Infrared Thermometer:

Introduction:
An infrared thermometer is a thermometer which infers
temperature from a portion of the thermal radiation
sometimes called blackbody radiation emitted by the object
being measured. They are sometimes called

laser

thermometers if a laser is used to help aim the

thermometer,

or

non-contact

thermometers

or

temperature guns, to describe the device's ability to

measure temperature from a distance. By knowing the
amount of infrared energy emitted by the object and its
emissivity,

the

object's

temperature

can

often

be

determined. Infrared thermometers are a subset of devices

known as "thermal radiation thermometers".
The most basic design consists of a lens to focus the infrared thermal radiation on to a detector,
which converts the radiant power to an electrical signal that can be displayed in units of
temperature after being compensated for ambient temperature. This configuration facilitates
temperature measurement from a distance without contact with the object to be measured. As
such, the infrared thermometer is useful for measuring temperature under circumstances where
thermocouples or other probe type sensors cannot be used or do not produce accurate data for a
variety of reasons.
The most common infrared thermometers are the:
Spot Infrared Thermometer or Infrared Pyrometer, which measures the temperature at a
spot on a surface (actually a relatively small area determined by the D: S ratio).

Infrared Thermometer Basics:

Infrared thermometers measure temperature from a distance. This distance can be many miles or
a fraction of an inch. Infrared thermometers are often used in circumstances where other sorts of

thermometers are not practical. If an object is very fragile or dangerous to be near, for example,
an infrared thermometers is a good way to get a temperature from a safe distance.

Infrared Thermometer Specifications:

Properties

Range/Limit

Response Time

<500m/s

Emissivity

0.1 ~ 1.00

Operating Temperature Range

10:1

Optical Resolution (D:S)

0.8%

Repeatability

10 ~ 90%

Relative Humidity

200m above sea level

Altitude Range

<700nm

Infrared rays

-300C~5000C

Temperature Range

2%

Accuracy

Emissivity and Absorptivity:

Emissivity:
The emissivity of a material
(usually written or e) is
the relative ability of its
surface to emit energy by
radiation. It is the ratio of
energy

0 ~500C

radiated

by

particular material to energy

radiated by a black body at the same temperature. A true black body would have a ( = 1) while
any real object would have < 1. Emissivity is a dimensionless quantity.
It is the property of material. Emissivity shows how much radiation a body emits. Emissivity
depends on factors such as temperature, emission angle, and wavelength of body. Emissivity
of body can be measured relative to a black body. Bodies with emissivity less than one are called
gray bodies. Furthermore, the sum of emission is composed of absorption (A), reflection(R), and
transmission (T) is equal to one.

A+R+T=1

Solid bodies have no transmission in the infrared range (T=0). The ideal blackbody also has zero
reflectance (R=0), so that E=1

Absorptivity:
It is the fraction of radiation absorbed at a given wavelength. It can also be defined as:
Absorbance is

a quantitative measure expressed as a logarithmic ratio between the radiation

falling upon a material and the radiation transmitted through a material.

Mechanism:
Infrared light works like visible light. It
can be focused, reflected or absorbed.
Infrared thermometers usually use a lens to
focus infrared light from one object onto a
detector

called

thermopile.

The

thermopile absorbs the infrared radiation

and converts it into a heat. The more
infrared energy, the better the thermopile
gets.

This

heat

is

transferred

into

electricity. The electricity is sent to a detector, which uses it to determine the temperature of
whatever the thermometer is pointed at. The more electricity the better the object is.
All infrared thermometers function utilizing the same basic design principles. Using various
infrared filters, an optical lens system focuses energy to an infrared detector, which convert the
energy to an electrical signal. This electrical signal is compensated for emissivity, typically

manually. Through linearization and amplification in the instruments processor, an analog

signal (typically, 1 to 5 VDC or 4 to 20 mA) is output. Electronics can be incorporated to convert
the analog output to digital signals that can be transmitted at high speeds, allowing for extremely
fast data acquisition rates. Ambient temperature compensation electronics ensure that
temperature variations inside the infrared thermometer do not impact its output.

Meter Description:
Infrared Thermometers Function:
Infrared thermometers work based on
a phenomenon called black body
radiation. Anything at a temperature
above absolute zero have molecules
inside of it moving around. The
higher the temperature the faster the
molecules move. As they move the
molecules emit infrared radiation- a
type of electromagnetic radiation below the visible spectrum of light. As they get hotter, they
emit more infrared, and even start to emit visible light. That is why heated metal can glow red or
even white. Infrared thermometers detect and measure this radiation.

Infrared (IR) light is electromagnetic radiation with longer wavelengths than those of visible
light, extending from the nominal red edge of the visible spectrum at 700 nanometers (nm) to 1
nm. Infrared temperature sensors of the thermometer series incorporate state of the art
technology to achieve one goal: Measure accurate and non-contact temperature. With this
method the infrared thermometer measure precise, wear free and without any physical effect or
impact on the target.

Operating Instructions:
1. Hold the meter by its Handle Grip and point it toward the surface to be measured.
2. Pull and hold the orange Trigger to turn the meter on and begin testing. The temperature
reading, the SCAN icon, the emissivity icon ( = 0.95), and the unit of measure will
appear.
3. While continuing to pull the Trigger:
a) Push the laser button
laser icon will appear

to turn on the laser pointer. When the laser is ON the

on the LCD over the temperature reading. Aim the red

beam approximately a half inch above the point of test (pressing the laser button
again turns the laser off).
b) Select the temperature units using the oC or oF button.
c) Push the backlight button to turn on the LCD backlight function.
4. Release the Trigger and the reading will hold for approximately 6 seconds (HOLD will

appear on the LCD) and then the meter will automatically shut off.

Over Range Indicator:

If the temperature measurement exceeds the given range, the thermometer will display dashes in
place of a temperature reading.

Applications:
Infrared thermometers can be used to serve a wide variety of temperature monitoring functions.
A few examples provided to this article include:
Detecting clouds for remote telescope operation
Checking mechanical equipment or electrical circuit breaker boxes or outlets for hot spots
Checking heater or oven temperature, for calibration and control purposes
Detecting hot spots / performing diagnostics in electrical circuit board manufacturing
Checking for hot spots in firefighting situations
Monitoring materials in process of heating and cooling, for research and development or
manufacturing quality control situations
To measure temperature of heated pipes in earths surface
In industry different type of applications

Lab Performance:
Sr. No

Material

Emissivity

Temperature

01

Wood

0.95

650F

0.5

65.20F

0.95

630F

0.5

610F

02
03
03

Wall