AN IN-SITU TESTER FOR SEAL INTEGRITY OF MULTIPLE PANE WINDOWS

IN-SITU PERFORMANCE CHARACTERIZATION OF ADVANCED GLAZING MATERIALS COULD HELP MANUFACTURERS AND BUILDING INSPECTORS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF UTILITY INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. ONE OF THE MORE WIDELY USED ADVANCED GLAZING MATERIALS IS THE MULTIPLE PANE WINDOW, IN WHICH THE SPACE BETWEEN THE PANES IS SEALED AND BACKFILLED WITH A DENSE GAS OF LOW THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY, SUCH AS ARGON. IF THIS GAS IS ABSENT, DUE TO LEAKAGE OR IMPROPER FILLING, THE THERMAL INSULATION QUALITY OF THE WINDOW IS COMPROMISED. WHEN A SEAL FAILURE OCCURS, SOME OF THE BACKFILL GAS WILL BE REPLACED BY AIR, WHICH CONTAINS 21% OXYGEN. OXYGEN CAN BE DETECTED BY OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPY, USING ITS ABSORPTION LINE SPECTRUM IN THE 760 NM REGION. CURRENTLY LASER SOURCESARE USED FOR SPECTROSCOPIC OXYGEN DETECTION. BUT THESE DEVICES ARE EXPENSIVE, COMPLEX, AND NOTSUITABLE FOR FIELD USE. IN THIS PROJECT, A GAS DISCHARGE LAMP WILL BE USED TO PROVIDE A SPECTRAL LINE CLOSE TO AN OXYGEN ABSORPTION LINE. THE SPECTRAL LINE WILL BE SPLIT BY A MAGNETIC FIELD INTO POLARIZED COMPONENTS, ONE OF WHICH COINCIDES WITH THE OXYGEN LINE, USING THE ZEEMAN EFFECT. PHASE I OF THE PROJECT AIMS TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMUM MAGNETIC FIELD, COMPLETE THE DESIGN OF THE POLARIZATION SELECTOR USED FOR DIFFERENTIAL ABSORPTION MEASURMENT, AND DEMONSTRATE THE SENSITIVITY TO OXYGEN OF A SYSTEM USING THESE COMPONENTS.