Abstract: The design and the error analysis of optical interferometry system to measure the form of precise and complicated surface are generally carried out by using ray tracing method. However, when traditional method is used for tracing calculation, the calculation result cannot be represented in the form of intuitive simulation image of interference fringe pattern, so it is often difficult to carry out analysis and judgment effectively. On the basis of a proposed precision ray tracing method that takes the installation error of optical element into consideration, the precision calculation method for the optical path difference of objective lights from the measured object surface, and the tracing method for the ray on the reference light corresponding to the position of object light are discussed. An accurate calculation method of phase differences between object light and reference light is given. At the same time, a practical method to make an interference fringe simulation pattern, as well as other important methods such as initialization method of measured surfaces for simulation is presented. Simulation and measurement are carried out by taking the plane measurement test piece and gear flank as objects, and the correctness of the proposed method is verified.

Key words: Image simulation, Interference fringe pattern, Laser interferometry, Optical path, Phase difference, Ray tracing, droplet reentrant cavities, entropy generation analysis, heat transfer, numerical simulation, microchannel