Method for setting up and controlling confinement media flow in laser shock peening

摘要

A method for setting up a transparent confinement media nozzle for flowing the confinement media during laser shock peening of a work piece includes the following steps: Step A) flowing a confinement media and setting a flow rate of the confinement media through a confinement media flow nozzle; Step B) positioning the nozzle to flow the confinement media through the nozzle and onto the correlation surface; and Step C) measuring a confinement media layer thickness on the correlation surface using an ultrasonic transducer attached to a side of the test piece opposite that of the correlation surface. The ultrasonic transducer is attached to a side of the test piece opposite that of the correlation surface. One embodiment of the invention employs the work piece as the test piece and the correlation surface is a first laser shock peening surface on a first side of the work piece. Further embodiments includes Step D) comparing the measured and recorded confinement media layer thickness from Step C) against a predetermined value or range of values for confinement media layer thickness and Step E) determining whether to reset the confinement media flow rate and/or nozzle position or proceeding with the laser shock peening of the work piece with the confinement media flow rate and nozzle position set in