This project will develop the metrological framework necessary to fully instrument and monitor high temperature solid particle erosion testing. This framework and metrological toolbox will be used and implemented on a test system designed to perform HTSPE tests at temperatures up to 900 °C and with particle velocities up to 300 ms^-1. Being fully instrumented, in terms of temperature measurement, velocity measurement, with fully characterised particles (size, shape and distribution) will enable improved control and precision for HTSPE tests, leading to improved understanding of material performance, mechanism of HTSPE and the transition points between different mechanisms with respect to the different variable parameters.

Ultimately, the metrological framework to be developed in this project will facilitate the delivery of critical input parameters and physical understanding to enable the development of improved mechanistic and phenomenological based models for a materials behaviour and performance under HTSPE conditions.

To achieve these goals, the following technical and scientific objectives must be met:

• Measurement of the volume of erosion through in-situ sensors, capable of measuring depth of damage to a resolution of 1 µm enabling on-line measurement of the erosion rate.
• In-situ measurement of the velocity of high temperature erodent particles and its distribution. The volume of damage in erosion is dependent on the velocity of the erodent particles, so improved accuracy of measurement will significantly reduce the uncertainty of measurement.
• High speed measurement of the temperature of high velocity erosive particles and the supporting gas stream at temperatures up to 1000 °C. The performance of materials is critically dependent on temperature because of changes in temperature dependent properties such as modulus and hardness. Accurate measurement is therefore critical in the control of the test.
• Measurement of the gas stream flow rate and its distribution.
• Measurement and characterisation of the erosive particle size and shape, and consequentially their respective speeds. These parameters dictate the detailed damage that takes place when impacts between particles and the target materials occur.
• Determination of the influence of test parameters such as the angle of incidence and the geometry of the test system on the results that are obtained and the repeatability and reproducibility of the results.
• Modelling of the high temperature erosion process to achieve a life prediction capability. The models developed will be compared and validated with the results of experiments carried out within the project to assess the validity of the models.

The research within this EURAMET joint research project receives funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme, ERA-NET Plus, under Grant Agreement No. 217257.