Patent ID: 8620614

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a mold defining a mold space, the mold space being configured to receive and contain a fluid that solidifies to the shape of the mold space; one or more openings for introducing the fluid into the mold space and filling the mold space with the fluid, the fluid experiencing a dynamic fluid front while filling the mold space; a plurality of holes extending through the mold, each of the plurality of holes forming side surfaces of the mold that extend from an outer surface of the mold to an inner surface of the mold; a plurality of heated temperature sensors extending through the holes and into the mold space, the plurality of heated temperature sensors being arranged in a uniform distribution throughout the mold for characterization of temporal-spatial properties of the dynamic fluid front in the mold space, wherein the plurality of sensors are further arranged symmetrically around each of the one or more openings to allow characterization of the temporal-spatial properties of the dynamic fluid front of the fluid in all directions away from each of the one or more openings; and a computer coupled to the plurality of heated temperature sensors, the computer configured to characterize the temporal-spatial properties of the dynamic fluid front based on data received from the plurality of heated temperature sensors arranged in the uniform distribution throughout the mold, wherein each of the plurality of heated temperature sensors is bonded to the mold at the outside surface of the mold, and wherein each of the holes comprises a space in between the plurality of heated temperature sensors and the side surfaces, the space extending from the inner surface to the outside surface where the heated temperature sensor is bonded.