Optical Fiber Pyrometer Designs for Temperature Measurements Depending on Object Size

Influence of Tilting Angle on Temperature Measurements of Different Object Sizes Using Fiber-Optic Pyrometers

This article presents a new model of optical power gathered by a fiber-optic pyrometer when there is a tilting angle between the fiber longitudinal axis and the vector perpendicular to the tangent plane of the emitted surface. This optical power depends on the fiber specifications, such as the diameter and the numerical aperture (NA), as well as the object parameters, including its diameter, emissivity, and tilting angle. Some simulations are carried out using other pyrometers from the literature without tilting to validate the model. Additional simulations with different optical fibers, object sizes, and distances at different tilting angles allow us to describe the behavior of the pyrometer when the object is smaller than the optical fiber field of view (the light cone defined by its NA). The results show that for a finite surface object, the power collected by the optical fiber is affected by changes in the tilting angle, greater tilting lesser gathered power, and reaching the maximum power when the field of view of the fiber covers up the entire object, as expected. On the other hand, additional equations are presented to describe the maximum tilting angle, and distance that allow the maximum power gathered for a determined object diameter and fiber, avoiding temperature measurement errors.

Review of Cutting Temperature Measurement Methods

During the cutting process, large quantities of emitted heat are concentrated on a small surface area of the interface between the workpiece and the cutting edge. The resultant very high temperature significantly affects the tool life. Knowledge of maximum temperatures to be expected on the cutting edges is important, as it allows the cutting conditions to be adjusted in such a manner that the critical value of thermal resistance is not exceeded for the cutting material. In effect, the maximum effectiveness of the working process is maintained. This article offers a systematic presentation of methods used in cutting temperature measurements. It discusses their advantages and disadvantages, as well as the usefulness of the individual methods in different types of machining processes. It also points to the possibility of methodological errors which significantly reduce measurement accuracy. The above issues are believed to justify a discussion of different cutting temperature measurement methods. The conclusions here presented may be of particular importance to researchers interested in the field, especially in high-efficiency machining, new cutting materials and cutting-edge protective coatings, as well as various methods for cutting fluid applications. They may allow a more informed selection of measurement methods most suitable for particular situations.

Early Detection of Coal Spontaneous Combustion by Complex Acoustic Waves in a Concealed Fire Source

Prevention and control of coal spontaneous combustion are key to coal mining and storage. Existing technologies for the detection of coal spontaneous combustion have limitations, but coal spontaneous combustion creates some serious disasters in areas of the world where coal mining and/or storage exists. New technologies to detect coal spontaneous combustion are urgently needed to reduce the loss of life and resources. The article reviews the main techniques employed to detect coal spontaneous combustion and their advantages and disadvantages; it also reviews the good application prospect of acoustic temperature measurement technology on coal spontaneous combustion and introduces the basic principle of acoustic coal temperature measurement. The evolution of combustion sound and the propagation and attenuation of acoustic waves in quasi-porous media are discussed to form the basis for the development of acoustic thermometry technologies that can be used to accurately identify acoustic signals and temperature fields in loose coal. The concept of "single-source" coal temperature measurement to "dual-source" coal temperature measurement achieved by using combustion sound and an additional sound source device in the automatic combustion of loose coal in the mined area is discussed. The deep learning methods and correlation analyses are available to map the relationships between combustion sound, coal temperature, and sound velocity, and acquire coal temperature from dual source composite acoustic signals. The study lays the foundation for the development of acoustic thermometry technologies that have applications in different stages of combustion and applied to the early warning, prevention, and control of spontaneous combustion in coal, and it contributes to improving the environmental safety and efficiency of coal mining and storage.

Experimental Validation of High Spatial Resolution of Two-Color Optical Fiber Pyrometer

Taking non-contact temperature measurements in narrow areas or confined spaces of non-uniform surfaces requires high spatial resolution and independence of emissivity uncertainties that conventional cameras can hardly provide. Two-color optical fiber (OF) pyrometers based on standard single-mode (SMF) and multi-mode optical fibers (MMF) with a small core diameter and low numerical aperture in combination with associated commercially available components can provide a spatial resolution in the micrometer range, independent of the material's emissivity. Our experiment involved using a patterned microheater to generate temperatures of approximately 340 °C on objects with a diameter of 0.25 mm. We measured these temperatures using two-color optical fiber pyrometers at a 1 kHz sampling rate, which were linearized in the range of 250 to 500 °C. We compared the results with those obtained using an industrial infrared camera. The tests show the potential of our technique for quickly measuring temperature gradients in small areas, independent of emissivity, such as in microthermography. We also report simulations and experiments, showing that the optical power gathered via each channel of the SMF and MMF pyrometers from hot objects of 250 µm is independent of distance until the OF light spot becomes larger than the diameter of the object at 0.9 mm and 0.4 mm, respectively.

The Use of Collections of Artificial Neural Networks to Improve the Control Quality of the Induction Soldering Process

In industries that implement the technology of induction soldering, various sensors, including non-contact pyrometric ones, are widely used to control the technological process. The use of this type of sensor implies the need to choose a solution that is effective in different operating conditions in terms of the accuracy of the data obtained and the reliability of the measurement equipment and duplication in case of a failure. The present article discusses the development of intelligent technology based on a collection of artificial neural networks, which allows a number of problems associated with technological process control when using pyrometric sensors to be solved: assessing the quality of measurements, correcting measurements when non-standard errors are detected, and controlling the process of induction heating in the absence of reliable readings of the measurement instruments. The collection of artificial neural networks is self-configuring with the use of multicriterion genetic algorithms. The use of the proposed intelligent technology made it possible to improve the control quality of the technological process of the induction brazing of waveguide paths of spacecraft: the overregulation was decreased from 0–20 to 0, and the difference in the heating temperatures of the elements of the brazed waveguide assembly was decreased from 20–100 to 0–10. In addition, the overall process duration decreased and became more stable. When using the classical control technology, the time varied in the range of 20–60 s; when using the proposed technology, it stabilized in the range of 30–35 s.