Thermal Imaging Cavity Temperature Measurement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Infrared temperature measurements on materials with low or variable emissivity are prone to substantial errors due to difficulties in achieving precise alignment and maintaining optimal emissivity enhancement, especially in dynamic environments like sheet metal processing where the cavity moves relative to the thermal imager.
Innovation Solution
A method using thermal imaging to generate a thermal image of the cavity, identifying a subset of pixels representing optimal emissivity enhancement, and generating a temperature profile along a determined line to accurately monitor the sheet material's temperature, thereby overcoming alignment issues and ensuring consistent emissivity enhancement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a single spot infra-red thermometer is used to monitor temperature, then the measurement is simple to implement, but only a single track on the strip can be monitored and precise alignment is difficult to achieve and maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from single-point measurement to two-dimensional thermal imaging, allowing the entire cavity region to be captured in an image. This dimensional expansion enables monitoring of multiple locations simultaneously and provides spatial context for alignment verification, resolving the contradiction between simple implementation and alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical alignment procedures with automated image processing algorithms. The system automatically identifies the cavity region in thermal images and extracts temperature profiles without requiring manual positioning, substituting mechanical precision requirements with computational analysis.
2Measurement precision
If an infra-red linescanner is used to monitor temperature profile, then a temperature profile across the strip can be monitored, but alignment is even more difficult than for a single-spot thermometer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical alignment procedures with automated image processing. The system captures thermal images of the cavity, automatically identifies the cavity boundaries through image analysis, and extracts temperature profiles from the identified region, eliminating the need for precise manual alignment while maintaining temperature profile accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces thermal imaging as an intermediary between the measurement system and the cavity. Instead of directly scanning with a linescanner requiring precise alignment, the system images the entire cavity and processes the image data to extract temperature information, using the image as a mediator that simplifies the measurement process.
3Productivity
If the thermal imager is mounted off the side of the production line to view the cavity, then the cavity does not obstruct the process line, but the wedge is not square to the field of the imager and the cavity location in the image is not known a priori
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the system to automatically determine cavity location and orientation without external intervention. The image processing algorithms analyze the thermal image to identify cavity boundaries, determine the square region, and locate the wedge automatically, allowing the system to self-correct for the off-side mounting configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical positioning and alignment systems with computational image analysis. Instead of requiring the imager to be precisely positioned and oriented mechanically, the system uses software algorithms to identify and locate the cavity within the image, substituting mechanical precision with computational capability.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the cavity moves in space relative to the imager due to coil growth or alignment changes, then the measurement can adapt to dynamic conditions, but the cavity wanders within the image making real-time temperature extraction difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic tracking system that continuously updates the cavity location and orientation in each image frame. The image processing algorithms identify the cavity position in real-time and adjust the region of interest accordingly, enabling the system to adapt to moving targets and maintain measurement accuracy despite cavity movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback through continuous image analysis and automatic cavity re-location. The system monitors the cavity position in each frame, detects movements, and adjusts the measurement region accordingly, creating a closed-loop system that maintains accuracy despite dynamic conditions.
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
This approach significantly increases the accuracy of temperature monitoring by automatically tracking the line of optimal emissivity enhancement, reducing errors caused by misalignment and cavity movement, and providing a stable temperature profile based on high emissivity regions.
Implementation Method 1
Infrared energy is emitted by all materials at temperatures above absolute zero. This energy travels in the form of electromagnetic waves with wavelengths typically in the range 0.7 microns to 20 microns.
Implementation Method 2
thermal imagers provide two dimensional temperature images of a scene. Typically, such devices observe and measure infrared emission from the scene
Data Source
AI summary
A method of measuring the temperature of a sheet material in which the sheet material is arranged such that it forms at least one side of a cavity so as to enhance the effective emissivity of the sheet material in the vicinity of the cavity. The method involves a) generating a thermal image of at least part of the inside of the cavity using a thermal imaging device to detect radiation emitted by the cavity, the thermal image comprising a plurality of pixels each having a pixel value representative of radiation emitted by a respective region of the cavity; b) identifying a first subset of the plurality of pixels whose pixel values meet predetermined criteria; c) using the identified first subset of pixels to determine a line on the thermal image representative of optimal emissivity enhancement in the cavity; and d) selecting a second subset of the plurality of pixels based on the determined line and generating a temperature profile along the determined line derived from the pixel values associated with each of the second subset of pixels.