Synchronized Pulsed Lighting for Microscopic Particle Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid monitoring systems struggle to capture clear images of microscopic particles in moving fluids at high flow rates due to insufficient light power and prolonged flash duration, leading to distorted images and failure in detecting small particles.
Innovation Solution
A pulsed lighting system synchronized with the video capturing speed, providing high power light pulses of short duration to ensure adequate light exposure during image capture, allowing for accurate detection and identification of microscopic objects in flowing fluids without distorting their shape or size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If continuous lighting is used to illuminate the flowing fluid, then the image capture system can capture particles, but particles moving at high speed appear distorted or cannot be captured clearly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by using pulsed lighting instead of continuous illumination. The lighting system emits light in short, periodic pulses synchronized with the image capture system's frame rate. This allows particles to be illuminated only during specific time intervals when the camera is capturing images, freezing their motion and eliminating distortion even at high flow rates up to 40 m/s.
2Illumination intensity
If the exposure time is increased to capture particles in dark oils, then particle visibility improves, but particles moving at high speed become distorted
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic light pulses with very short duration (microseconds to milliseconds) synchronized to the image capture timing. This periodic illumination provides sufficient light intensity for particle visibility while keeping the exposure window so short that high-speed particles appear frozen rather than distorted.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system is synchronized in advance with the image capture system's frame rate and exposure timing. The light pulses are triggered just before or during the exact moment the camera captures each frame, ensuring optimal illumination of particles at the precise moment of image acquisition, thereby maximizing visibility while minimizing motion blur.
3Measurement precision
If mechanical flow regulation devices are used to reduce fluid speed, then particle image quality improves, but the measurement loses significance as samples are not taken in real conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical flow regulation devices with a synchronization-based optical system. Instead of mechanically slowing the fluid to improve image quality, the system uses synchronized pulsed lighting and high-speed image capture to freeze particle motion in situ. This allows accurate particle imaging while maintaining the fluid's natural high flow rate, preserving the representativeness of the measurement.
4Measurement precision
If the lighting system provides high power continuous light, then particle detection capability improves, but energy consumption increases and the system cannot operate with conventional power sources
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system operates in periodic pulse mode rather than continuously, consuming high power only during brief illumination intervals (microseconds to milliseconds) and drawing minimal or no power between pulses. This periodic operation allows the use of conventional low-current power sources while still delivering sufficient light intensity for particle detection during the active pulse periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-charges energy storage capacitors during intervals when high current is not needed, then rapidly discharges them to provide the necessary high power pulses for LED illumination. This preliminary energy storage allows the lighting system to deliver high peak power for particle detection while operating from conventional power sources with limited continuous current output.
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
The system effectively captures images of particles as small as 1 µm in size moving at up to 40 m/s, providing clear and undistorted images, enabling precise determination of particle size and shape without the need to control fluid flow rates, and operates efficiently with conventional low-current power sources.
Implementation Method 1
a lighting system comprising at least one LED diode and configured to supply light to the flowing fluid
Data Source
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AI summary
A system (1) for detecting microscopic objects located in a flowing fluid. It comprises a lighting system (205, 305) comprising at least one LED diode (605) for supplying light to the flowing fluid; an image capture system (201, 601) configured to capture a sequence of images of the fluid. The image capture system comprises a camera comprising a plurality of pixels. The sequence of images is processed and the presence and shape of microscopic objects is determined. The lighting system (205, 305) is configured to supply high power light pulses having amplitude lo' and very short time duration TON, the time instant at which said pulses are triggered being synchronized with the time instants at which pixels in the image capture system (601) start to capture an image frame. The amplitude lo' and time duration TON of the light pulses are controlled by calculating, from the light intensity (Iframe) of each captured image frame, a pulse amplitude setpoint (PAS) and a pulse duration setpoint (PDS) for adjusting respective potentiometers (651, 652) configured to respectively fix the amplitude lo' and pulse duration TON by executing an algorithm that prioritizes amplitude rises over pulse duration rises. The lighting system (305) comprises an energy loading system (670) configured to make the amplitude requirement and response time of the lighting system (305) independent from the power supply unit. Method for detecting microscopic objects suspended in a flowing fluid.