Optical temperature measurement technique utilizing phosphors
First Claim
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1. A method of determining the temperature of an object, comprising the steps of:
- positioning a layer of phosphor material in a heat conductive relationship with said object, said phosphor being characterized by emitting, when excited, electromagnetic radiation within optically isolatable bandwidths at at least two distinct wavelength ranges and with relative intensities therein that vary as a known function of the phosphor temperature,exciting said phosphor to cause emission of said at least two wavelength bands,optically directing said phosphor emission to a detecting position, anddetecting the relative intensities of said at least two distinct wavelength bands, whereby said relative intensity is an indication of the temperature of the phosphor layer and related thereto by said known temperature emission function.
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Abstract
A technique wherein an object or environment to be measured is provided with a phosphor material layer that emits at least two optically isolatable wavelength ranges whose intensity ratio depends upon the object or environment temperature. This technique is applied to remote hostile environment point temperature measurements, such as in large enclosed electrical power transformers and other large equipment, to the measurement of surface temperatures, such as in airplane structures being tested in wind tunnels, and elsewhere.
118 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of determining the temperature of an object, comprising the steps of:
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positioning a layer of phosphor material in a heat conductive relationship with said object, said phosphor being characterized by emitting, when excited, electromagnetic radiation within optically isolatable bandwidths at at least two distinct wavelength ranges and with relative intensities therein that vary as a known function of the phosphor temperature, exciting said phosphor to cause emission of said at least two wavelength bands, optically directing said phosphor emission to a detecting position, and detecting the relative intensities of said at least two distinct wavelength bands, whereby said relative intensity is an indication of the temperature of the phosphor layer and related thereto by said known temperature emission function. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of remotely measuring the temperature of an environment, comprising:
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positioning an object in said environment in a manner that the object is heated by the environment, positioning a layer of phosphor material in heat conductive relationship with said object, said phosphor being characterized by emitting, when excited, electromagnetic radiation within optically isolatable bandwidths at at least two distinct wavelength ranges and with relative intensities therein that vary as a known function of the phosphor temperature, exciting said phosphor to cause emission of said at least two wavelength bands, positioning a fiber optic between said phosphor to a remote measuring position in a manner to optically transfer the emitted radiation from the phosphor to the remote measuring position, and detecting the relative intensities of said at least two distinct wavelength radiation bands at the remote end of the fiber optic bundle. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A device for remotely measuring temperature, comprising:
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a length of a fiber optics, a layer of phosphor material held at one end of said fiber optics in light communication therewith, said phosphor being characterized by emitting, when excited, electromagnetic radiation within optically isolatable bandwidths at at least two distinct wavelength ranges and with relative intensities therein that vary as a known function of the phosphor temperature, means for exciting said phosphor to cause emission of said at least two wavelength bands, means at said one end of the fiber optics sealing the phosphor layer therewith, whereby said one end constitutes a probe that may be inserted into an environment whose temperature is to be measured, means at an opposite end of said fiber optical bundle to filter from the phosphor emission transmitted therethrough each of said at least two distinct wavelength bands, means for independently detecting the intensity of each of said at least two wavelength bands as received at the opposite end of the fiber optic bundle, and means for comprising the detected intensities, whereby the temperature of said probe can be remotely determined. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system for determining the temperature of an object, comprising:
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a layer of phosphor material applied to said object in intimate contact therewith, said phosphor being characterized by emitting, when excited, electromagnetic radiation within optically isolatable bandwidths at at least two distinct wavelength ranges and with relative intensities therein that vary as a known function of the phosphor temperature, means for exciting said phosphor material to cause emission of said at least two wavelength bands, means for independently detecting the intensity of radiation emitted by the phosphor material and each of said at least two wavelength bands, and means for comparing the detected intensities, whereby the temperature of said object can be remotely determined. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification