FLOWING-GAS THERMOCOUPLE CALIBRATOR

A PROPOSED HIGH TEMPERATURE THERMOCOUPLE CALIBRATOR FOR USE IN FLOWING GAS STREAMS COMPRISES THREE SUBSYSTEMS: (A) A HOT GAS GENERATOR USING A PLASMA GENERATOR OR FLAT FLAME BURNER AS THE HEAT SOURCE; (B) A LASER DOPPLER VELOCIMETRY SYSTEM FOR MEASURING VELOCITY COMPONENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE TEST PROBE; (C) A COMPUTERCONTROLLED TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM THAT COMBINES SPECTROSCOPIC (PLANCK'S RADIATION) MEASURMENTS IN THE VISIBLE REGION WITH A MEANS OF REDUCING DIRECT TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT OF THE FLOWING GAS TO THE SIMPLER TASK OF A PRESSURE DETERMINATION NEAR ROOM TEMPERATURE. MAJOR OBJECTIVES OF THE PHASE I WORK ARE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE PLASMA SOURCE IS SUPERIOR TO A FLAT FLAME BURNER AS A CALIBRATION HEAT SOURCE; TO DEMONSTRATE THAT BETTER CALIBRATIONS ARE OBTAINED WHEN TWO PHYSICALLY DIFFERENT METHODS ARE USED TOGETHER; AND TO SHOW THAT THE LABORATORY PROTOTYPE CAN BE RELIABLY AND CONVENIENTLY OPERATED, THUS OFFERING PROMISE OF A CONVENIENT, COMPACT SYSTEM THAT CAN BE COMMERCIALLY PRODUCED FOR ROUTINE USE.