Development of multi-target multi-spectral high-speed pyrometer

The plume temperature of a solid propellant rocket engine (SPRE) is a fundamental parameter in denoting combustion status. It is necessary to measure the temperature along both the axis and the radius of the engine. In order to measure the plume temperature distribution of a solid propellant rocket engine, the multi-spectral thermometry has been approved. Previously the pyrometer was developed in the Harbin Institute of Technology of China in 1999, which completed the measurement of SPRE plume temperature and its distribution with multi-spectral technique in aerospace model development for the first time. Following this experience, a new type of multi-target multi-spectral high-speed pyrometer used in the ground experiments of SPRE plume temperature measurement was developed. The main features of the instrument include the use of a dispersing prism and a photodiode array to cover the entire spectral band of 0.4 to 1.1μm. The optic fibers are used in order to collect and transmit the thermal radiation fluxes. The instrument can measure simultaneously the temperature and emissivity of eight spectra for six uniformly distributed points on the target surface, which are well defined by the hole on the field stop lens. A specially designed S/H (Sample/Hold) circuit, with 48 sample and hold units that were triggered with a signal, measures the multi-spectral and multi-target outputs. It can sample 48 signals with a less than 10ns time difference which is most important for the temperature calculation.