Noncontact surface temperature measurement by means of a modulated photothermal effect

Abstract

The main problems when measuring surface temperature by means of radiometry (i.e., optical pyrometry) are the unknown emissivity and radiation reflected by the sample. The latter problem becomes critical when the sample is placed in hot surroundings, such as furnaces or combustion chambers; indeed, the reflected flux may then become larger than the emitted flux. In this paper we describe a novel technique, based on the photothermal effect, which allows the surface temperature to be measured without error due to reflected fluxes. The influence of the parameters of the experimental setup are discussed. Experimental data obtained with a sample placed inside a furnace are reported in the (300-1150 K) range. The experimental results show the efficiency of the technique which proves to be a general solution to extend the domain of application of optical pyrometry.