US 12,644,771 B2 · Compact apparatus for non-contact temperature sensing of rotating elements

Abstract

An apparatus for non-contacting measurement of the temperatures of rotatable elements, such as prism elements of a Risley prism assembly, includes IR emissive patches applied to radially outward facing surfaces of the rotatable elements, reflective surfaces configured to axially reflect black body IR radiation emitted by the patches, IR sensors located behind the rotatable elements and configured to sense the reflected black body radiation, and a controller configured to receive data from the IR sensors and determine therefrom the temperatures of the rotatable elements. In embodiments, none of the IR sensors extends radially beyond a housing of the rotatable elements, and in some embodiments the IR sensors do not extend radially beyond a diameter of a largest of the rotatable elements. The apparatus can further include patches oriented axially rearward and associated IR sensors.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

a first rotatable element, the first rotatable element being rotatable about a rotation axis within a fixed housing;
a first IR emissive patch applied to a radially outward facing surface of the first rotatable element, the first IR emissive patch being configured to emit first black body IR radiation radially outward from the first rotatable element;
a first IR reflective surface positioned such that when the first IR emissive patch is in radial alignment with the first IR reflective surface, the first black body IR radiation is reflected axially thereby;
a first IR sensor fixed to the housing and positioned axially behind the first rotatable element, the first IR sensor being configured to sense the axially reflected first black body IR radiation and to generate first sensing data therefrom when the first IR reflective surface is radially aligned with the first IR emissive patch and axially aligned with the first IR sensor;
and
a controller configured to receive first sensing data from the first IR sensor and to determine therefrom a temperature of the first rotatable element.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Compact apparatus for non-contact temperature sensing of rotating elements

Life of this patent

Compact apparatus for non-contact temperature sensing of rotating elements

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20