Infrared Temperature Sensors

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:13:33 +0000

An object under study often emits thermal radiation, a portion of which is known as Blackbody Radiation. These radiations fall under the category of infrared radiations, and to measure the temperature of them, Infrared Thermometers are used. Infrared thermometers are another kind of non-contact temperature sensors. Sometimes a laser source is used to point the tip of the thermometer. In those cases they are known are Laser Thermometers. These temperature sensors generally fall under the category of Radiation Thermometers. By detecting the amount of infrared energy emitted by the heated object and the emissivity, these temperature sensors obtain the required reading.

The most common design of these thermometers include a lens to focus the rays on a detector, which is used to convert the radiant power to an electrical impulse which is then displayed in digital units, after the errors related to the ambient temperature are removed. These kinds of temperature sensors are generally used in situations where a thermocouple cannot be used; mainly due to their size or the fact that they do not produce accurate data for many reasons. Infrared thermometers are also capable in situations when the object under consideration is in a state of motion; when the object is surrounded by an electromagnetic field; when the object is inside a vacuum; or in applications where a fast and accurate result is required.

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Infrared Temperature Sensors