Thesis (M.A.Sc.)--Naval Postgraduate School, 2001 / Includes bibliographical references (p. 163-166). Also available in electronic format via the Defense Technical Information Center website.

L’imagerie infrarouge refroidie est portée par une demande forte pour des applications dans les secteurs militaire, industriel et spatial. Les enjeux actuels de ce marché sont le fonctionnement à haute température et la fonctionnalisation spectrale des détecteurs.Ces enjeux peuvent être adressés grâce à l’utilisation de résonateurs optiques et leur faculté à concentrer le champ électromagnétique. Ce travail de thèse montre comment des résonateurs plasmoniques peuvent être intégrés dans la filière HgCdTe.La théorie temporelle des modes couplés a été utilisée, de manière analytique, pour optimiser à travers la condition de couplage critique, l’absorption dans un résonateur plasmonique chargé par un semiconducteur. La conception d’une photodiode HgCdTe ultramince plasmonique est ensuite détaillée. Elle repose sur l’utilisation d’un mode optique résultant du couplage entre un mode plasmon de surface et un mode gap plasmon de cavité / The market for cooled infrared imaging technologies is growing fast due to a range of applications covering military, commercial and space. Current research for innovative systems focuses on high operating temperature and multispectral detectors.To achieve these aims, optical resonators can be used to concentrate electromagnetic fields in thin absorbing media. This thesis investigates the possibility of using plasmonic resonators for HgCdTe photodetection.Temporal coupled-mode theory is used to optimise analytically the absorption in a plasmonic resonator incorporating an absorbing semiconductor subject to the critical coupling condition. A design of a thin plasmonic HgCdTe diode is then described. This includes a hybrid plasmonic mode arising from the coupling between a surface plasmon and a cavity gap-plasmon mode

<p dir="ltr">Thermal radiation is a naturally abundant form of light that is continuously emitted from objects above absolute zero. Because this form of electromagnetic radiation is invisible to the human eye, much of human and machine perception neglects the rich information that is present in infrared energy. By harvesting the spectral and polarimetric characteristics of thermal signals, thermal imaging can deliver an enormous impact to remote sensing, machine perception, autonomous navigation, and biomedical applications. The goal of this thesis is to present numerous techniques that enable the extraction of the vast information available via thermal radiation.</p><p dir="ltr">This thesis investigates a more robust and approachable method of providing spectral and polarimetric resolution to short-wave infrared cameras. Through the application of a liquid crystal interferometer, this research demonstrates an electrically-tunable spectral imaging platform that is compact, robust, cost-effective, and accurate, offering a durable solution for remote sensing and autonomous navigation. This thesis also examines the design of filters specific to the short-wave infrared signature of greenhouse gasses, enabling aerial detection and measurement of greenhouse gas sources via a single filtered image, which can drastically improve the speed and accuracy of monitoring greenhouse gas emissions. In the long-wave infrared regime, this research explores a four-color imaging thermometer, capitalizing on the resolution provided by four spectral bands—in conjunction with the <i>TeX-</i><i>Vision</i><i> </i>temperature-estimation algorithm—to yield unprecedented temperature estimation accuracy that can advance current medical diagnostic practices.</p><p dir="ltr">The examples described in this thesis reveal the breadth of untapped information that is present in thermal radiation, which carries the ability to enhance the way we perceive our surroundings.</p>

No description available.

Thesis (PhD (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Passive millimetre-wave (PMMW) imaging is a technique that uses radiometers to detect thermal radiation emitted and reflected by metallic and non-metallic objects. While visual and infra-red emissions are attenuated by atmospheric constituents, PMMW emissions are transmitted, resulting in consistent contrast between different objects from day to night in clear weather and in low-visibility conditions to form images for a range of security and inclement weather applications. The use of a PMMW imaging system on a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) offers extremely attractive possibilities for applications such as airborne surveillance for search and rescue operations, which are often hindered by inclement weather making visibility poor and endangering the rescuers as the search vehicle flies through the bad weather zone. The UAV would fly above the bad weather zone, with the PMMW imaging system detecting the thermal radiation emitted and reflected by objects in the MMW spectrum through the inclement weather. The 35GHz propagation window is chosen for the greater transmission through atmospheric constituents. The design of the PMMW imaging system is severely limited by the size of the UAV, particularly in the inability to incorporate any form of optical or mechanical scanning antenna. A possible solution is a long, thin antenna array fitted under the wings of the UAV. Such an antenna has a narrow, high gain, frequency-scanned beam along the plane perpendicular to the flight path, but a very broad beam along the plane of the flight path blurs the image, making it difficult to accurately determine the position of an object or to differentiate between objects situated along the plane of the flight path. This dissertation proposes a technique of image reconstruction based on the Kalman filter, a recursive filter that uses feedback control to estimate the state of a partially observed non-stationary stochastic process, to reconstruct an accurate image of the target area from such a detected signal. It is shown that given a simulated target area, populated with an arbitrary number of objects, the Kalman filter is able to successfully reconstruct the image using the measured antenna pattern to model the scanning process and reverse the blurring effect / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Passiewe millimetergolf (PMMG) beeldvorming is ’n tegniek wat van radiometers gebruik maak om termiese straling waar te neem vanaf beide metaal en nie-metaal voorwerpe. Waar optiese en infra-rooi straling attenueer word deur atmosferiese bestanddele, plant PMMG strale ongehinderd voort. Dit lei tot konstante kontras tussen verskillende voorwerpe in daglig of snags, mooi of bewolkte weer, en in ander lae-sigbaarheid toestande om beelde te vorm vir ’n wye reeks sekuriteits- of weertoepassings. Die gebruik van PMMG beeldvorming op ’n klein onbemande lugtuig (OLT) bied aantreklike moontlikhede vir toepassings in observasie en reddingsoperasies, wat dikwels verhinder word deur bewolke weer wat reddingswerkers in gevaar stel as hul moet vlieg in toestande van lae sigbaarheid. Die OLT kan bokant die onweer vlieg, met die PMMG beeldvormer wat termiese straling in die millimetergolf spektrum vanaf voorwerpe kan waarneem in swaks weerstoestande. Vir verbeterde golfvoortplanting deur atmosferiese bestanddele, word die 35GHz band gekies. Die ontwerp van die PMMG stelsel word geweldig beperk deur die grootte van die OLT, spesifiek deur die tuig se onvermoë om ’n antenne te huisves wat opties of meganies kan skandeer. ’n Moontlike oplossing is om gebruik te maak van ’n lang, dun antenne samestelling wat onder die OLT se vlerke geplaas word. So ’n antenne het ’n nou, hoë-aanwins bundel wat met frekwensie skandeer langs ’n vlak loodreg tot die vlugtrajek. So ’n antenne het egter ’n baie wye bundel langs die vlugtrajek, wat beeldkwaliteit verlaag en dit moeilik maak om die posisie van ’n voorwerp langs die vlugtrajek te bepaal, of om tussen veelvuldige voorwerpe te onderskei. Hierdie proefskrif bied ’n tegniek van beeldherwinning gebaseer op die Kalman filter, ’n rekursiewe filter wat terugvoerbeheer gebruik om die toestand van ’n nie-stasionêre stochastiese proses af te skat wat slegs gedeeltelik waargeneem is, om soedoende ’n akkurate beeld van die teikenarea te herkonstrueer vanuit ’n verwronge beeld. Dit word getoon dat, gegewe ’n gesimuleerde teikenomgewing met ’n arbitrêre hoeveelheid voorwerpe, die Kalman filter suksesvol ’n beeld kan herkonstrueer deur gebruik te maak van die antenne se gemete stralingspatroon om die skanderingsproses na te boots, om sodoende die beeldkwaliteit te verhoog

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-21T14:42:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JulianoColman.pdf: 1680235 bytes, checksum: d15b9619fed5b29eb3330f0815273593 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-08-30 / This work broaches the question of the accident of working, specific the repetitive strain injury (RSI), your social implicate and the difficult of proof as much as extension and characterize of lesion by expert. In the RSI is difficulty detachment to confirm your existence.Appraise the spent that Social Foresight suffer of accident of working. So, we notice the accident protection in the law n.° 8.213/91 and the assured protection in the Republic Constitution. It is observed the Law beginnings, especially of dignity human person. It is specification the RSI, about concept, diagnostic and objective characterize conjoint with the social repercussion in the protection perspective of legislation. Also, question of the responsibility of employer result of the accident of working. How objective search present the responsibility of employer; work legislation about of the accident of working; and the safety law of working; the effects about accident in the working contract; medical concept about RSI; and the high resolution infrared imaging how form objective to demonstrate RSI. How principal results: that the responsibility of employer result of the accident of working produce of manifestation of RSI constitute in the objective responsibility and that the high resolution infrared imaging is an objective form of demonstrate the RSI. / O presente trabalho aborda questões sobre acidentes de trabalho, especificamente as Lesões por Esforço Repetitivo (LER), suas implicações sociais e a dificuldade da prova quanto à extensão e caracterização de tais lesões pelo perito. Destaca-se o ônus que a Previdência Social sofre em virtude dos acidentes de trabalho. Desta forma, extrai-se a proteção acidentaria da Lei n.° 8.213/91 e a proteção assegurada pela Constituição da República. São observados os princípios de direito, especialmente o da dignidade da pessoa humana. Especificamente abordam-se as LER, relativamente ao conceito, diagnósticos e caracterização objetiva conjuntamente com suas repercussões sociais na perspectiva protecionista da legislação. Também, questões relacionadas às responsabilidades do empregador decorrentes dos acidentes de trabalho. Como objetivos busca apresentar as responsabilidades inerentes ao empregador; a legislação trabalhista relativa aos acidentes de trabalho e as normas de segurança do trabalho; os efeitos que o acidente produz no contrato de trabalho; conceitos médicos pertinentes as LER; e a imagem infravermelha de alta resolução como um meio de demonstrar objetivamente as LER. Como resultados principais apresenta: que a responsabilidade decorrente dos acidentes de trabalho produzida pela manifestação das LER constitui-se em responsabilidade objetiva e que a imagem infravermelha de alta resolução é um meio de demonstrar objetivamente as LER. Conseqüentemente conclui-se que o conceito dor de maneira genérica pode ser demonstrado objetivamente e que a imagem infravermelha de alta resolução poderá ser utilizada como um meio de convencimento do juízo através da manifestação do perito ou assistente técnico.

The electric Joule heating of solid materials through direct current excitation can be used to generate a temperature profile throughout a powdermetallic (P/M) compact. When recording the surface temperature distribution with an infrared (IR) camera important information regarding the integrity of the sample can be gained. This research will concentrate on the formulation of a mathematical model capable of predicting the temperature distribution and heat flow behavior in P/M parts and its relations to the supplied current, injection method, geometric shape as well as the thermo-physical properties. This theoretical model will subsequently be employed as a tool to aid in the actual measurements of infrared signatures over the sample surface and their correlation with the detection of surface and subsurface flaws. In this work we will develop the theoretical background of IR testing of green-state and sintered P/M compacts in terms of stating the governing equations and boundary conditions, followed by devising analytical and numerical solutions. Our main emphasis is placed on modeling various flaw sizes and orientations in an effort to determine flaw resolution limits as a function of minimally detectable temperature distributions. Preliminary measurements with controlled and industrial samples have shown that this IR testing methodology can successfully be employed to test both green-state and sintered P/M compacts.

"Thermal infrared (IR) imaging systems are widely used in medical, industrial, and defense applications. IR imaging systems utilize a lens to focus IR radiation onto a focal plane array (FPA) of IR detectors, which transduce the IR radiation from the scene into signals that can be further processed. In conventional IR imaging systems, electronic readout integrated circuitry (ROIC) is used to read out the information from the FPA, and computer signal processing allows for an IR image to be displayed on an electronic screen. However, the ROIC decreases the thermal isolation and sensitivity of the IR detectors in the FPA, and the computer processing and electronic display increase the cost, weight, and complexity of the IR imaging system. This thesis focuses on the development of an IR direct viewing system that does not require any ROIC, computer signal processing, or electronic display. This is accomplished through the use of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) uncooled IR imaging detectors, which consist of arrays of bimaterial thermomechanical cantilever structures that tilt as a function of IR radiation from a scene. Other members of the WPI-ME/CHSLT group have previously shown that an interferometric optical readout mechanism based on digital holography and computer processing can eliminate the need for ROIC and be used to measure the nanometer scale tilt of the structures in a MEMS-based IR imaging system that was found to have a responsivity of 1.5 nm/K. However, these previously demonstrated results required significant computer processing and an electronic display. The hypothesis of the current work is that an optomechanical readout mechanism can be used to realize an IR direct viewer without the use of ROIC, computer signal processing, or an electronic display. Three optical readout mechanisms were identified for transducing the nanometer scale deformations of the MEMS structures in the FPA into a directly observable visible light image. Two of these, one using live holography and the other using Nomarski differential interference contrast (DIC), were based on interferometry, while the third, using reflectometry, was based on geometrical optics. The identified optical readout mechanisms were analytically evaluated based on the performance and perception of the human vision system (HVS), and preliminary experimental results were obtained using optical setups constructed for all three readout mechanisms. Based on the analytical and experimental investigations, reflectometry was selected as the most suitable readout mechanism for a direct viewer. A visible light camera was used with custom software to determine a temperature sensitivity of 137 mK for the reflectometry readout, and thermal images of scenes at human body temperature were demonstrated using limited computer processing. A false color, direct view, live IR imaging system was then demonstrated based on a two color reflectometry readout and the output was characterized with respect to the color differentiation sensitivity of the HVS. The system temperature sensitivity, based on the theoretical color differentiation sensitivity of a human observer, was found to be on the order of 10 K across a measuring range of roughly 400 °C, and objects with a temperature as low as approximately 150 °C were distinguishable. The advantages and limitations of the developed IR imaging system are identified and recommendations for further developments and future work are provided."

An accurate estimation of biomass burning emissions is in part limited by the lack of knowledge of fire burning phase (smoldering/flaming). In recent years, several fire detection products have been developed to provide information of fire radiative power (FRP), location, size, and temperature of fire pixels, but no information regarding fire burning phase is retrieved. The Day-Night band (DNB) aboard Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is sensitive to visible light from flaming fires in the night. In contrast, VIIRS 4 µm moderate resolution band #13 (M13), though capable to detect fires at all phases, has no direct sensitivity for discerning fire phase. However, the hybrid usage of VIIRS DNB and M-bands data is hampered due to their different scanning technology and spatial resolution. In this study, we present a novel method to rapidly and accurately resample DNB pixel radiances to M-band pixels’ footprint that is based on DNB and M-band’s respective characteristics in their onboard schemes for detector aggregation and bow-tie effect removals. Subsequently, the visible energy fraction (VEF) as an indicator of fire burning phase is introduced and is calculated as the ratio of visible light power (VLP) and FRP for each fire pixel retrieved from VIIRS 750 m active fire product. A global distribution of VEF values, and thereby the fire phase, is quantitatively obtained, showing mostly smoldering wildfires such as peatland fires (with smaller VEF values) in Indonesia, flaming wildfires (with larger VEF values) over grasslands and savannahs in sub-Sahel region, and gas fares with largest VEF values in the Middle East. VEF is highly correlated with modified combustion efficiency (MCE) for different land cover types or regions. These results together with a case study of the 2018 California Campfire show that the VEF has the potential to be an indicator of fire combustion phase for each fire pixel, appropriate for estimating emission factors at the satellite pixel level.

Many practical tasks in industry, such as automatic inspection or robot vision, often require scanning of three-dimensional shapes with non-contact techniques. However, transparent objects, such as those made of glass, still pose difficulties for classical scanning techniques. The reconstruction of surface geometry for transparent objects is complicated by the fact that light is transmitted through, refracted and in some cases reflected by the surface. Current approaches can only deal relatively well with sub-classes of objects. The algorithms are still very specific and not generally applicable. Furthermore, many techniques require considerable acquisition effort and careful calibration. This thesis proposes a new method of determining the surface shape of transparent objects. The method is based on local surface heating and thermal imaging. First, the surface of the object is heated with a laser source. A thermal image is acquired, and pixel coordinates of the heated point are calculated. Then, the 3D coordinates of the surface are computed using triangulation and the initial calibration of the system. The process is repeated by moving the transparent object to recover its surface shape. This method is called Scanning From Heating. Considering the laser beam as a point heating source and the surface of the object locally flat at the impact zone, the Scanning From Heating method is extended to obtain the surface normals of the object, in addition to the 3D world coordinates. A scanner prototype based on Scanning From Heating method has been developed during the thesis.