A thin film multifunction sensor for harsh environments

The status of work at NASA Glenn Research Center to develop a minimally intrusive integrated sensor to provide real-time measurement of strain, heat flux and flow in high temperature environments is presented in this paper. The sensor can be beneficial as a single package to characterize multiple stress and strain modes simultaneously on materials and components during engine development and validation. A major technical challenge is to take existing individual gauge designs and modify them into one integrated thin film sensor. Ultimately, the goal is to develop the ability to deposit the sensors directly onto internal engine parts or on a small thin substrate that can be attached to engine components. Several prototype sensors constructed of platinum, platinum-rhodium alloy, and alumina on constant-strain alumina beams have been built and bench-tested. The technical challenges of the design, construction, and testing are discussed. Data from the preliminary testing of the sensor array is presented. The future direction for the sensor development is discussed as well.