Apparatus, systems, and methods for non-invasive thermal interrogation

A system for non-invasive sensing of an object having a volume with a surface and an internal region, comprising:

• a non-invasive sensor including:
• a heat flux sensor having one or more heat flux sensor output terminals;
• a temperature sensor having one or more temperature sensor output terminals,
• wherein the non-invasive sensor is adapted to be placed on or near the surface of the object, where the internal region of the object has internal properties indicated by one or more corresponding internal parameters and an internal temperature distribution;
• wherein the heat flux sensor is arranged to produce a voltage that is related to the heat transfer leaving or entering the object at the surface by a calibration constant, a sensitivity constant, a calibration curve, or a sensitivity curve associated with the heat flux sensor, and
• circuitry coupled to the one or more heat flux sensor output terminals and the one or more temperature sensor output terminals to:
• receive a measured temperature signal from the temperature sensor at one or more specified times;
• receive a measured heat flux signal from the heat flux sensor at one or more specified times;
• determine an estimated indicative quantity for one or more of the internal properties at one or more specified times based on at least the measured temperature signal and the measured heat flux signal;
• and
• generate information indicating one or more of the one or more estimated indicative quantities determined for the one or more internal properties at one or more specified times.

A system for non-invasive sensing of an object having a volume with a surface and an internal region, comprising:

• a first non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pair;
• a second non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pair;
• each of the first and second non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pairs including:
• a heat flux sensor having one or more heat flux sensor output terminals;
• and
• a temperature sensor having one or more temperature sensor output terminals,
• wherein the first and second non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pairs are adapted to be placed at different locations on or near the surface of the object and are subject to a differential heat flux environment, and where the internal region of the object has internal properties indicated by one or more corresponding internal parameters and an internal temperature distribution, and
• circuitry coupled to the one or more heat flux sensor output terminals and the one or more temperature sensor output terminals of each of the first and second non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pairs, and configured to:
• receive a first measured temperature signal from the temperature sensor in the first non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pair at one or more specified times;
• receive a first measured heat flux signal from the heat flux sensor in the first non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pair at one or more specified times;
• receive a second measured temperature signal from the temperature sensor in the second non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pair at one or more specified times;
• receive a second measured heat flux signal from the heat flux sensor in the second non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pair at one or more specified times;
• determine an indicative quantity for one or more of the internal properties of the object at one or more specified times based on at least the measured temperature signals from the temperature sensors in the first and second non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pairs at one or more specified times and the measured heat flux signals from the heat flux sensors in the first and second non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pairs at one or more specified times;
• and
• generate information indicating one or more of the one or more indicative quantities determined for the internal properties of the object at one or more specified times.

A non-invasive sensor adapted to be placed on or near a surface of an object having a volume with a surface and an internal region, where the internal region of the object has internal properties indicated by one or more corresponding internal parameters and an internal temperature distribution, the non-invasive sensor comprising:

• a non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pair;
• the non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pair including:
• a heat flux sensor having one or more heat flux sensor output terminals to provide a measured heat flux signal for a location on or near the surface of the object, and
• a temperature sensor having one or more temperature sensor output terminals to provide a measured temperature signal for a location on or near the surface of the object,
• wherein the non-invasive sensor is configured to ensure that a mismatch does not exist between the measured heat flux signal and the measured temperature signal.

A non-invasive sensor adapted to be placed on or near a surface of an object having a volume with a surface and an internal region, where the internal region of the object has internal properties indicated by one or more corresponding internal parameters and an internal temperature distribution, the non-invasive sensor comprising:

• a first non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pair;
• and
• a second non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pair;
• each of the first and second non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pairs including:
• a heat flux sensor having one or more heat flux sensor output terminals;
• and
• a temperature sensor having one or more temperature sensor output terminals,
• wherein the first and second non-invasive heat flux sensor-temperature sensor pairs are adapted to be placed at different locations on or near the surface of the object and are subject to a differential heat flux environment.

A system for non-invasive sensing of a pipe having a volume with a surface and an internal region, comprising:

• a non-invasive sensor including:
• a heat flux sensor having one or more heat flux sensor output terminals;
• a temperature sensor having one or more temperature sensor output terminals,
• wherein the non-invasive sensor is adapted to be placed on or near the surface of the pipe, where the internal region of the pipe has internal properties indicated by one or more corresponding internal parameters and an internal temperature distribution, and
• circuitry coupled to the one or more heat flux sensor output terminals and the one or more temperature sensor output terminals to:
• receive a measured temperature signal from the temperature sensor at one or more specified times;
• receive a measured heat flux signal from the heat flux sensor at one or more specified times;
• determine an internal temperature distribution of the internal region of the pipe at one or more specified times based on at least the measured temperature signal and the measured heat flux signal;
• and
• generate information indicating the internal temperature distribution of the internal region of the pipe at one or more specified times.