Optical Measurement of Molten Materials via Flat Bottom Container
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current optical measurement methods for liquid or molten materials face challenges such as surface vibration, evaporation, chemical reactivity, and the need for large sample quantities due to spherical surface tension, limiting their application and accuracy, especially at high temperatures.
Innovation Solution
An optical measurement apparatus and method using a transparent container with a flat bottom face for irradiating and detecting light, which prevents evaporation and chemical reactions by sealing the material in a vacuum or with an inactive gas, allowing for stable measurement of small sample amounts with a flat specular surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If optical measurement is performed on liquid or molten material, then noncontact and nondestructive measurement is achieved, but surface vibration and ruffling occur due to mechanical vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by measuring only the flat bottom surface of the container rather than the entire liquid surface. The bottom surface is specifically designed to be flat and smooth, providing a stable measurement interface that is not affected by surface ruffling or vibration, while the rest of the liquid surface can remain undisturbed.
Solution Approach 2:
The container bottom surface acts as an intermediary between the light source and the liquid material. By measuring the reflection from this flat bottom surface rather than directly from the liquid surface, the system eliminates the harmful effect of surface vibration while still obtaining optical properties of the liquid material.
2Temperature
If measurement is performed at high temperature, then physical properties of molten material can be measured, but evaporation and chemical reactions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates an inert environment by sealing the container to prevent contact between the molten material and atmospheric gases. This allows high temperature measurement without evaporation or oxidation, as the sealed environment isolates the material from reactive gases while maintaining thermal access for measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealed container acts as an intermediary barrier between the molten material and the external environment. It allows thermal energy and light to pass through while blocking gaseous molecules that would cause evaporation or chemical reactions, thus enabling high temperature measurement without harmful side effects.
3Measurement precision
If general sensor or probe is used for measurement, then contact measurement is possible, but damage to measurement instrument occurs due to high temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces mechanical contact measurement with optical measurement. Instead of using physical sensors or probes that would be damaged by high temperature, the system uses light to measure optical properties remotely, eliminating the thermal damage problem while maintaining measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Light serves as an intermediary that can penetrate through the sealed container wall to reach the molten material. This allows measurement of the high temperature material without physical contact, as the optical energy can pass through the container wall without being damaged by the extreme temperatures.
4Manufacturing precision
If large amount of material is used to achieve flat surface, then measurement surface flatness is improved, but sample quantity requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of pouring enough material to create a flat surface from the top, the invention inverts the approach by measuring from the bottom. The flat bottom surface of the container provides the reference plane, and light is directed upward through the material to measure optical properties. This eliminates the need for large sample quantities to achieve surface flatness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate and stable optical measurement of physical properties like refractive index, reflectivity, and absorptance for small amounts of molten materials without evaporation or chemical alteration, reducing costs and expanding the measurement scope.
Implementation Method 1
an optical device that irradiates a light to the bottom face of the container and that detects and measures a reflected light from the bottom face
Implementation Method 2
the liquid or molten material is measured through the bottom face of the container... a flat face at the bottom of the liquid or molten material can be used as an optical measuring surface
Implementation Method 3
prevents evaporation and chemical reactions by sealing the material in a vacuum or with an inactive gas
Implementation Method 4
sealing the material in a vacuum or with an inactive gas
Implementation Method 5
measure physical properties, such as refractive index, reflectivity, or absorptance
Implementation Method 6
measure physical properties, such as refractive index, reflectivity, or absorptance
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for optical measurement of a liquid or molten material, which has: a transparent container which has a bottom face and is capable of containing a to-be-measured material therein, with the bottom face at least having a flat face and being transparent; and an optical device that irradiates a light to the bottom face of the container and that detects and measures a reflected light from the bottom face; and a method for optically measuring a liquid or molten material using the apparatus.