A liquid crystal thermography calibration with true color image processing

Liquid crystal thermography is a high-resolution, non-intrusive optical technique for full-field temperature measurement. We present the detailed calibration data for the thermochromic liquid crystal （TLC） with a useful range of 41-60 ℃. The calibration is done with true color image processing by using an isothermal calibrator. The hue-temperature curve of the TLC is obtained, and the measurement uncertainty is analyzed. Combined with the image noise reduction technique of a 5×5 median filter, the measurement accuracy of the liquid crystal thermography can be significantly improved by approximately 57.1%.     

弯月面涂胶及其胶厚均匀性的测量

为实现大面积基片的均匀涂胶,设计组装了一台小型弯月面涂胶样机,实验了200 mm200 mm基片的涂胶。利用白光干涉光谱仪扫描测量了弯月面涂胶的胶厚分布,其胶厚均匀性峰谷值偏差低于5%。对弯月面涂胶系统引起的均匀度偏差做了初步分析研究,并对比了测试系统与经校准的台阶仪胶厚测量结果,偏差小于0.8%。     

A new measurement method of coatings thickness based on lock-in thermography

Coatings have been widely used in modern industry and it plays an important role. Coatings thickness is directly related to the performance of the functional coatings, therefore, rapid and accurate coatings thickness inspection has great significance. Existing coatings thickness measurement method is difficult to achieve fast and accurate on-site non-destructive coatings inspection due to cost, accuracy, destruction during inspection and other reasons. This paper starts from the introduction of the principle of lock-in thermography, and then performs an in-depth study on the application of lock-in thermography in coatings inspection through numerical modeling and analysis. The numerical analysis helps explore the relationship between coatings thickness and phase, and the relationship lays the foundation for accurate calculation of coatings thickness. The author sets up a lock-in thermography inspection system and uses thermal barrier coatings specimens to conduct an experiment. The specimen coatings thickness is measured and calibrated to verify the quantitative inspection. Experiment results show that the lock-in thermography method can perform fast coatings inspection and the inspection accuracy is about 95%. Therefore, the method can meet the field testing requirements for engineering projects.     

Evaluation of paint coating thickness variations based on pulsed Infrared thermography laser technique

In this paper, a pulsed Infrared thermography technique using a homogeneous heat provided by a laser source is used for the non-destructive evaluation of paint coating thickness variations. Firstly, numerical simulations of the thermal response of a paint coated sample are performed. By analyzing the thermal responses as a function of thermal properties and thickness of both coating and substrate layers, optimal excitation parameters of the heating source are determined. Two characteristic parameters were studied with respect to the paint coating layer thickness variations. Results obtained using an experimental test bench based on the pulsed Infrared thermography laser technique are compared with those given by a classical Eddy current technique for paint coating variations from 5 to 130 μm. These results demonstrate the efficiency of this approach and suggest that the pulsed Infrared thermography technique presents good perspectives to characterize the heterogeneity of paint coating on large scale samples with other heating sources.     

Experimental study of convection in a model Czochralski crucible using liquid crystal thermography

Steady state temperature distribution in a model Czochralski crucible has been mapped by liquid crystal thermography (LCT). The crucible is a water-filled glass beaker. Water is used as the test fluid because of ease of experimentation, as well as the availability of correct thermo-physical properties. In addition, the Prandtl number of water matches those of molten oxides. A copper cylinder whose diameter is smaller than that of the beaker is placed centrally at the water surface. Convection patterns are set up by applying constant temperature difference between the crucible wall and the cylinder surface, in the temperature range of the liquid crystals. The cylinder is given a fixed rotation, thus creating mixed convection conditions in the test fluid. The LCT images recorded in the present study clearly reveal convective rolls, and the interaction of buoyancy-driven convection in the crucible with cylinder rotation. The resulting temperature distributions match numerical simulation quite well. The pure buoyancy and pure rotation experiments result in axisymmetric temperature fields, while in mixed convection, the field is unsteady and three dimensional.     

Real-time measurement of a thickness of a thin coating by means of sheet laser

An ingenious optical method was developed for measuring the thickness of a coating directly and in real time at a measuring frequency of a few tens of Hz. The basic optical arrangement is very simple, and consists of a semiconductor laser, two cylindrical lenses, and a silicon photodiode array or CCD camera. The range of measurable thickness is roughly between λ and 100λ, where λ is a wavelength of the laser light, and its measuring error is a few percent. The previously developed method for measuring the thin film in air, which can be analyzed theoretically, can also be applied for estimating the thickness of a coating on the substratum within an error of 2%.     

From selective to wide-band light reflection: a simple thermal diffusion in a glassy cholesteric liquid crystal

Due to their helicoidal structure, cholesteric liquid crystals exhibit remarkable optical properties. Selective light reflection occurs when the pitch (repeat distance) is of the order of the wavelength of incident light propagating along the helix axis. The wavelength bandwidth, due to the optical anisotropy, is typically limited to 50 nm which is insufficient for some applications (full-colors displays, for example). By introducing a pitch gradient in the helix during a novel two-step process in a cholesteric glass, we show that reflection may occur over a wavelength bandwidth greater than 300 nm. First, the reflection bandwidth is adjusted by thermal annealing. Then, the optical properties are permanently stored by quenching the viscous material to a glass at room temperature. The two steps, pitch gradient establishment and film hardening, are independently controlled. The present process exhibits some reversibility and properties intrinsic to the glassy state are gained: laser-writing high resolution full-color images on solid films for image recording or high-density optical data-storage are indeed conceivable. Received 17 December 1998     

基于液晶调制器调制的实时测温系统

分析了一种基于基尔霍夫定律的钽酸锂(LiTaO3)热释电探测器作为接收元件的实时测温系统中,机械式调制盘对测量精度影响,提出了改变机械式调制盘对测量精度的影响的方法;介绍了液晶调制器的结构、对辐射调制的原理以及在使用过程中的优点。设计了利用液晶调制器替代机械调制器的钽酸锂热释电实时测温系统。结果表明,利用液晶调制器改进后的测温系统在给定的温度范围中,测量精度均有明显的改善,符合测量要求。     

Effect of an ultrasonic field on the structure of a cholesteric liquid crystal

A spatially modulated structure arising in a layer of a cholesteric liquid crystal under the effect of an ultrasonic wave is studied theoretically. The structure is described on the basis of the equations of fluid dynamics for cholesteric liquid crystals. The equations are represented in terms of the angular variables. An anisotropic term caused by the relaxation of the orientational order parameter is introduced into the stress expressions. The results of calculations are compared with experimental data.     

锁相热像方法实验测量Nb2O5薄膜吸收率

利用锁相热像方法定量测量了光学镀膜的吸收率。待测薄膜吸收周期调制的激光能量,在表面形成热波,将红外相机记录的热分布信号进行锁相相关处理,获得信噪比提高的热图像。采用标准吸收样品对系统进行定标,可获得光热信号幅度与样品吸收率之间的定量联系,进而在相同实验条件下测量待测样品,可通过光热信号直接计算获得其绝对吸收率。在1 060 nm波长处开展了实验研究,测量获得了不同厚度Nb₂O₅镀膜的吸收率数值,实测的吸收可达80 ppm。     

Optical measurement of instantaneous liquid film thickness based on total internal reflection

An optical method of measuring the instantaneous transparent liquid film thickness, based on the effect of total internal reflection by the gas-liquid interface, is represented. A light circle whose diameter is proportional to the liquid film thickness and eccentricity is proportional to the slope gradient of the liquid film surface in the measurement region is formed around a small-size light source in the plane of vessel bottom. Using several light sources, the method allows measurement of the liquid film thickness field. The method is implemented in a multichannel meter of transparent liquid film thickness and curvature surface, with computer image processing.     

液晶盒双折射效应的测量与应用

介绍了测量液晶盒双折射效应的实验方法,并利用此方法推测了液晶盒的表面锚泊方向并测量了液晶盒的扭曲角,探讨了应用此方法校准偏振片起偏方向的可能性.     

Effect of sample thickness on electron emission from the TGS ferroelectric crystal

An experimental study of electron emission from nominally pure triglycine sulfate crystal samples of various thicknesses is reported. It is shown that the threshold field of emission, similar to the coercive field, increases with decreasing sample thickness d in inverse proportion to d.     

Effect of electric and magnetic fields on the orientation structure of a ferronematic liquid crystal

We analyze uniform orientation phases in soft ferronematics (suspensions of magnetic nanoparticles in nematic liquid crystals) induced by electric and magnetic fields. It is shown that the competition between the electric and magnetic fields can lead to various sequences of orientation transitions in a ferronematic depending on the energy of coupling between the director and magnetization. We obtain and analyze phase diagrams of these transitions. A sequence of re-entrant transitions in the orientation structure (angular phase-homeotropic phase-angular phase-planar phase) is predicted for a certain range of the coupling energies and electric field strengths.     

带通滤波器对能见度测量不确定度的影响

在能见度测量中,为了抑制环境光变化对测量不确定度的影响,在光发射端对探测光束进行调制,在接收端对探测到的光电信号进行带通滤波。带通滤波器的特性参数受到工作环境温度变化的影响,导致频响函数变化,从而引入能见度测量的不确定度。以二阶有源带通滤波器为例,从传输函数入手分析了带通滤波器频响幅度随温度变化的规律,实验测定了频响幅度随温度变化的关系。结果表明:在高能见度天气状况下,在15 ℃~40 ℃温度范围内,环境温度每变化1 ℃,带通滤波器将贡献约4.5%的不确定度;低能见度时,带通滤波器的影响比高能见度时小得多。     

Effect of coating thickness on modifying the texture and corrosion performance of hot-dip galvanized coatings

Hot-dip galvanized zinc coating is the most frequently used among coatings to protect steel against corrosion. When coated steel sheets are subjected to a corrosive environment, its corrosion behaviour is affected by texture and microstructure variations. The aim of this research work was to study the texture and corrosion resistance of hot-dip galvanized zinc coatings affected by the coating thickness and chemical composition of the zinc bath. Texture of the coatings was evaluated employing X-ray diffraction whilst its corrosion behaviour was analyzed using Tafel polarization test. Experimental results showed that (00.2) basal texture component would be weakened by increasing the lead content of the zinc bath and coatings with strong (00.2) texture component have lower corrosion current density than the coatings with weak (00.2) texture component. Furthermore, it was inferred that by increasing the thickness of the coatings with the same content of lead in the zinc bath, the relative intensity of (00.2) texture component and corrosion resistance of the coatings would be decreased and conversely, relative intensity of (20.1) high angle pyramidal planes and (10.0) prism planes would be increased due to establish a balance between surface and strain energies. Besides, five types of morphology were observed on the surface of hot-dip galvanized coatings in dull and bright spangles. Finally, it was recognized that the main corrosion product of the salt spray test is Simonkolleite.     

Realisation of a liquid crystal based prototype for duration measurement of picosecond pulses

Using self-diffraction technique, a prototype has been ideated and experimentally assembled for the measurement of the duration of laser pulses in the range of picoseconds. The innovative technique used is based on the presence of a dynamic diffraction grating written by the pulse on a film of liquid crystalline composite material under suitable geometrical conditions. The pulse to be measured undergoes a “self-diffraction” effect whose efficiency is related to the pulse duration. A software has been implemented both for the calculation of the pulse duration from the elaboration of experimental data and for the control of mechanical micrometric components.     

Pattern formation and direct measurement of the spatial resolution in a photorefractive liquid crystal light valve

In a photorefractive liquid crystal light valve, acting as a Kerr-like nonlinear optical medium, we show the appearance of optical patterns induced by a single mirror feedback. The spatial wavelength of the patterns scales with the distance between the mirror and the valve and the contrast of the patterns decreases for decreasing this distance. We use these properties to setup a new optical scheme for the measurement of the spatial resolution of the nonlinear device.     

气泡对液体粘度测量的影响

讨论了用奥氏粘度计测量液体粘度过程中,气泡对测量结果的影响,指出在用此法测量液体的粘度时,应注意选择粘度计,注入适量的液体,并排除气泡才能使测量结果准确无误。