Compact fiber-coupled UV-NIR hyperspectral imaging sensor for characterizing ultra-high temperature ceramic materials

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optical Engineering
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Ultra-high-temperature ceramics (UHTCs) are crucial for extreme environments.
• Characterizing UHTC behavior under high heat flux is challenging.
• Remote, in-situ monitoring of material degradation is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop a compact fiber-coupled hyperspectral imaging sensor (HSIS) for UV-NIR wavelengths.
• To remotely record 2D spectrally resolved thermal radiation and chemiluminescent emission from UHTCs.
• To analyze material ablation and heat distribution in UHTCs under high heat flux.

Main Methods:

• System design and optimization using simulations for improved collection efficiency and reduced aberrations.
• Construction and characterization of the HSIS sensor.
• 2D spectrally resolved measurements of simultaneous thermal radiation and BO2* chemiluminescence from HfB2-SiC UHTC.

Main Results:

• Simultaneous measurement of thermal radiation and BO2* chemiluminescence achieved.
• BO2* chemiluminescence directly correlates with UHTC ablation.
• Chemiluminescence indicates the formation of protective heat-resistant layers.
• Temperature measurements reveal heat distribution and potential chemiluminescence sites.

Conclusions:

• The developed HSIS is effective for characterizing UHTCs under high heat flux.
• HSIS can monitor material ablation and the formation of protective oxide layers.
• The sensor shows promise for practical applications in arc-jet facilities with limited optical access.