A thin film coating for phosphor thermography

Phosphor thermography is a laser-induced fluorescence method utilized for t he temperature sensing of rotating components within inhospitable environme nts. Results presented here show that thin film coatings for thermographic sensors have a much higher durability than conventional thick film coatings . Room-temperature measurements demonstrate that the intensity of the lumin escent emission from thin films is equivalent to that from thick films. Lif etime measurements carried out at 1200 degrees C show that thin films survi ved for up to ten hours, whereas thick film samples survived for less than one. More importantly, post-run measurements of thin films indicate little degradation in the intensity of the fluorescent signal. This illustrates th e capability of thin film sensors for remote temperature sensing.