Scanning radiometer apparatus

Abstract

Abstract A scanning radiometer having a series of laminations forming a tightly bonded sandwich structure each being electrically insulated from adjacent ones thereof, said series including a thermometric or thermo responsive material, a heat pump functioning material, a heat sink functioning material, and an insulator functioning material, and in which the thermo responsive material is formed of a set of matrix of thin metal alternately with absorptive or blackened portions, each forming opposite arms of a Wheatstone bridge. The use of the term "thermoelectric or thermoresponsive material" designates a metallic or other electric resistor whose resistance is temperature sensitive and when measured, is an indicator of its temperature. "Heat pump functioning material" is a thermoelectric device that tranfers or "pumps" heat from one of its two surfaces to the other when an electric current is supplied to its terminals. In pumping heat out of the "heat sink functioning material" to the "thermoelectric or thermoresponsive material" or vice vera, it cools or warms the latter until its temperature becomes identical to the mean radiant temperature of the two Pi environment which wants to be measured. Once that is achieved, the heat pump functioning component ceases to pump heat, in either direction, because it receives no current or potential from the Wheatstone bridge formed by a blackened and a reflective thermometer, because the two thermometers read the same termperature when, and only when, their temperatures are equal to the temperature of the mean radiant two Pi environment, and they cancel when the bridge is balanced and its output, consequently, zero.

Inventors

• 👤 Theodor H. Benzinger

Bibliographic Details