Andrea Bordone

Laser in vessel-viewing system for nuclear fusion reactors

An amplitude modulated laser radar has been developed by ENEA (Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Environment) for periodic in-vessel inspection in large fusion machines. Its overall optical design has been developed taking into account the extremely high radiation levels and operating temperatures foreseen in large European fusion machines such as JET (Joint European Torus) and ITER (International Thermo- nuclear Experimental Reactor). The viewing system is based on a transceiving optical radar using a RF modulated single mode 840 nm wavelength laser beam. The sounding beam is transmitted through a coherent optical fiber and a focusing optic to the inner part of the nuclear reactor vessel by a stainless steel probe on the tip of which a suitable scanning silica prism steers the laser beam along a linear raster spanning a -90 degree(s) to +60 degree(s) in elevation and 360 degree(s) in azimuth for a complete mapping of the vessel itself. All the electronics, including the laser source, avalanche photodiode and all the active components are located outside the bioshield, while passive components (receiving optics, transmitting collimator, fiber optics), located in the torus hall, are made of fused silica so that the overall laser radar is radiation resistant. The signal is acquired, the raster lines being synchronized with the aid of optical encoders linked to the scanning prism, thus yielding a TV like image. Preliminary results have been obtained scanning large sceneries including several real targets having different backscattering properties, colors and surface reflectivity ranging over several decades to simulate the expected dynamic range of the video signals incoming from the vessel.

Laser diagnostics developed for conservation and restoration of cultural inheritance

Different laser induced diagnostics, originally developed for different purposes including material characterization and environmental monitoring, have been applied in the field of Cultural Inheritance preservation with the aim to facilitate successive conservation and restoration actions. In this paper results relevant to three different techniques are reviewed. The use of topologic laser and 3D sensor in checking small artifacts and large surfaces is discussed, the application of Speckle interferometry to defect analysis of ceramic artwork is represented, a demonstration of the capabilities of a time resolved LIF system in the characterization of surface composition of ancient ceramics and frescoes is finally given.

Analysis of surface circulation structures along a frequently repeated XBT transect crossing the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas

A dataset of XBT (eXpendable BathyThermograph) temperature profiles collected by ships of opportunity along the Genova–Palermo route, since September 1999, is analyzed, together with altimetric observations and model results, with the purpose of identifying and characterizing robust circulation features along the track and investigating their variability. An anticyclone is found in the Ligurian Sea, just north of the Corsica Channel, not present in previous descriptions of the Mediterranean Sea circulation. It appears to be a recurrent feature, better defined and stronger in summer and in the beginning of autumn. In the northern part of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the well-known Bonifacio dipole shows a similar seasonality, in agreement with previous observations. However, the Bonifacio anticyclone also displays a strong interannual variability, not previously recorded, with significant variations in position and shape. In fact, the data suggest the existence of two distinct summer circulation regimes related to the position and shape of the Ligurian anticyclone. When the latter is wider, filling the entire region north of the Corsica Channel, the circulation in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea is isolated from that in the Ligurian Sea, in agreement with the common picture. However, the altimeter maps show that there are several cases in the last two decades in which the Ligurian anticyclone is small and displaced to the west, allowing an inflow through the Corsica Channel into the Tyrrhenian Sea. The two regimes appear to result from a delicate balance between the forcings acting in the two sub-basins and the topographic constraints.

High-resolution laser radar: a powerful tool for 3D imaging with potential applications in artwork restoration and medical prosthesis

A high-resolution laser radar has been developed for laboratory applications at an accurate 3D reconstruction of real objects. The laser scanner can be used to produce single cylindrical range image when the object is placed on a controlled rotating platform or, alternatively, 3 or more linear range images, in order to fully characterize the surface of the object as seen from different points of view. From the sample points, characterized by an uncertainty as small as 100 μm, the complete object surface can be reconstructed by using specifically developed software tools. The system has been successfully applied to scan different types of real surfaces (stone, wood, bones) with relevant applications in industrial machining, artwork classification and medical diagnostics. Significant examples of 3D reconstructions are shown and discussed in view of a specific utilization for reverse engineering applied to artwork restoration and medical prosthesis.

Laser vision sensor for in-vessel inspection of fusion reactors

An optical amplitude modulated laser radar has been developed for periodic in-vessel inspection in large fusion machines and its overall optical aiming is developed taking into account the extremely high radiation levels and operating temperatures foreseen in the large European fusion machines (JET and ITER). In this paper an in vessel viewing system based on a transceiving optical radar using an RF modulated single mode 840 nm wavelength laser beam is illustrated. The sounding beam is transmitted through a coherent optical fiber and a focusing collimator to the inner part of the vessel by a stainless steel probe on the tip of which a suitable scanning silica prism steers the laser beam along a linear raster spanning a -90 degree to +90 degree in elevation and 360 degrees in azimuth for a complete mapping of the vessel itself. All the electronics, including laser source, avalanche photodiode and all the active components are located outside the bioshield, while passive components (receiving optics, transmitting collimator, fiber optics), located in the torus hall, are in fused silica so that the overall vision system is radiation resistant. The Active and passive components are contained in separated stainless steel boxes connected through two silica fiber optics. The laser radiation backscattered by the resolved surface element of the vessel is received by a collecting silica optics and remotely transmitted through a multimode fiber on the surface of an avalanche photodiode detector located in the active module at 120 m distance. The received signal is then acquired, the raster lines being synchronized with the aid of optical encoders linked to the scanning prism, to give a TV like image. The scanning accuracy expected in scanning process is less than 1 mm at 10 m of distance: this is a suitable resolution to yield a high quality image showing all the damages due to plasma disruptions. Preliminary results have been obtained scanning large sceneries including several real targets having different light backscattering properties, colors and surfaces reflectivity ranging over several decades to simulate the expected dynamic range of the video signals incoming from the vessel.

Development of a high-resolution laser radar for 3D imaging in artwork cataloging

A high resolution Amplitude Modulation Laser Radar (AM-LR) sensor has recently been developed, aimed at accurately reconstructing 3D digital models of real targets -- either single objects or complex scenes. The sensor sounding beam can be swept linearly across the object or circularly around it, by placing the object on a controlled rotation platform. Both intensity and phase shift of the back-scattered light are then collected and processed, providing respectively a shade-free photographic-like picture and accurate range data in the form of a range or depth image, with resolution depending mainly on the laser modulation frequency. Starting from the sample points, with an uncertainty that can be made as small as 100 μm, the complete object surface can be reconstructed by using specifically developed software tools. The system has been successfully applied to scan different types of real surfaces (stone, wood, bones) and is expected to have significant applications in industrial machining, artwork cataloguing and medical diagnostics. Examples of 3D reconstructions are presented and the relevance of this technology for reverse engineering applied to artwork restoration and conservation is briefly discussed.

Coherent laser sensor for robotic applications

A coherent laser sensor, able to achieve measurement of absolute and relative distance of real targets, has been developed for advanced robotic applications. A brief theoretical description of the expected behavior of such system is reported for static and dynamic targets; the theoretical range error dependence from the signal to noise ratio is also described. Experimental results for measurements of static and vibrating real targets are discussed.