Support bed for impact measurements

1 . An impact excitation measurement system comprising a temperature-controlled testing chamber, an impactor, a sensor system and a support system,

wherein the impactor is configured to, at any testing temperature within a testing temperature range of between 0° C. and 1600° C., provide an impact from below to a test piece supported by the support system,

wherein the sensor system is configured to obtain a vibrational response of the test piece to the impact provided to the test piece by the impactor,

wherein the support system comprises a bedding for supporting a solid test piece within the testing chamber, said bedding comprising an elasticity which is substantially larger than the elasticity of the test piece, said bedding further comprising a through for allowing the impactor to provide an impact to the test piece from below,

wherein the impactor is configured to provide the impact to the test piece at an impact height which impact height is at least partially dependent upon the testing temperature,

wherein the bedding is configured to support the test piece at a support height which differs from the impact height for at most 0.5 mm at any testing temperature within said testing temperature range.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the support height differs from the impact height for at most 0.1 mm at any testing temperature within the testing temperature range between 0° C. and 1600° C.

3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the impactor comprises a thermally stable material, comprising a linear expansion coefficient which is at most 25×10-6 K−1.

4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the impactor comprises a ceramic material, wherein the impactor is made of a ceramic material.

5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the bedding comprises a thermally stable material, comprising a linear expansion coefficient of at most 50×10−6 K−1.

6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the bedding comprises a flat mat shape.

7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the bedding comprises polycrystalline mullite-alumina wool.

8 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the bedding is made of polycrystalline mullite-alumina wool.

9 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the bedding comprises a height of between 10 mm and 50 mm.

10 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein horizontal movement of the test piece is restricted by a set of pins.

11 . A method for acoustically measuring material properties of a test piece, at one or more temperatures within a temperature range of between 0° C. and 1600° C., comprising the steps of:

a) placing a test piece on the support system in a testing chamber of a system according to claim 1 , and heating the test piece to within a testing temperature range;

b) performing a background measurement, within said testing temperature range, by capturing a vibrational signal from the test piece within a calibration period, thereby obtaining a noise signal;

c) performing an acoustic measurement on said test piece, within said testing temperature range, within a testing period by:

c1) imparting a vibrational excitation onto the test piece;

c2) capturing a vibrational signal of the test piece within the testing period, thereby obtaining a vibrational response signal to said vibrational excitation, and

d) obtaining the material properties of the test piece by analyzing the vibrational response signal, thereby taking into account the noise signal.

12 . A kit comprising:

an impact excitation measurement system comprising a temperature-controlled testing chamber, an impactor and a sensor system,

wherein the impactor is configured to, at any testing temperature within a testing temperature range of between 0° C. and 1600° C., provide an impact from below to a test piece,

wherein the sensor system is configured to obtain a vibrational response of the test piece to the impact provided to the test piece by the impactor,

wherein the impactor is configured to provide an impact to a test piece at an impact height which impact height is at least partially dependent upon the testing temperature,

a solid test piece, and

a support system, comprising a bedding for supporting a solid test piece within the testing chamber, said bedding comprising an elasticity which is substantially larger than the elasticity of the test piece, said bedding further comprising a through for allowing the impactor to provide an impact to the test piece from below, the bedding comprising a support surface for supporting the test piece at a support height which differs from the impact height for at most 0.5 mm at any testing temperature within said testing temperature range.

13 . The kit according to claim 12 , comprising a set of pins for restricting horizontal movement of the test piece with respect to the bedding.