Collaborative Research: Manufacturing of Complex Lenses for Thermal Imaging, Night Vision and Surveillance Systems

合作研究：制造用于热成像、夜视和监控系统的复杂镜头

• 批准号: 1437225
• 负责人: Matthew Davies
• 金额: $ 15.82万
• 依托单位: University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-11-01 至 2020-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1437225&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Manufacturing; Complex; Lenses

Ultra-precision machines utilize single crystal diamond tools to manufacture lenses (optics) with dimensional accuracy that is on the order of a small fraction of the diameter of a human hair (approximately one ten-millionth of one meter). New ultra-precision machine technology enables the manufacture of lenses (optics) of nearly arbitrary shape: freeform optics. This freedom allows lens designers to think in entirely new ways. As one of the enabling technologies for freeform optics, ultra-precision machining is poised to play a major role in an optical revolution. A prime application area of this technology is the manufacture of lenses for thermal imaging and surveillance, thermal imaging and night vision systems (infrared imaging). This award supports fundamental research needed for the cost effective manufacture of freeform infrared (thermal) optics. While the immediate impact area is infrared imaging, the research has broader application to many industry sectors critical to the U.S. economy including solar energy, healthcare, biomedical, aerospace, and automotive. This research crosses the disciplines of manufacturing, mechanical engineering, materials science and optical science. The multi-disciplinary approach will help broaden participation of underrepresented groups in research and positively impact engineering education.Reports in the literature give numerous anecdotal examples of brittle materials that are machinable by diamond milling ("diamond millable") but are not generally considered "diamond turnable". The difference may be due to the interrupted or non-steady state nature of the cutting process. The objective of this research is to test the hypothesis that when diamond milling brittle materials, the characteristics of the surface and subsurface depends not only on the geometric parameters as in diamond turning, but also on the dynamic non-steady-state parameters such as the time-in-cut and the dynamically changing chip thickness. Researchers from UNC Charlotte and Oklahoma State University will design and construct a simplified milling experiment with the capability to isolate and measure the response of materials in different geometries ranging from those typical to milling to high-speed nano-indentation. The surface and subsurface characteristics will be measured with techniques ranging from atomic force microscopy to Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry. The effort will target infrared (IR) optics manufactured in single crystal germanium and IR-transparent glass. Research results will not only enable more productive machining of the targeted materials, but also provide a scientific basis for expanding the range of "diamond millable" brittle materials for optical and other applications.

超精确的机器利用单晶钻石工具以尺寸精度制造镜片（光学元件），这是人毛直径的一小部分（约一十万一米）。 新的超精确机器技术可以实现几乎任意形状的镜头（光学元件）：自由形式光学器件。 这种自由使镜头设计师能够以全新的方式思考。 作为自由形式光学技术的能力技术之一，超精确的加工有望在光学革命中发挥重要作用。 该技术的主要应用领域是制造用于热成像和监视，热成像和夜视系统（红外成像）的镜头。该奖项支持具有成本效益的自由式红外（热）光学元件所需的基础研究。 虽然直接影响区域是红外成像，但该研究对许多行业对美国经济至关重要的行业进行了更广泛的应用，包括太阳能，医疗保健，生物医学，航空航天和汽车。 这项研究跨越了制造，机械工程，材料科学和光学科学的学科。多学科的方法将有助于扩大代表性不足的群体参与研究和对工程教育产生积极影响的参与。文献中的报告为众多的轶事例子提供了可通过钻石铣削（“钻石铣削”）加工的脆性材料的例子（“钻石粉”），但通常不被认为是“钻石转盘”。 差异可能是由于切割过程的中断或非态状性质。 这项研究的目的是检验以下假设：当钻石铣削脆性材料时，表面和地下的特征不仅取决于钻石转弯中的几何参数，而且还取决于动态的非稳态参数，例如时间段的时间，例如时间段和动态变化的芯片厚度。 来自UNC夏洛特大学和俄克拉荷马州立大学的研究人员将设计和构建一个简化的铣削实验，其能力可以隔离和测量不同几何形状中材料的响应，从典型到铣削到高速纳米识别。 表面和地下特性将通过从原子力显微镜到卢瑟福反向散射光谱法的技术进行测量。 这项工作将针对单晶锗和IR-Transparent玻璃制造的红外（IR）光学元件。 研究结果不仅可以实现目标材料的生产力加工，而且还为扩大“钻石粉”脆性材料的范围为光学和其他应用提供了科学基础。