Title: High resolution imaging and analysis of residual elastic strain in an additively manufactured turbine blade

Authors: Henry J. Kirkwood; Shu Yan Zhang; Anton S. Tremsin; Tan Sui; Alexander M. Korsunsky; Brian Abbey

Addresses: ARC Centre of Excellence for Advanced Molecular Imaging, Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute of Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, 3086, Australia ' Science & Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Oxford, Didcot Oxfordshire, OX11 0X, UK ' Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA ' Department of Engineering Sciences, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PJ, UK ' Department of Engineering Sciences, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PJ, UK ' ARC Centre of Excellence for Advanced Molecular Imaging, Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute of Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, 3086, Australia

Abstract: Using recently developed microchannel plate (MCP) neutron area detectors at a pulsed neutron source provides a method of fast non-destructive imaging and characterisation of advanced materials at unprecedented spatial resolution. The energy resolved neutron transmission spectrum can be found from the neutron time of flight (ToF), this provides valuable information about the crystallographic structure within the sample such as the average residual elastic strain in the incident beam direction. By measuring this spectrum at a number of sample orientations information is built up about the strain distribution throughout the specimen. The energy-resolved neutron transmission spectrum of an additively manufactured turbine blade was measured at the Engin-X instrument, ISIS, UK. A high resolution three-dimensional reconstruction of the neutron attenuation coefficient of the blade was recovered, then analysis of the energy resolved spectrum gave insight into the underlying residual elastic strain profile imparted by the advanced manufacturing process.

Keywords: tomographic imaging; residual elastic strain; neutron transmission; Bragg-edge measurement; microchannel plates; MCPs; additive manufacturing; advanced materials; high resolution imaging; turbine blade manufacturing; turbine blades; neutron attenuation coefficient; advanced manufacturing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2017.082460

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2017 Vol.14 No.1/2/3/4/5/6, pp.166 - 178

Published online: 24 Feb 2017 *

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