Sensitivity analysis of an inverse method for characterizing industrial foams

Assessing the effect of a foam layer on critical transport phenomena is of significant interest in many industries, so a method for measuring structural and radiative properties of foam is being developed. A model of the propagation of radiation from an amplitude modulated laser beam through a non-absorbing foam layer has been developed using diffusion theory. Relationships between foam layer properties and measurable characteristics of the reflected radiative flux are obtained from this model. A parameter estimation method capable of inferring the targeted properties is being developed. As part of the development, a sensitivity study has been conducted to determine the optimal distance between the source and the detector. Factors influencing the accuracy of the estimated properties are identified, and a method to balance these competing factors is proposed. Simulated experimental measurements were generated using a Monte Carlo method, and the proposed method has been tested for a specific case. The reduced scattering coefficient and the thickness of a non-absorbing foam layer were determined to within 2% in this specific case.