A pyrometer is a non-contacting device that intercepts and measures thermal radiation, a process known as pyrometry.

This device can be used to determine the temperature of an object's surface. Pyrometers are ideal for taking accurate measurements of temperature without contact. Thanks to an optical mechanism, these pyrometers are safe for measuring high temperatures. Their infrared capabilities make pyrometers the perfect tool to use when conventional sensor are inadequate. This is in cases when the object is moving, is extremely hot, in a difficult place to access or due to contamination or other negative influences. An optical pyrometer is a device which allows contactless temperature measuring by using the incandescense color. It is based upon the fact that all black bodies do have the same incandescense color at a given temperature. It is very straightforward and allows any temperature from which a hot object emits light ( > 500 deg C). It is made from a small magnifying optical device (like a monocular or very small telescope) in which a small incandescent bulb is placed which image is sharp when the user views through the eyepiece (the lens(es) on the eye end of the optical device). The background is the hot object to be gauged. The electrical current flowing through the filaments in the bulb is an indication of their temperature. This current is controlled by a potentiometer which is put between the power source (a battery) and the bulb. An ammeter is used to display the temperature. Its range is from 500 C (== 900F lower limit when an object incandesces) to 1600 C (3000 F), which is suitable for most applications. The Optical Pyrometer is a highly-developed and well accepted noncontact temperature measurement device with a long and varied past from its origins more than 100 years ago. In spite of the fact that more modern, automatic devices have nearly displaced it, several makers still produce and sell profitable quantities each year. In general, opticals, as they are often called, can be described as fitting into two seperate types, according to the two USA companies that produce them. However, there are actually several different types that vary in compexity and cost. A quick review of the descriptions below will provide some of the differences and a check of the web sites of the two companies will yield even more information. We suspect that there are other makers overseas and we are looking to find more details about them and their web presence. Principle of operation A pyrometer has an optical system and detector. The optical system focuses the thermal radiationonto the detector. The output signal of the detector (Temperature T) is related to the thermal radiation or irradiance j* of the target object through the StefanBoltzmann law, the constant of proportionality , called the Stefan-Boltzmann constant and the emissivity of the object.

This output is used to infer the object's temperature. Thus, there is no need for direct contact between the pyrometer and the object, as there is with thermocouple and Resistance temperature detector (RTDs). Applications Pyrometers are suited especially to the measurement of moving objects or any surfaces that can not be reached or can not be touched. Described approach to measured data processing makes it possible to automatically eliminate disturbing signals occurring in the industrial conditions and enables to use the pyrometer in situations when standard one- or twochannel pyrometers do not give reliable results: measurement of unstable or moving objects - molten metals in steelworks, blast furnaces, foundries, etc. measurement of objects with islands of different temperature and/or emissivity on their surface (e.g. slag islands) measurement in environment with varying observation conditions (dust and smoke gusts and other obstacles to clear observation, intensive light sources, decreasing transmittance of the entrance window, etc.)

measurement in technological plants with "aggressive" environment (heat emission, vibrations, dust, hot metal drops, etc.) measurement which may be influenced by unintentional and/or intentional interference with the pyrometer operation. When batteries get low, it will not affect the accuracy, because the display is just the voltage over the bulb and low batteries will just limit the range. When using high temperatures (over 1300 C) placing a welding filter between the light bulb and the eyepiece or in front of the front lens (objective) is a strong recommendation to protect your eyes. But not between the object and the light bulb, because then you filter the hot object, but not the light bulb. Smelter Industry-Temperature is a fundamental parameter in metallurgical furnace operations. Reliable and continuous measurement of the melt temperature is essential for effective control of the operation. Smelting rates can be maximized, slag can be produced at the optimum temperature, fuel consumption is minimized and refractory life may also be lengthened. Thermocouples were the traditional devices used for this purpose, but they are unsuitable for continuous measurement because they rapidly dissolve. Over-the-bath Pyrometer-Salt bath furnaces operate at temperatures up to 1300 C and are used for heat treatment. At very high working temperatures with intense heat transfer between the molten salt and the steel being treated, precision is maintained by measuring the temperature of the molten salt. Most errors are caused by slag on the surface which is cooler than the salt bath.[5] Tuyre Pyrometer--The Tuyre Pyrometer is an optical instrument for temperature measurement through the tuyeres which are normally used for feeding air or reactants into the bath of the furnace. Steam boilers-A steam boiler may be fitted with a pyrometer to measure the steam temperature in the superheater. Hot Air Balloons-A hot air balloon is equipped with a pyrometer for measuring the temperature at the top of the envelope in order to prevent overheating of the fabric. How Optical Pyrometers Work Optical Pyrometers work on the basic principle of using the human eye to match the brightness of the hot object to the brightness of a calibrated lamp filament inside the instrument. The optical system contains filters that restrict the wavelength-sensitivity of the devices to a narrow wavelength band around 0.65 to 0.66 micons (the red region of the visible spectrum). Other filters reduce the intensity so that one instrument can have a relatively wide temperature range capability. Needless to say, by restricting the wavelength response of the device to the red region of the visible, it can only be used to measure objects that are hot enough to be incandescent, or glowing. This limits the lower end of the temperature measurement range of these devices to about 700 C.Some experimental devices have been built using light amplifiers to extend the range downwards, but the devices become quite cumbersome, fragile and expensive.