Textron Defense Systems, Division of Avco Corporation

Surface Combustion, Inc.

Textron Defense Systems, Div. of Avco Corporation

Peter S Rostler

Jaime A Woodroffe

Petros A Kotidis

Thomas J Schultz

A system for non-destructively measuring an object and controlling industrial processes in response to the measurement is disclosed in which an impulse laser generates a plurality of sound waves over timed increments in an object. A polarizing interferometer is used to measure surface movement of the object caused by the sound waves and sensed by phase shifts in the signal beam. A photon multiplier senses the phase shift and develops an electrical signal. A signal conditioning arrangement modifies the electrical signals to generate an average signal correlated to the sound waves which in turn is correlated to a physical or metallurgical property of the object, such as temperature, which property may then be used to control the process. External, random vibrations of the workpiece are utilized to develop discernible signals which can be sensed in the interferometer by only one photon multiplier. In addition the interferometer includes an arrangement for optimizing its sensitivity so that movement attributed to various waves can be detected in opaque objects. The interferometer also includes a mechanism for sensing objects with rough surfaces which produce speckle light patterns. Finally the interferometer per se, with the addition of a second photon multiplier is capable of accurately recording beam length distance differences with only one reading.

Apparatus for measuring surface movement of an object that is subjected

Method and apparatus for measuring surface movement of an object using a

Method and apparatus for measuring surface movement of a solid object

Polarizing optical interferometer having a dual use optical element

Furnace control apparatus using polarizing interferometer

Process control system using polarizing interferometer

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Newton, MA, United States of America

Peter S Rostler