Process Monitoring

The energy-information gradient doesn't just describe reality. It detects structure you can't otherwise see.

Subsurface Detection

Reveal internal features from surface signatures alone. The ΔEi metric detects where energy flow encounters changing structural resistance—including structures hidden beneath the visible surface.

The heat-affected zone (HAZ) extends roughly double the width of the visible weld bead. What appears as a narrow line of added material is actually surrounded by a much larger region of grain restructuring invisible to conventional inspection.

  • Real-time grain boundary resolution
  • HAZ extends far beyond visible bead
  • Single-sided volumetric inspection

Real-time grain boundary dynamics during solidification

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True Extent of Structural Change

The visible weld bead is just the tip of the iceberg. Thermal imaging reveals the true extent of structural modification—the larger green/yellow region represents high-plasticity zones with grain restructuring, while the narrow inner region is the actual added material.

Side-by-side comparison of top and bottom surfaces shows thermal signatures that reveal subsurface features invisible to optical inspection. What you see isn't always what you get. The data showed weld inconsistancies only visible upon cutting open the square tube.

  • High-plasticity zone detection
  • Grain restructuring extent mapping
  • Top/bottom correlation analysis

Physical weld (outer) vs thermal signature (inner) — top and bottom views

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Self-Organization Dynamics

The same metric that detects structural failure also reveals emergent organization. Left frame shows traditional thermal data—Rayleigh-Bénard convection appears static once initiated. Center (ΔEi) and right (dT/dt) frames reveal just how active an apparent "steady state" actually is.

Standard imaging sees equilibrium. The ΔEi methodology sees continuous boundary negotiation—energy constantly redistributing through the system.

  • Temperature alone misses the dynamics
  • ΔEi reveals boundary activity
  • dT/dt shows rate of energy redistribution

Triptych: Temperature | ΔEi | dT/dt — "Steady state" isn't steady

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Collaboration Inquiry

Process monitoring applications are under active development. If you work in NDT, materials science, welding QA, or related fields and see potential here—let's talk.

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