Method and apparatus for thermal diffusivity measurement

Thermal measuring and testing – Determination of inherent thermal property

Patent

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

G01N 2520

Patent

active

057136653

ABSTRACT:
A method for thermal diffusivity measurement includes the steps of periodically heating a sample with a heat source modulated at an operating frequency, detecting an ac temperature of the sample at a detection point a predetermined distance apart from a heating point of the sample, the ac temperature being a periodic temperature oscillation, measuring a phase of the detected ac temperature by a phase sensitive detection operation, maintaining the phase constant by controlling the operating frequency of the heat source based on the measured phase to realize a constant-wave-number condition in which both a wave number and a thermal diffusion length are kept constant, and determining the thermal diffusivity of the sample based on the relative change in the operating frequency under the constant-wave-number condition. An apparatus for conducting the method includes a continuous wave laser for locally heating a sample by irradiation with a laser beam, an acoust-optic device for modulating an intensity of the laser beam at an operating frequency and for adjusting a beam spot position on the sample, a thermocouple for detecting an ac temperature of the sample at a detection point a predetermined distance apart from a heating point of the sample, the ac temperature being a periodic temperature oscillation, a lock-in amplifier for measuring a phase of the detected ac temperature by a phase-sensitive detection operation, a computer for calculating an offset between the measured phase and a locked phase, for determining an operating frequency for compensating the phase offset and for outputting the newly determined operating frequency, a chopping driver for working the acoust-optic device in response to the operating frequency based on the computer output, and means for determining the thermal diffusivity of the sample based on the relative change in the operating frequency which keeps the locked phase constant to realize a constant-wave-number condition in which both a wave number and a thermal diffusion length are kept constant.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3672204 (1972-06-01), Green
patent: 4928254 (1990-05-01), Knudsen et al.
patent: 5044766 (1991-09-01), Stuart
patent: 5080495 (1992-01-01), Hashimoto et al.
patent: 5439291 (1995-08-01), Reading
patent: 5586824 (1996-12-01), Barkyoumb et al.
Atalla, S.R., et al., "Measurement of Thermal Properties of Liquids with an AC Heated-Wire Technique," Int. Journal of Thermophysics, vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 155-162 (Jan. 1981).

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Method and apparatus for thermal diffusivity measurement does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for thermal diffusivity measurement, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for thermal diffusivity measurement will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-656688

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.