Full-field surface roughness
| DWPI Title: Method for utilizing light in conjunction with optical Fourier transform to examine and quantify roughness of surface, involves outputting value is indicative roughness of surface has reflective flakes applied based on intensity values |
| Abstract: The various embodiments presented herein relate to utilizing light in conjunction with an optical Fourier transform to examine and quantify roughness of a surface. The surface includes a plurality of flaked particles. The surface is illuminated with a light beam, wherein light reflected from the surface passes through an f-theta lens and is collected at a light sensitive array (LSA). The LSA comprises light sensitive pixels. For an arrangement where the flakes are conformal with the surface, a low degree of light scattering occurs at the surface. For a surface comprising tipped and/or tilted flakes, a correlating degree of scattering of the incident light beam occurs. The surface roughness is quantified based upon the distribution of angular reflections of the scattered light represented in an image formed through use of the LSA. |
| Use: Method for utilizing light in conjunction with optical Fourier transform to examine and quantify roughness e.g. full field roughness of surface e.g. of reflective surface. |
| Advantage: The number of pixels illuminated and intensity of light incident upon each pixel, quantification can be made with regard to the surface roughness of the target based upon the angular distribution of rays in the reflected light. The light source and the surface 0.are positioned relative to one another such that an angle defined by the surface with regard to the direction of the light is as desired. The method avoids a position dependent defocus, and avoids error in estimating the angular distribution of light rays in the reflected light. |
| Novelty: The method involves directing light onto a surface, where the surface has a several reflective flakes (121) applied. An image (160) of the surface has the several reflective flakes applied based upon light reflected from the reflective flakes and captured by a light sensitive array (LSA) (170) are formed. The light is reflected from the reflective flakes. The light passes through an f-theta lens (150) is configured to optically perform a Fourier transform over the light reflected from the reflective flakes, and the f-theta lens focuses the reflected light onto the LSA. An outputted value is indicative roughness of the surface that has the several reflective flakes applied based upon intensity values of pixels of the image. |
| Filed: 10/29/2015 |
| Application Number: US14927037A |
| Tech ID: SD 13117.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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