Infrared radiation thermometers (IRTs) overcome many of the limitations of thermocouples, particularly responsiveness and calibration drift. The main challenge with radiation thermometry is the fast and reliable measurement of temperatures close to room temperature. A new IRT which is sensitive to wavelengths between 3 μm and 11 μm was developed and tested in a laboratory setting. It is based on an uncooled indium arsenide antimony (InAsSb) photodiode, a transimpedance amplifier, and a silver halogenide fibre optic cable transmissive in the mid- to long-wave infrared region. The prototype IRT was capable of measuring temperatures between 35 °C and 100 °C at an integration time of 5 ms and a temperature range between 40 °C and 100 °C at an integration time of 1 ms, with a root mean square (RMS) noise level of less than 0.5 °C. The thermometer was calibrated against Planck's law using a five-point calibration, leading to a measurement uncertainty within ±1.5 °C over the aforementioned temperature range. The thermometer was tested against a thermocouple during drilling operations of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) plastic to measure the temperature of the drill bit during the material removal process. Future versions of the thermometer are intended to be used as a thermocouple replacement in high-speed, near-ambient temperature measurement applications, such as electric motor condition monitoring; battery protection; and machining of polymers and composite materials, such as carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP).
Keywords: InAsSb; infrared radiation thermometer; measurement; monitoring; photodiode; pyrometer; radiation thermometry; temperature.