ROOM TEMPERATURE IR FOCAL PLANE ARRAY IMAGING RADIOMETER

DCS will design a room temperature imaging radiometer for use in aircraft engine testing at AEDC. The radiometer will be a modification of an existing uncooled thermal imager; either Texas Instruments's ferroelectric device, or Honeywell's using microbolometers detectors. After a brief application analysis of AEDC's requirements to define optics and spectral passbands, a detailed comparison and selection between the two candidate baseline devices will be conducted. DCS will then design modifications to allow radiometric calibration of imagery. This will involve either placement of blackbody reference sources in the optical chain, or precise temperature control and monitoring of existing shutters or modulators. The Phase I result will be a low risk design to guide Phase II prototype development.