DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

ANDHRA PRADESH
Name : K.Ravinder
Designation : H.E.I.E.S
Branch :Applied Elect.&Instru. Engg.
Institute : GPT Bellampally.
Year/semester : III Semester
Subject : Process Instrumentation-I
Subject code : AEI-305.
Topic : Temperature measurement (3/5)
Duration : 100 min.
Sub topic : Radiation pyrometer (10-11/20)
Teaching aids : Diagrams
AEI-305 45-46 1
 Objectives
On Completion of this topic you will be able to
know about Radiation thermometer
• Principle of operation
• Types
• Construction
• Range of temperature
• Advantages & Disadvantages

AEI-305 45-46 2
 Radiation Types

•There are three ways through which heat may be

transferred
- Conduction
- Convection
- Radiation
• Radiation is the direct transfer of heat across space
• Thermal radiation is electromagnetic radiation .
• It comes with in the infrared, visible and ultraviolet
regions of electromagnetic spectrum as shown in fig.1

AEI-305 45-46 3
 Wave Lengths Of Thermal Radiation

Radiation wave length in µm

• Infrared 100 – 0.8

• Visible light 0.8 – 0.4
• Ultra violet 0.4 – 0.01

AEI-305 45-46 4
AEI-305 45-46 5
 Black Body Radiation

• Ideal black body absorbs all radiations falling on it

• It will not reflect irrespective of the direction of incidence
• Any body which in above the absolute zero in temperature
emits radiation, quality being depends on temperature.
• A black body can completely absorb any radiation falling on
it.
• A black body at given temperature emits the maximum
amount of radiation as possible

AEI-305 45-46 6
 Characteristics of Radiation Pyrometer

• Energy Radiated by an object is a function of absolute

Temperature
• Non contact type Measurement

• Non interfering (intrusive) measurement

AEI-305 45-46 7
 Types Of Pyrometer

Some types of radiation pyrometers

• Total Radiation type pyrometer

• Infrared pyrometer

• Optical pyrometer

AEI-305 45-46 8
 Principle

• The amount of thermal energy or heat leaving a body by

a radiation and the wave length of that radiation are
function of temperature of the body
• The principle of Radiation thermometer is based on
Stephen boltzman law and Plank’s Law

AEI-305 45-46 9
 Stephen Botzman Law

• The total power of radiant flux of all the wavelengths are

emitted into the frontal hemi sphere by a unit area of a
perfectly black body is proportional to the forth power of
temperature
• Total radiation pyrometer Principle depends on this law

AEI-305 45-46 10
 Expression

• Rate of radiation from body A to a body B i.e Ea/b is

given by
EA/B = Cεσ[ TA4-TB4]
Where
EA/B is Energy received by pyrometer
C is geometrical factor depend on shape of body
ε is the emissivity of detector disc ( 0.05-1.0)
σ is Stephen botzman constant 56.2x 10-12kw-m-2-k-4
TA&T B are absolute temperatures of source and detector

AEI-305 45-46 11
 Plank’s Law

• It state that the energy levels in the radiation from a

hot body are distributed in the different wave lengths as
the temperature increases the emissive power shift to
the shorter wave length.
• Optical pyrometer Principle depends on this law

AEI-305 45-46 12
 Plank’s Law Expression

• For a black body the work function relationship is

W = c1 λ-5/ec2 /λT-1
Where
c1 = 3.74 X 10 ^-12 W-cm2
c2 = 1.4385 cm- ºC
λ = Wave length in cm
T = absolute temperature in K
W =energy level associated with wave length at
temp. T in W/cm3
AEI-305 45-46 13
Relation Between Work Function Of A Black
Body And Wave Length

Fig 1
AEI-305 45-46 14
 Construction of Total Radiation Pyrometer

• Cylindrical metal body made of Aluminium, alloy, brass

or plastics.
• One end of the body carries lens which depends on the
wave length range required.
• Lens materials may be germanium, zinc sulphide, quartz
or glass
• The opposite end carries the electrical termination for
connecting sensor head to its signal condition module.
• Typical size of sensing head is 250mm long by 60mm
diameter.

AEI-305 45-46 15
Total Radiation Pyrometer

total

Fig 2
AEI-305 45-46 16
 Operation
• The radiation energy from a target impinges on the
object whose temperature is to be measured is focused
the lens into the surface of the detector.
• The energy converted to an electrical signal.
• which may amplified by a head amplifier on the circuit
board.
• Power is supplied to the instrument and the output
transmitted down a cable which is connected to a
terminal in the terminal box .

AEI-305 45-46 17
• In instrument working near infrared region where the
lines to transparent to visible light of a telescope can be
provided, built in to the instrument so that it can be
focused and alighted by looking through the lens.
• For lower temperature the lens material be chosen to
give wide wave length pass band
• For high temperature of a pass band selected.
• To achieve a wide wave length range focusing can be
achieved with a concave mirror.

AEI-305 45-46 18
Thermopile Detector

Fig 3
AEI-305 45-46 19
 Thermopile Detector

• For high sensitivity a thermopile is selected as a detector.

• For detecting of radiation platinum thermometer or thermocouple
or thermopile are used.
• In a typical radiation thermopile a number of thermocouples are
made of very thin strips are connected in series.
• They are arranged side by side or radially as in the spokes of a
wheal.
• Stability and fact that it produce measurable emf .

AEI-305 45-46 20
 Range Of Temperature

• Radiation thermometer accurately measure the

temperature upto 4150°C

AEI-305 45-46 21
 Sources Of Errors

• They are quiet sensitive to any obstructions in the line of

sight between the pyrometer and the hot body.
• They should not be used when infrared obserbing water
vapour, dust, or other particles are in the air
• To compensate for such errors, the device should be
calibrated using an optical pyrometer.

AEI-305 45-46 22
 Advantages

• They are able to measure high temperature.

• In radiation pyrometers, there is no need for contact with

target of measurement.
• Good speed of response

• They have high output and moderate cost.

AEI-305 45-46 23
 Disadvantages

• Scale is non-linear.
• Errors due to presence of intervening gases or vapour’s
that absorb radiating frequencies is possible in these
pyrometers.
• Emissivity of target material affect measurement.

AEI-305 45-46 24
 Applications
• They are used for the temperatures above the practical
operating range of thermocouples..
• They can be used in the environments which
contaminate or limit the life of thermocouples.
• They are used for moving targets.
• They are used for the targets not easily accessible, such
as furnace interiors.

AEI-305 45-46 25
• They are used for the targets which would be damaged
by contact with primary elements like thermocouple and
resistance thermometers
• They are used for the measurement of average
temperature of large surface areas

AEI-305 45-46 26
 Summary

We have discussed about Radiation thermometer

• Principle of operation
• Types
• Construction
• Range of temperature
• Advantages & Disadvantage

AEI-305 45-46 27
 Quiz

1) Radiation pyrometers

a) Non contact type

b) Contact type
c) Both a and b
d) None

AEI-305 45-46 28
 Frequently Asked Questions

1. State the Planks Law

2. List the types radiation Thermometer
3. Describe the operation of Total Radiation
Thermometer
4. List the advantages and disadvantages of Radiation
Thermometer
5. List the applications Radiation Thermometer

AEI-305 45-46 29