A method for measuring thermal resistance between a thermal component of an instrument and a consumable includes contacting a known consumable with a thermal component to be tested; driving the thermal component using a periodic sine wave input based on a predetermined interrogation frequency; measuring temperature outputs from a thermal sensor responsive to the periodic sine wave input; multiplying the temperature outputs by a reference signal in phase with the periodic sine wave input and calculating the resultant DC signal component to determine an in-phase component X; multiplying the plurality of temperature outputs by a 90° phase-shifted reference signal and calculating the resultant DC signal component to determine a quadrature, out-of-phase component Y; calculating a phase offset responsive to the periodic sine wave input based on tan.sup.−1 (Y/X) or atan2(X, Y); and determining a resistance value for the thermal interface using a calibrated resistance-phase offset equation and the calculated phase offset.

In one example, an additive manufacturing process includes: making an object slice by slice, including dispensing a first quantity of each of multiple liquid functional agents on to a layer of fusable build material and then irradiating the layer of build material; while making the object, identifying a deviant region in a slice; and dispensing a second quantity different from the first quantity of at least one of the functional agents into a location corresponding to the deviant region.

In one example, an additive manufacturing process includes: making an object slice by slice, including dispensing a first quantity of each of multiple liquid functional agents on to a layer of fusable build material and then irradiating the layer of build material; while making the object, identifying a deviant region in a slice; and dispensing a second quantity different from the first quantity of at least one of the functional agents into a location corresponding to the deviant region.

A method comprises non-destructive contact-free physical characterization of a sample by repeated excitations of the surface of a sample with a sequence of pulses comprising at least one pump pulse by a first “pump” laser followed by a succession of L temporarily offset pulses by a second “probe” laser, and the analysis of the beam emitted by the surface of the sample by an activated photodetector, for the acquisition of signals delivered by the photodetectors during constant time windows.

Systems and methods for laser stimulated lock-in thermography (LLT) crack detection are provided. The system includes a spatial light modulator and a controller. The spatial light modulator reflects a laser beam to focus the laser beam onto a sample for detection of a crack, hole or scratch. The controller is coupled to the spatial light modulator and controls operation of the spatial light modulator to switch focus of the laser beam onto the sample between a plurality of LLT focus configurations for detection of the crack, hole or scratch on the sample. The method includes using a first one of the plurality of LLT configurations for coarse scanning of the sample to detect a crack, hole or scratch on the sample and, when a crack, hole or scratch is detected on the sample, switching to a second one of the plurality of LLT configurations for fine scanning of the crack, hole or scratch on the sample to determine one or more parameters of the crack, hole or scratch on the sample.

Systems and methods for laser stimulated lock-in thermography (LLT) crack detection are provided. The system includes a spatial light modulator and a controller. The spatial light modulator reflects a laser beam to focus the laser beam onto a sample for detection of a crack, hole or scratch. The controller is coupled to the spatial light modulator and controls operation of the spatial light modulator to switch focus of the laser beam onto the sample between a plurality of LLT focus configurations for detection of the crack, hole or scratch on the sample. The method includes using a first one of the plurality of LLT configurations for coarse scanning of the sample to detect a crack, hole or scratch on the sample and, when a crack, hole or scratch is detected on the sample, switching to a second one of the plurality of LLT configurations for fine scanning of the crack, hole or scratch on the sample to determine one or more parameters of the crack, hole or scratch on the sample.

The invention relates to an apparatus (1; 1a; 1b; 1c) and a method for determining a material property of a test specimen (5; 5a; 5b; 5c) in a test specimen region (6; 6a; 6b; 6c) near the surface, said apparatus comprising at least one electromagnetic radiation source (2; 2a; 2b; 2c) for irradiating at least one surface region (4; 4a; 4b; 4c) of the test specimen, and a detection device (8; 8a; 8b; 8c) for detecting thermal radiation (9; 9a; 9b) emitted by the surface region and/or for detecting radiation (31) reflected from the surface region (4; 4a; 4b; 4c) of the test specimen. An evaluation device (13; 13a; 13b; 13c) for ascertaining the material property to be determined on the basis of the emitted thermal radiation (9: 9a: 9b) and/or the reflected radiation (31) is expediently provided. Advantageously, it is possible for the material property to be determined particularly reliably and nondestructively.

A method for identifying zones in an annulus with poor cementing that may include deploying a fiber optic cable within the wellbore, creating a temperature gradient in the wellbore, and collecting temperature data over a period of time as the wellbore returns to a thermal equilibrium. The method may also include comparing the temperature data collected by the fiber optic cable at one or more locations to predicted temperature data over the period of time at the one or more locations to identify locations where the measured temperature data deviates from the predicted temperature data for identifying locations or zones of the annulus that have poor cementing.

A method for identifying zones in an annulus with poor cementing that may include deploying a fiber optic cable within the wellbore, creating a temperature gradient in the wellbore, and collecting temperature data over a period of time as the wellbore returns to a thermal equilibrium. The method may also include comparing the temperature data collected by the fiber optic cable at one or more locations to predicted temperature data over the period of time at the one or more locations to identify locations where the measured temperature data deviates from the predicted temperature data for identifying locations or zones of the annulus that have poor cementing.

A wiring component with physical quantity sensor is provided with an electric wire, a physical quantity sensor to detect a physical quantity of the electric wire, a holding member that is composed of a molded body covering a portion in a longitudinal direction of the electric wire and has a holding hole to house the physical quantity sensor, and an attachment member attached to the holding member. The physical quantity sensor is prevented from coming out of the holding hole by the attachment member.