Modelling and Experimental Validation of the Flame Temperature Profile in Atmospheric Plasma Coating Processes on the Substrate

This work presents a characterisation model for the temperature distribution at different substrate depths during the atmospheric plasma spray (APS) coating process. The torch heat flow in this model is simulated as forced convection defined by a surface, a temperature profile, and a convection coefficient. The simulation model considers three plasma temperature profiles of the Al2O3 coating on a 5 mm thickness flat aluminium substrate. The simple and low-cost experimental procedure, based on a thermocouple, measures the plasma plume temperature distribution of the APS coating system, and their results are used to obtain the parameter values of each of the three proposed plasma temperature profiles. The experimental method for in situ non-contact temperature measurements inside the substrate is based on an infrared pyrometry technique and validates the simulation results. The Gaussian temperature profile shows excellent accuracy with the measured temperatures. The Gaussian approach could be a powerful tool for predicting residual stress through a coupled one-way thermal-mechanical analysis of the APS process.