Temporal thermal imaging method for detecting subsurface objects and voids
First Claim
1. A temporal thermal method for detecting thermal inertia differences comprising:
- using an empirical method to determine a first imaging time and a second imaging time;
imaging two different IR wavelength bands at the first imaging time at a first location and a second location to obtain a first temperature map;
imaging the two different IR wavelength bands at the second imaging time at the first location and the second location to obtain a second temperature map; and
using a computer to determine the existence of a thermal inertia difference between the first location and the second location using the first and second temperature maps, wherein the first imaging time occurs before the first location reaches its daily low thermal response or annual low thermal response, and wherein the second imaging time occurs before the first location reaches its daily high thermal response or annual high thermal response.
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Abstract
A temporal thermal survey method to locate at a given area whether or not there is a subsurface object or void site. The method uses thermal inertia change detection. It locates temporal heat flows from naturally heated subsurface objects or faulty structures such as corrosion damage. The added value over earlier methods is the use of empirical methods to specify the optimum times for locating subsurface objects or voids amidst clutter and undisturbed host materials. Thermal inertia, or thermal effusivity, is the bulk material resistance to temperature change. Surface temperature highs and lows are shifted in time at the subsurface object or void site relative to the undisturbed host material sites. The Dual-band Infra-Red Effusivity Computed Tomography (DIRECT) method verifies the optimum two times to detect thermal inertia outliers at the subsurface object or void border with undisturbed host materials.
22 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A temporal thermal method for detecting thermal inertia differences comprising:
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using an empirical method to determine a first imaging time and a second imaging time; imaging two different IR wavelength bands at the first imaging time at a first location and a second location to obtain a first temperature map; imaging the two different IR wavelength bands at the second imaging time at the first location and the second location to obtain a second temperature map; and using a computer to determine the existence of a thermal inertia difference between the first location and the second location using the first and second temperature maps, wherein the first imaging time occurs before the first location reaches its daily low thermal response or annual low thermal response, and wherein the second imaging time occurs before the first location reaches its daily high thermal response or annual high thermal response. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A temporal thermal method for detecting an artifact comprising:
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imaging two different IR wavelength bands at a first imaging time at a first location and a second location to obtain a first temperature map, the first location comprising a host site and the second location comprising an artifact site, wherein the first imaging time is based upon the temporal thermal response of one of a surrogate host site or a surrogate artifact site; imaging two different IR wavelength bands at a second imaging time at the first location and the second location to obtain a second temperature map, wherein the second imaging time is based upon the temporal thermal response of one of the surrogate host site or the surrogate artifact site; and using a computer to determine the existence of an artifact using the first and second temperature maps, wherein the first imaging time occurs before the host site reaches its first daily low thermal response or annual low thermal response, and wherein the second imaging time occurs before the host site reaches its first daily high thermal response or annual high thermal response. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 21, 22)
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17. A temporal thermal method for detecting an artifact from thermal inertia differences between a host site and an artifact site, the method comprising:
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establishing a data base of temporal thermal responses for a surrogate host site and a surrogate artifact site under different weather conditions; imaging two different IR wavelength bands at a first imaging time at a host site and at an artifact site to obtain a first temperature map, the first imaging time corresponding to when the surrogate host site thermal response occurs before its daily low or annual low temperature obtained from the data base; imaging two different IR wavelength bands at a second imaging time at the host site and at the artifact site to obtain a second temperature map, the second imaging time corresponding to when the surrogate host site thermal response occurs before its daily high or annual high temperature; using a computer to determine thermal response differences between the host site and artifact site using the first and second temperature maps to detect an artifact at the artifact site. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification