Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Kendall, J. M., Sr..
"Radiometer for Accurate (+ or - 1%) Measurement of Solar Irradiances Equal to 10,000 Solar Constants," gives additional information on radiometer described elsewhere. Self-calibrating, water-cooled, thermopile radiometer measures irradiance produced in solar image formed by parabolic reflector or by multiple-mirror solar installation.
The 10,000 solar constant radiometer was developed for the accurate (+ or - 1%) measurement of the irradiance produced in the image formed by a parabolic reflector or by a multiple mirror solar installation. This radiometer is water cooled, weighs about 1 kg, and is 5 cm (2 in.) in diameter by 10 cm (4 in.) long. A sting is provided for mounting the radiometer in the solar installation capable of measuring irradiances as high as 20,000 solar constants, the instrument is self calibrating. Its accuracy depends on the accurate determination of the cavity aperture, and absorptivity of the cavity, and accurate electrical measurements. The spectral response is flat over the entire spectrum from far UV to far IR. The radiometer responds to a measurement within 99.7% of the final value within 8 s. During a measurement of the 10,000 solar constant irradiance, the temperature rise of the water is about 20 C. The radiometer has perfect cosine response up to 60 deg off the radiometer axis.
The design of a fieldworthy survey instrument based on a developed radiation calibration standard is discussed. The radiometer system, a fieldworthy modification of Pacrad, is an all-weather solar radiometer, and a field test is described which demonstrates the instrument's stability in severe environments over an extended period of time. It is suggested that the instrument may be considered a transfer standard as well as a radiometer. It is hoped that future modifications might reduce the 15-deg view angle and improve the tracking system to eliminate weekly manual declination adjustments.
A sounding rocket experiment was performed in June 1976, in which the solar constant was observed simultaneously outside the earth's atmosphere by three types of absolute cavity radiometers (the Primary Absolute Cavity Radiometer and two Active Cavity Radiometers, Type IV) and duplicates of Nimbus 6 ERB/ESP (Earth Radiation Budget/Eclectic Satellite Pyrheliometer) solar channels. The preliminary average solar constant result from the cavity radiometers is 1367 W/sq m with an uncertainty of less than plus or minus 0.5% in SI units. The duplicate ERB channel 3 on the rocket gave a value of 1389 W/sq m, which agreed exactly with the Nimbus 6 ERB channel 3 measurement made simultaneously with the rocket flight.
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Issue is taken with the ascription of the 2% discrepancy in values of solar irradiance at the surface of the earth, found between the measurements performed by the absolute radiometers of Kendall and Wilson and those obtained by Eppley-Angstrom pyrheliometers, to the possibility that the two types of instruments might collect different amounts of circumsolar radiation. It is shown that this explanation is very unlikely.
Black body radiometer having isothermally surrounded cavity for ultraviolet, visible, and infrared radiation
Black body cavity type radiometers for high accuracy measurement of irradiance
Black body radiometer design with temperature sensing and cavity heat source cone winding
Standard total-radiation absolute radiometer with improved accuracy for calibrating radiometers for simulated solar radiation measurement
Standard total radiation absolute radiometer for calibrating radiometers used for simulated solar sources intensity measurements in space simulators
Conical cavity-type absolute radiometer measures the intensity of radiant energy to an accuracy of one to two percent in a vacuum of ten to the minus fifth torr or lower. There is a uniform response over the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared range, and it requires no calibration or comparison with a radiation standard.
Radiometer measuring total intensity of UV, VISIBLE and IR radiation
Cavity type radiometer for absolute total intensity measurement of visible and IR radiation