What is a Pyrometer?

Pyrometers are used to measure the heat flow through a specific material. They’re used in virtually every industry to determine the heat and energy loss of a material.

They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and are used in a variety of applications, including the petroleum industry, the aerospace industry, and even in the medical field.

But what exactly is a pyrometer at Process Parameters? We’ll answer that question and more in this post.

What is a Pyrometer?

Also known as a radiation thermometer, a non-contact thermometer, or an infrared thermometer, a pyrometer is a device used to determine the temperature of an object depending on the radiation the object emits. A pyrometer acts as a photodetector as it has a unique property to absorb energy and determine EM wave intensity at various wavelengths.

Pyrometers are used in high-temperature furnaces. They can determine the temperature of a furnace accurately, swiftly, and pure visually. Pyrometers come in various spectral ranges – non-metals-long wave ranges and metal-short ranges.

During temperature measurement, color pyrometers can determine the amount of radiation emitted by an object. They can precisely measure an object’s temperature. Therefore, the margin of error on these devices are quite low.

A color pyrometer is used to identify the ratio of different radiation intensities with different spectral ranges. These ranges come in series of Metis H3 and M3 and Capella c3 versions.

A high-speed pyrometer is used to measure temperature quicker than an M3 device. These pyrometers come in a combo of one-color and two-color pyrometers. They can generate temperature profiles of fast-moving things and control the optimal temperature level.

How Does a Pyrometer Work?

A pyrometer is a temperature measuring device used to determine an object’s temperature and the amount of electromagnetic radiation emitted by a particular object. These pyrometers come in various spectral ranges. They are classified into high-speed pyrometers, one-color pyrometers, and two-color pyrometers.

The basic principle of pyrometers is, they determine the temperature of an object by sensing the radiation or heat emitted from an object without making any contact with that object. It records temperature levels based on the intensity the object emits. A pyrometer has two key components – detectors and the optical system – that it uses to determine the temperature of an object’s surface.

When using a pyrometer to measure the temperature of a given surface, the optical system will capture the radiation the object emits. The radiation is then sent to the detectors, which are overly sensitive to radiation waves. The detector output shows the object’s temperature level due to radiation. It’s important to note that the temperature determined using the radiation level is equal to the temperature of that object.

When the radiation emitted from a particular object exceeds the absolute temperature (-273.15⁰C), the emitted radiation is known as infrared. It’s usually more than the visible red light in an electromagnetic spectrum. The detectors help to convert it into electrical signals; thus, determining an object’s temperature.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Pyrometer

Advantages

• It offers great stability when determining an object’s temperature
• It has a swift response time
• It can determine various types of temperatures at different distances
• It can determine an object’s temperature without having to make contact with that object (non-contact measurement)

Disadvantages

• It is costly and rugged
• The device’s accuracy can be affected by various conditions such as smoke, thermal radiation, and dust.