Mapping Electric Potential Fields for Aerospace Corrosion Assessment using an Array-Driven SRET Platform

In aerospace environments, nitrogen oxides (NOX) and sulfur oxides (SOX) form corrosive agents on components like engine nozzles, shortening aircraft lifespan. Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) is also a contributor that must be considered, especially in humid and oceanic aerospace operating environments. Materials like 6000 series aluminum and titanium, known for corrosion resistance, are susceptible to this degradation. Existing numerical codes lack support for electrochemical corrosion models.We propose an Array-Driven Scanning Reference Electrode Technique (SRET) apparatus. Our SRET design measures electric potential changes driven by electrochemical cell regions. Data collected this way can be validated with the corresponding theory.The success of our SRET technique demonstrates its potential for studying corrosion dynamics. A scanning data acquisition system will process data, generate current density maps, and allow comparison to and validation of our numerical models. We propose extending the open-source solver Perifast to model crack propagation and material damage from electrochemical corrosion simultaneously, capturing the intersection between corrosion and crack propagation while incorporating mechanical and electrochemically induced damage. Preliminary work on the Cori supercomputing cluster demonstrates Perifast’s potential.