Lucideon's Burner Rig Test Facility is used to evaluate the performance of gas turbine materials in an oxidizing environment.  Small-scale samples of high-temperature coatings and substrates can be subjected to long-term exposures up to 1150°C, providing a cost-effective alternative to full-scale testing for materials screening and development.  The facility contains six independently-controlled test rigs, each comprising a small natural gas fuelled combustion system operating within the annulus of an electric tube furnace.  The tube furnaces are configured in a dual-zone arrangement to provide precise control over the supplemental heat to maintain temperatures in the work zone where test samples are located.  Fuel and compressed air flow are metered independently on each rig.  The facility is also equipped with a precision moisture injection system, which atomizes and pre-heats water vapor or other fluids for injection directly into the combustion zone.

Lucideon also has state-of-the-art equipment for high temperature erosion testing facilities which can be utilized to simulate hot erosion.  Testing conditions can be adjusted to simulate velocities up to 500 m/s, angles of impingement from 0° to 90°, and gas flow temperatures up to 1100°C.

Our experts provide complete metallographic preparation and metallurgical evaluation services for post-test analysis of coating and substrate performance, including White Light Interferometry (WLI) for nanometer resolution of erosion and oxidation surface characterization.