Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated

Battelle Development Corporation

Daniel R Grieser

Russell H Barnes

Rand C Sherman

Patrick J Callahan

William A Ivancic

Disclosed is a real-time fluorescence imaging system for detecting on-site the presence and boundaries of spills of insulating liquids for transformers and capacitors and other fluorescing materials providing a two- dimensional image of the spill having excitement means positionable near a spill for exciting fluorescence emissions from the spill materials, image intensification means for intensifying the fluorescent emissions, first detection means positionable to detect intensified fluorescent emissions from the insulating liquids and generating a detection signal, and display means for receiving the detection signal and generating a real-time video image of the presence and boundaries of the spill. The present invention also includes pulse means for causing the excitement means to periodically excite fluorescent emissions from the insulating liquids and control means for controlling the intensification means to intensify only during periods of fluorescent excitation.

Video fluorescence monitor for determination of spill outlines

An optical processing system uses spatial filtering to recognize two-dimensional functions and images. Images of real objects are captured with a television camera. The electronic signals representing the two-dimensional function or image are electronically preprocessed, such as by edge enhancement techniques or by applying a curvature function, and displayed on a narrow-band-phosphor cathode ray tube or television monitor. The monitor image is used directly as the input to an incoherent holographic correlator. Alternatively, the monitor image is used to modulate a source of coherent radiation such as a laser via a spatial light modulator to generate a modulated optical signal which is the input to a coherent holographic correlator. Analyzer circuitry with an optical detector at the correlation plane analyzes the shape of the correlation function to determine the intensity and position of its peak. The input to the CRT or monitor may also be in the form of non-optically generated electronic signals representative of a two-dimensional function for display in graphic form by the CRT or monitor.

Growing community of inventors

Columbus, OH, United States of America

Daniel R Grieser