The Invention 

Pulsed thermal imaging is widely used for nondestructive evaluation of advanced materials and components. Thermal imaging methods to analyze single-layer materials are well developed. However, a general method for analyzing multi-layer materials and coatings/films has not been developed due to the complexity of material systems and lack of an analytical solution. This technology provides a general method, test system including a filter, and numerical algorithm for automated analysis of thermal imaging data for multi-layer coating materials. 

Argonne’s pulsed thermal imaging-multilayer analysis method can accurately measure coating thermal conductivity and heat capacity (and/or thickness) distributions over an entire component’s surface. The method analyzes a temporal series of measured thermal imaging data to determine the properties for all coating layers based on a multilayer model. Argonne’s invention is currently the only method that can analyze coatings of more than one layer, is fully automated to produce 2D layer property images, and has validated high accuracy.

Argonne’s approach includes an infrared filter for flash lamps to eliminate the flash’s infrared radiation, ensuring accurate detection of surface temperature during pulsed thermal imaging tests. 

Key to Argonne’s thermal multi-layer analysis method is the numerical algorithm used for automated analysis of thermal imaging data for multi-layer materials, implemented in dedicated, Argonne-created software that allows for complete data-processing automation without the need of user intervention.

Benefits 

• Allows fast 2D imaging of multi-layer material properties of an object from one surface 
• All-in-one solution that includes method, optical filter, and analytical software for thermal multi-layer material analysis 
• Imaging is nondestructive and fast 
• Eliminates infrared radiation to assure data accuracy 
• Automated analysis of imaging data 

Applications and Industries 

• Multi-layer coating materials development 
• Manufacturing quality control 
• Coating degradation monitoring 
• Medical applications 

Developmental Stage 

Proof of Concept: the technology has been tested and proven to work for coated engine parts. 

Argonne Inventions 

• IN-05-125, Optical Filter for Flash Lamps in Pulsed Thermal Imaging View the patent.
• IN-14-032, Method and Apparatus for Material Thermal Property Measurement by Flash Thermal Imaging View the patent.
• IN-06-017, Method for Thermal Tomography of Thermal Effusivity from Pulsed Thermal Imaging View the patent

Building infiltration – the uncontrolled leakage of air in and out of a building envelope – accounts for a significant portion of the heating and cooling energy for buildings and is estimated to account for nearly 4% of all energy use in the United States. Infiltration can be measured on residential and small commercial buildings using whole building pressurization (blower door) testing after construction is complete, but there is no affordable method for testing larger buildings while under construction or when construction is complete. While building energy codes are changing to set maximum limits of infiltration on new construction, the code changes will not require testing of new commercial construction because of the difficulty involved.

The Acoustic Building Infiltration Measurement System (ABIMS) uses acoustic methods to locate and quantify leak locations on building envelopes. It can be used for buildings of all sizes and can be used while the envelope is still under construction. The technology should allow future commercial building energy code to require infiltration testing on commercial building and allow for affordable quantification of the energy savings benefits of weatherization and infiltration sealing of commercial buildings.

The ABIMS system is being commercialized under the name Sonic Leak Quantifier or SonicLQ. SonicLQ recently won funding from the DOE Lab Corp program to help support commercialization of the technology.