Synchronized electronic shutter system and method for thermal nondestructive evaluation
First Claim
1. A method for thermal inspection of a sample of material, said method comprising the steps of:
- pointing an infrared detector having a lens at a surface of said sample to acquire background data;
covering said lens with a first shutter;
firing a lamp having a reflector pointed at said sample to heat said sample above an ambient temperature;
covering said lamp with a second shutter; and
opening said first shutter to expose said lens to enable said detector to acquire temperature measurements of said sample over time as said sample cools down.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is a synchronized electronic shutter system (SESS) and method for same side and through transmission thermal analysis and inspection of a material for finding defects, corrosion, disbond defects, integrity of a weld and determination of paint thickness. The system comprises an infrared detector that acquires background images of the sample. A shutter then covers the detector and lamps rapidly heat the sample above ambient temperature. Shutters cover all lamps at the same time the shutter over the infrared detector is opened. The infrared detector acquires a series of temperature images over time radiated from the sample as the sample cools down. After collecting a series of temperature images taken by the SESS, a processed image is developed using one of the group comprising time derivative calculation, temperature normalization data reduction routine, thermal diffusivity curve fitting and averaging the series of temperature images.
-
Citations
68 Claims
-
1. A method for thermal inspection of a sample of material, said method comprising the steps of:
-
pointing an infrared detector having a lens at a surface of said sample to acquire background data;
covering said lens with a first shutter;
firing a lamp having a reflector pointed at said sample to heat said sample above an ambient temperature;
covering said lamp with a second shutter; and
opening said first shutter to expose said lens to enable said detector to acquire temperature measurements of said sample over time as said sample cools down. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. An apparatus for thermally inspecting a sample of a material, comprising:
-
an infrared detector having a lens pointed at a surface of said sample;
means for heating said sample to a temperature above an ambient temperature;
a first shutter to cover and uncover said lens of said infrared detector;
a second shutter to cover and uncover said means for heating;
shutter electronics, operatively connected to said first shutter and said second shutter, for controlling synchronization of the opening and closing of each shutter and a timing of a firing of said means for heating;
a computer, electrically connected to said shutter electronics, for generating a trigger signal to initiate a thermal inspection process. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A method for thermally inspecting a thin sample having a first surface and a second surface opposite to said first surface, said method comprising the steps of:
-
opening a shutter to an infrared detector, said detector being pointed toward said first surface, to measure reference infrared radiation emanating from said first surface when said sample is at an ambient temperature;
closing said shutter to said detector while opening a shutter of a lamp that is pointed at said sample;
firing said lamp to heat said sample to a temperature above said ambient temperature;
closing said shutter of said lamp to cover said lamp while opening said shutter to said infrared detector;
acquiring a plurality of temperature images of said sample over time from said infrared detector; and
producing a processed image from said plurality of temperature images. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. An apparatus for thermally inspecting a thin sample having a first surface and a second surface opposite to said first surface, comprising:
-
an infrared detector having a lens pointed at said first surface, said detector having a first shutter;
a lamp for heating said thin sample, said lamp having a reflector and having a second shutter, said lamp being pointed at one of said first surface and said second surface of said thin sample; and
shutter electronics, operatively connected to said first shutter and said second shutter, for controlling synchronization of the opening and closing of each shutter to enable thermal inspection of said sample upon actuation of a trigger signal. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
-
-
36. A method for thermal inspection of a sample of material, said method comprising the steps of:
-
pointing an infrared detector having a lens at a surface of said sample to acquire background data;
covering said lens with a shutter;
firing a lamp having a reflector pointed at said sample to heat said sample above an ambient temperature; and
opening said shutter from said lens to enable said infrared detector to acquire temperature measurements of said sample over time as said sample cools down. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
-
-
45. An apparatus for thermally inspecting a sample of a material, comprising:
-
an infrared detector having a lens pointed at a surface of said sample;
means for heating said sample to a temperature above an ambient temperature;
a shutter to cover and uncover said lens of said infrared detector;
shutter electronics, operatively connected to said shutter, for controlling synchronization of the opening and closing of said shutter and a timing of a firing of said means for heating; and
a computer, electrically connected to said shutter electronics, for generating a trigger signal to initiate a thermal inspection process. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
-
-
55. A method for thermally inspecting a thin sample having a first surface and a second surface opposite to said first surface, said method comprising the steps of:
-
pointing an infrared detector having a lens at said first surface of said thin sample to measure reference infrared radiation emanating from said first surface when said sample is at an ambient temperature;
covering said lens with a shutter;
firing a lamp that is pointed at said sample to heat said sample to a temperature above said ambient temperature;
opening said shutter to said lens of said infrared detector;
acquiring a plurality of temperature images of said sample over time by using said infrared detector; and
producing a processed image from said plurality of temperature images. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
-
-
64. An apparatus for thermally inspecting a thin sample having a first surface and a second surface opposite to said first surface, comprising:
-
an infrared detector having a lens pointed at said first surface;
a shutter to cover and uncover said lens of said infrared detector;
a lamp for heating said thin sample, said lamp having a reflector that is pointed at said sample, said lamp being pointed at one of said first surface and said second surface of said thin sample; and
shutter electronics, electrically connected to said shutter and said lamp, for synchronizing the opening and closing of said shutter with a firing of said lamp such that said shutter covers said lens of said infrared detector during the time of firing of said lamp and said shutter opens when said lamp is not fired to enable thermal inspection of said sample. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68)
-
Specification