System and method for performing laser induced breakdown spectroscopy during laser ablation coating removal

A system for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy of a three-dimensional surface of a turbine component of a turbomachine during a laser ablation coating removal process, the system comprising:

• a laser energy source configured to perform the laser induced breakdown spectroscopy and the laser ablation coating removal process;
• a scan head interconnected with the laser energy source to receive a laser beam emitted therefrom, the scan head positioned sufficiently close to the turbine component to enable the laser beam exiting the laser energy source to be directed onto the three-dimensional surface of the turbine component defined by a coating, to ablate at least a portion of the coating;
• one or more collection optics to collect radiation emitted from a laser-induced plasma generated by the laser beam at the three-dimensional surface of the turbine component;
• a spectrometer to spectrally analyze the radiation collected by the collection optics and generate a signal representative of the chemical composition of the collected radiation;
• and
• a control unit to receive the signal from the spectrometer and generate a feedback signal for control and optimization of one or more operational parameters of the laser energy source in real-time.

A method of performing laser induced breakdown spectroscopy on a three-dimensional surface of a component, the method comprising:

• generating a laser beam with a laser energy source configured to perform the laser induced breakdown spectroscopy and the laser ablation coating removal process;
• transmitting the laser beam to the three-dimensional surface of the component to ablate at least a portion of a coating disposed on the three-dimensional surface of the component;
• collecting radiation emitted from a laser-induced plasma generated by the laser beam during ablation of at least a portion of the coating;
• spectrally analyzing the radiation emitted from the laser-induced plasma to detect and measure one or more specific transient species within the laser-induced plasma and generate a signal representative of a chemical composition of the collected radiation;
• and
• generating a feedback signal in response to the signal representative of the chemical composition of the collected radiation for control and optimization of one or more operational parameters of the laser energy source in real-time.