Sensor Coating Systems
University of Cambridge

Accurately measuring temperatures across turbine components is crucial in the aviation and power generation industries, where extreme heat can affect performance, safety, and equipment lifespan. Existing post exposure measurement techniques each involve trade-offs: thermal paints provide full surface coverage but only indicate broad temperature ranges, while thermal crystals offer precise temperature values but only at discrete points. As a result, important thermal gradients across a surface can be overlooked.

Thermal History Coatings (THCs) provide a proven way to record the maximum temperatures components have experienced. When exposed to laser light, the coatings emit light that reveals their thermal history. However, the current approach to measuring THCs relies on capturing one point at a time, making the process inherently slow and limiting resolution.

Carl's project aims to revolutionise temperature measurement by developing an advanced imaging system that can capture thermal data across entire surfaces simultaneously. Instead of measuring individual points, this system will collect millions of temperature measurements at once, dramatically increasing both speed and accuracy. The technology combines high-speed imaging with laser excitation to detect thermal gradients that current methods miss, whilst incorporating 3D mapping that will help align temperature data with component designs.

This research could transform industrial temperature measurement by reducing collection times from weeks to minutes whilst providing far more detailed thermal maps. The enhanced accuracy and speed will help companies improve safety, reduce maintenance costs, extend component lifespans, and ultimately optimise performance whilst reducing environmental impact.

Biography

Following his Mechanical Engineering degree at Coventry, Carl completed a first-class Master's in Robotics and AI from UCL, graduating top of his class and receiving the 'Best Student Award' from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. This led to his role as Electro-Mechanical Engineer at Raspberry Pi, where he designed and evaluated camera sensors, optimising image processing and enhancing data accuracy. Carl then joined Sensor Coating Systems (SCS), developing novel phosphor thermometry instrumentation for aerospace applications. Alongside his work at SCS, Carl is completing a PhD with Cambridge's Reacting Flows Group, applying his expertise in imaging and automation to advance thermal history coating measurements for gas turbine technology.