A NEW DEVICE FOR MEASURING EXTREMELY RAPID TEMPERATURE CHANGES IN HIGH TEMPERATURE COMBUSTION AND OTHER PROCESSES IS PROPOSED.

A NEW DEVICE FOR MEASURING EXTREMELY RAPID TEMPERATURE CHANGES IN HIGH TEMPERATURE COMBUSTION AND OTHER PROCESSES IS PROPOSED. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING A THERMOMETER BASED ON THE WELL KNOWN PHENOMENA OF THERMIONIC EMISSION OF ELECTRONS FROM METALLIC SURFACES AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES.TWO DIFFERENT DESIGNS FOR THERMIONIC THERMOMETERS WILL BE FABRICATED AND TESTED DURING THIS RESEARCH. THE THERMIONIC DEVICES WILL CONSIST OF A CATHODE - ANODE PAIR ENCAPSULATED IN METALLIC SHEATH. THE CATHODE AND ANODE WILL BE ELECTRICALLY SEPARATED BY A GAS OR BY A VACUUM. THE ELECTRONS EMITTED BY THE CATHODE MATERIAL WILL BE COLLECTED BY THE ANODE. THE COLLECTED CHARGE WILL VARY WITH THE CATHODE TEMPERATURE WHICH IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO THE PROCESS TEMPERATURE.SINCE THE TRANSIT TIME OF ELECTRONS FROM THE CATHODE TO THE ANODE WILL BE ESSENTIALLY INSTANTEOUS, THE RESPONSE TIME OF THE THERMIONIC THERMOMETER WILL BE PRIMARILY GOVERNED BY THE MASS OF THE CATHODE. THE CATHODE WILL BE MADE EXTREMELY SMALL.