Abstract:
A dual wavelength optical sensor for measuring the optical characteristics of sensing films which are responsive to a particular quantity to be measured. The optical sensor includes a light source (16, 18) for producing light outputs at two distinct wavelengths and transmitting twin components of light to first and second outputs. A time-shared optical fiber (26) receives the two distinct wavelengths of light from the first output and carries the light on a time-shared basis to a sensor probe (14). A sample detector (30) receives the two distinct wavelengths of light transmitted from the thin sensing film. A reference detector (34) receives the two distinct wavelengths of light from the second output and monitors the output intensity of the light source. A signal processing system (35) combines the measurements of the optical characteristics of the thin sensing film in response to each of the two distinct wavelengths to provide measurements which account for changes in the optical properties of the thin sensing film.
Abstract:
An apparatus for emitting and receiving light comprises an emitter, which consists of a light source (5) and a concave mirror (7), and a receiver which receives light from the emitter and which is connected to an analysing equipment (3). Furthermore, the receiver comprises a concave mirror (9) which is disposed behind the mirror (7) of the emitter and whose diameter is larger than that of the mirror (7) of the emitter and whose focus is located in front of the light source (5). In the focus of the mirror (9) is positioned one end of an optical fibre (19) for transmitting the received light to the analysing equipment (3). Moreover, the apparatus comprises a retro-reflector unit (17) for reflecting the light from the emitter to the receiver, and a movable shielding element (11) which is provided between the light source (5) and the optical fibre (19) and which prevents, in a first position, the light from the light source from reaching the optical fibre directly, and lets through, in a second position, the light from the light source directly to the optical fibre.
Abstract:
A modular architecture is implemented in the apparatus providing a multipoint optical gas sensing network. A laser beam from a tunable laser diode source is split and each of the resulting beams is directed via optical fibres to respective gas sensing cells. As the laser beam is configured to sweep a range of frequencies spanning a characteristic absorption frequency of a target gas, a measurement of the level of absorption of the light from the laser beam incident at each cell is correlated with the concentration of the target gas. Photodetectors are arranged to receive light transmitted through the respective cells and the attenuation sensed in the laser beam is attributed to absorption (once other factors have been corrected for). The photodetectors are arranged in groups on receiver modules: receiver modules are provided with dedicated processing capability.
Abstract:
La présente invention se rapporte à une installation d'analyse chimique d'un bain (20) porté à haute température munie d'une tête d'analyse par spectroscopie laser-plasma de type LIBS, comprenant un laser puisé de grande énergie (2) apte à émettre à distance un faisceau de lumière focalisé dans une région du bain (20) de composition chimique à déterminer, pour créer un plasma localement et comprenant un spectromètre (13) pour l'analyse spectrale de la lumière émise par ledit plasma, caractérisée en ce que le laser (2) est déporté latéralement grâce à un tube (3) le prolongeant et terminé par une lentille focalisatrice du faisceau laser (4), et grâce à une première fibre optique (5) dont une première extrémité (5A) se trouve au niveau de ladite lentille focalisatrice (4).
Abstract:
A gas composition monitoring arrangement for a module (2) used in a solid oxide fuel cell comprises provision of an optically transparent window (4) in the end of a gas flow channel (3) formed in that module (2). Thus, the window (4) allows passive and active optical gas analysis of the gas flow through the channel in situ without the necessity as with previous systems of drawing a proportion of that gas flow away from the module (2) and therefore fuel cell for appropriate analysis. In such circumstances, actual in situ gas composition determination is achieved rather than a determination which may be distorted through the transfer regime to a previous remote gas analysis apparatus.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed to solving the problems associated with the detection of surface defects on metal bars as well as the problems associated with applying metal flat inspection systems to metal bars for non-destructive surface defects detection. A specially designed imaging system, which is comprised of a computing unit, line lights and high data rate line scan cameras, is developed for the aforementioned purpose. The target application is the metal bars (1) that have a circumference/cross-section-area ratio equal to or smaller than 4.25 when the cross section area is unity for the given shape, (2) whose cross-sections are round, oval, or in the shape of a polygon, and (3) are manufactured by mechanically crosssection reduction processes. The said metal can be steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, bronze, titanium, nickel, and so forth, and/or their alloys. The said metal bars can be at the temperature when they are being manufactured.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for determining the concentration of a constituent in a fluid by directing a beam of light into the fluid and sensing the intensity of components of the light emerging from the fluid at various wavelengths. The light emerging from the fluid can be light that has been attenuated by absorption or induced by fluorescent radiation. The effect of scattering on the light is minimized by normalizing the component intensities, which are then applied to an algorithm incorporating weighting factors that weighs the influence that the intensity at each wavelength has on the determination of the concentration of the constituent for which the algorithm was developed. The algorithm is developed by a regression analysis based upon a plurality of known mixtures containing various concentrations of the constituent of interest.
Abstract:
A system for sampling and analyzing a material located at a hazardous site. A laser (12) located remote from the hazardous site is connected to an optical fiber (16) which directs laser radiation proximate the material at the hazardous site. The laser radiation ablates a sample of the material. An inductively coupled plasma (32) is located remotely from the material. An aerosol transport system carries the ablated particles to a plasma, where they are dissociated, atomized and excited to provide characteristic optical reduction of the elemental constituents of the sample. An optical spectrometer (40) is located remotely from the site. A second optical fiber (38) is connected to the optical spectrometer at one end and the plasma source at the other end to carry the optical radiation from the plasma source (32) to the spectrometer (40).
Abstract:
During the tapping of molten steel from the converter prior to continuous casting, the onset of slag from the taphole is difficult to detect. Excessive slag carryover from the converter results in a rich slag cover for the steel, favouring reversion of phosphorus, manganese (and other constituents if present) in the quiescent state. The onset of slag is detected remotely, based on the fact that the spectral emission lines of sodium and potassium may be resolved in the light emission from the steel, which characteristic is absent in the slag. The optical emissions (1) from the furnace taphole are accessed by an optical head (200) about 20 metres distant, focussed by a lens (2) and divided by a beamsplitter (3). Each path after the beamsplitter (3) has an optical interference filter (4, 6) placed before a photodetector (5, 7). Optical interference filter (6) passes wavelengths centred on the emission line (589.3 nm for Na or 768.2 nm for K) and optical interference filter (4) passes wavelengths centred adjacent to the emission line, so that the output of photodetector (5) is proportional to background radiation only. Light not passed by the filters (4, 6) is reflected back towards the furnace. Some light (11) is incident upon a translucent screen (8) and this is used to align the instrument during installation. The outputs of the photodiodes are fed into an automatic control and output system with fibre optics, alarm indicators and computer control.
Abstract:
A method for detecting diamonds in locations which are not easily accessible comprises irradiating material suspected of containing diamonds by means adapted for access to the location, collecting the resultant scattered Raman radiation by means adapted for access to the location and filtering and sensing the radiation to produce a signal whenever radiation characteristic of diamonds is sensed whereby the absence or the presence of diamonds in the location is indicated.