Optical heat flux gauge

Claim 1

An optically interrogated gauge for measuring heat flux incident on a plurality of points on a surface comprising: a plurality of first thermographic phosphors in direct contact with said surface; a plurality of second thermographic phosphors overlying and spaced apart from said plurality of first thermographic phosphors; thermal insulating means having a predetermined thickness and thermal conductivity between said plurality of first thermographic phosphors and said plurality of second thermographic phosphors for thermally isolating said plurality of first thermographic phosphors from said plurality of second thermographic phosphors; light means incident on said plurality of first and second thermographic phosphors, for producing first luminescence from each of said first plurality of thermographic phosphors and second luminescence from each of said plurality of second thermographic phosphors, collecting means for collecting said first and second luminescences, wherein said first luminescence and said second luminescence are indicative of the temperatures of said first and second thermographic phosphors at a plurality of points on said surface; and computing means connected to said collecting means for determining heat flux on said plurality of points on said surface using numerical differences between said temperatures of said pluralities of first and second thermographic phosphors, and said thickness and thermal conductivity of said thermal insulating means.