Using pyrometry to identify porosity in additively manufactured structures

Patent Number: 11623408
Issued: 4/11/2023
Official Filing: View the Complete Patent
Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying porosity in a structure made by an additive manufacturing process in which a laser is scanned across layers of material to form the structure. Pyrometry data comprising images of the layers acquired during additive manufacturing of the structure is received. The pyrometry data is used to generate temperature data comprising estimated temperatures of points in the layers in the images of the layers. The temperature data is used to identify shapes fit to high temperature areas in the images of the layers. Conditions of the shapes fit to the high temperature areas in the images of the layers are identified. Outlier shapes are identified in the shapes fit to the high temperature areas in the images of the layers using the conditions of the shapes.
Filed: 3/12/2020
Government Interests: STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST 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.