Development and characterization of a high-emissivity reference blackbody radiation source with V-grooves and large aperture at low-temperature

Abstract

A high-emissivity blackbody radiation source can improve the measurement level of infrared radiation temperature, which is critical for applications in high-value industries and human health monitoring. In this study, a new high-emissivity blackbody source with V-grooves and large aperture was redesigned and developed, which can be used as a radiation temperature reference source for the calibration of secondary blackbody sources and precision radiation thermometers in the temperature range from −10 ℃ to 100 ℃, including the temperature range of human body infrared radiation considered in the study of people exhibiting fever symptoms. The wavelengths of the infrared spectral radiation temperatures involved in the study were in the range of 8–14 μm. The blackbody source consisted of a blackbody cavity, a jet-stirred precision constant-temperature bath, a standard platinum resistance thermometer, a high-precision digital multimeter, a frost-proof cover, and an auxiliary test frame. The cavity was cylindrical and conical with a diameter of 60 mm, a conical top angle of 120°, and a total length of 300 mm. The V-grooves with an angle of 50° on the inner wall were coated with high-emissivity coatings. The cavity was then completely immersed in a thermostatic bath. The radiation temperature of the blackbody source was traced to the International Temperature Scale of 1990 using a standard platinum resistance thermometer, which was calibrated at fixed-points of the Ar, Hg, H2O, Sn, and Zn. The experimental results revealed that the normal effective emissivity of the blackbody measured by the thermal cavity reflectometer method was 0.999 751, which is consistent with the theoretical calculation results based on the Monte Carlo method using optical ray tracing technology. In addition, the accuracy of the radiation temperature was verified by comparing it with a reference blackbody source from the National Institute of Metrology (NIM), China. The temperature stability of the blackbody source did not exceed 0.005 ℃ within 30 min, the axial temperature uniformity of the blackbody cavity did not exceed 0.048 ℃, and the temperature uniformity at the bottom of the cavity was better than 0.053 ℃. The combined standard uncertainty of the radiation temperature of the blackbody radiation source was evaluated from 0.010 ℃ to 0.032 ℃. The novel design with 50° V-grooves allowed for the blackbody source to provide the combination of a large aperture and high emissivity, which improved radiance temperature measurements. The reliability of the new design was experimentally verified. This design provides a novel method and experimental basis for the future design of compact light-weight blackbody sources, which is useful for the development of compact spaceborne blackbody sources.