier coating (TBC) and, optionally, estimating the remaining lifetime of the TBC. Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is one method that may be used to remove contaminants from a surface the TBC prior to performing photo luminescence piezo spectroscopy (PLPS) or another spectroscopic technique on a thermally grown oxide (TGO). LIBS may facilitate monitoring substantially in real-time the chemical composition of the material removed. LIBS may be used to remove substantially only the contaminants with minimal effects on the underlying TBC. One technique for determining when to stop removal of material from the TBC is cross-correlation between a spectrum collected from the ablated material and a reference spectrum collected from a reference substrate. In some embodiments, the same system may be used to perform LIBS to remove impurities and PLPS to measure stress in the TGO.

US Patent:

20080173641, Jul 24, 2008

Filed:

Jan 17, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/015842

Inventors:

Kamal Hadidi - Somerville MA, US
Baki M. Cetegen - Glastonbury CT, US
Eric Jordan - Storrs-Mansfield CT, US
Paul Woskov - Bedford MA, US

International Classification:

H05B 6/70

US Classification:

219690, 21912136

Abstract:

A microwave plasma apparatus for processing a material includes a plasma chamber, a microwave radiation source, and a waveguide guiding microwave radiation from the microwave radiation source to the plasma chamber. A process gas flows through the plasma chamber and the microwave radiation couples to the process gas to produce a plasma jet. A process material is introduced to the plasma chamber, becomes entrained in the plasma jet, and is thereby transformed to a stream of product material droplets or particles. The product material droplets or particles are substantially more uniform in size, velocity, temperature, and melt state than are droplets or particles produced by prior devices.