Method of evaluating thermal diffusivity near lossy boundaries as an alternative to the Parker method

摘要

We describe an analysis of a flash thermographic method to measure thermal diffusivity that is particularly insensitive to heat loss mechanisms near thermal boundaries. This approach is an alternative to the “Parker method” which requires that a plate-like region subject to a uniform energy flux must reach a maximum constant temperature in order to obtain an accurate measurement of thermal diffusivity at the half-temperature point in time. The present approach relies on evaluating another unique point, the inflection point, of the same back-side thermal response curve as Parker's or, from the front side, using a contrast versus time curve in the sample region of interest. This inflection point occurs so early in the response history that little heat loss, for example, near heat-sink boundaries or surface convection, is expressed. Since the method is insensitive to the achieved temperature, it is also insensitive to surface emissivity variations.