Blackbody fitting for temperature determination
Assigneek-Space Associates, Inc.
InventorsDarryl Barlett, Barry D. Wissman, Charles A. Taylor, II
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A temperature monitoring technique for collecting radiation intensity (blackbody emission) across a broad wavelength range. A solid state spectrometer (26) acquires spectra from a sample (10) in real time and resolves the spectra to a radiation intensity (I) versus wavelength (λ) curve. This curve is fitted to Planck's equation using a non-linear least squares fitting analysis. The system can be configured to self-calibrate and then lock in an amplitude value (A) which is used in subsequent temperature measurements by fitting to the blackbody emission curve. Preferably, the spectrometer (26) is flat field corrected (36) in an initial step to counteract variations in the spectrometer response with wavelength.
Claims20
A method for calibrating a spaced non-contact temperature measurement device by observing thermally-emitted radiation from a sample, said method comprising the steps of:
- A. providing a spectrometer;
- B. providing a sample to be measured;
- C. heating the sample to an unknown self-calibration temperature;
- D. acquiring wavelength-dependent spectra from the heated sample in the infrared (IR) portion of the spectrum with the spectrometer;
- E. providing a mathematical equation defining ideal blackbody spectral radiance (I) as a non-linear function of wavelength (λ) and temperature (T), the mathematical equation including an unsolved amplitude variable (A), whereby the mathematical equation expresses a unique ideal blackbody spectral radiance curve I(λ,T) for any given temperature;
- F. selecting one ideal blackbody spectral radiance curve I(λ,T) closely corresponding to the spectra data, the corresponding ideal blackbody spectral radiance curve I(λ,T) being associated with an absolute temperature and an amplitude value (A);
- G. adopting the absolute temperature of the corresponding ideal blackbody spectral radiance curve I(λ,T) for the unknown temperature of the sample;
- and
- H. storing the amplitude value (A);
- I. then making a new sample temperature measurement by the steps of:
- 1) acquiring new wavelength-dependent spectra from a heated sample in the infrared (IR) portion of the spectrum with the spectrometer;
- 2) and calculating a new sample temperature by solving the mathematical equation using the newly acquired spectra and the stored amplitude value (A) as a known factor.
A method for making precise non-contact temperature measurements of a sample based on its thermally-emitted radiation, said method comprising the steps of:
- A. providing a spectrometer;
- B. providing a sample to be measured;
- C. acquiring wavelength-dependent spectra from the heated sample in the infrared (IR) portion of the spectrum with the spectrometer;
- D. providing a mathematical equation defining ideal blackbody spectral radiance (I) as a non-linear function of wavelength (λ) and temperature (T), whereby the mathematical equation expresses a unique ideal blackbody spectral radiance curve I(λ,T) for any given temperature;
- E. selecting one ideal blackbody spectral radiance curve I(λ,T) closely corresponding to the spectra data, the corresponding ideal blackbody spectral radiance curve I(λ,T) being associated with an absolute temperature;
- F. adopting the absolute temperature of the corresponding ideal blackbody spectral radiance curve I(λ,T) for the unknown temperature of the sample;
- and
- G. prior to said selecting step, correcting the spectra by a predetermined correction factor to correct for any variations in the spectrometer response with wavelength.
A method for making precise non-contact temperature measurements of a sample based on its thermally-emitted radiation, comprising the steps of:
- A. providing a solid state spectrometer;
- B. establishing a correction factor for the spectrometer by flat field adjusting;
- C. providing a sample to be measured;
- D. heating the sample to an unknown temperature;
- E. acquiring raw, wavelength-dependent, spectra from the heated sample in the IR portion of the spectrum with the spectrometer;
- F. correcting the raw spectra by the correction factor to produce corrected spectra data;
- G. providing a mathematical equation defining ideal blackbody spectral radiance (I) as a non-linear function of wavelength (λ) and temperature (T), the mathematical equation including an amplitude variable (A), whereby the mathematical equation expresses a unique ideal blackbody spectral radiance curve I(λ,T) for any given temperature;
- H. comparing the corrected spectra data to the mathematical equation to find the best fit to one specific ideal blackbody spectral radiance curve I(λ,T) associated with an absolute temperature and a specific amplitude value (A);
- I. adopting the absolute temperature of the best fit ideal blackbody spectral radiance curve I(λ,T) for the unknown temperature of the sample without knowing the value of A;
- J. storing the amplitude value (A);
- K. locking the stored amplitude value (A) into the mathematical equation;
- L. making at least one new sample temperature measurement by the steps of:
- 1) acquiring new wavelength-dependent spectra from a heated sample in the infrared (IR) portion of the spectrum with the spectrometer;
- 2) correcting the new spectra by the correction factor;
- and
- M. calculating a new sample temperature by best fitting to the mathematical equation using the newly acquired spectra and the stored amplitude value (A) as a known factor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.