MULTI-COLOR PYROMETER FOR MATERIALS PROCESSING IN SPACE

THERE IS, AT PRESENT, NO COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE NON-CONTACT DEVICE WHICH CAN ACCURATELY MEASURE TEMPERATURES WITHOUT PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE EMISSIVITY OF THE MATERIAL BEING SAMPLED. WE PROPOSE TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF CONSTRUCTING A PYROMETER SYSTEM CAPABLE OF ACCURATELY MEASURING TEMPERATURES AND EMISSIVITIES IN THE TEMPERATURE RANGE OF 300 TO 2000 C. THE DEVICE WILL EMPLOY SEVERAL RADIOMETERS, EACH FILTERED TO RECEIVE LIGHT ONLY WITHIN A NARROW RANGE OF WAVELENGTHS SELECTED TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE TEMPERATURE AND INSENSITIVE TO THE EMISSIVITY OF THE SAMPLE.IN PHASE I, A PROTOTYPE SYSTEM WILL BE DESIGNED, CONSTRUCTED, TESTED AND SHOWN TO BE SENSITIVE WITHIN THE DESIRED TEMPERATURE RANGE. THIS WILL INCLUDE ADAPTING THE SYSTEM TO A COMPUTERIZED DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM AND DEVELOPMENT OF DATA REDUCTION SOFTWARE. THIS PROGRAM WILL LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A SPACE-FLYABLE PACKAGE IN SUBSEQUENT PHASES.