Thermal radiation measuring arrangement

Abstract

In a thermal radiation measuring arrangement, a thermal radiation detector is located at the focal point of a collecting mirror, upon which incident thermal radiation from a surface, such as a building wall, is directed. The thermal radiation detector may be, for example, a thermopile, and provides an output signal having a magnitude proportional to the amount of thermal radiation which it receives. The temperature detection means detects the temperature of the thermal radiation detector and, for example, may detect the cold junction of the thermopile. In a first operating condition, a signal summing means receives the output signal from the thermal radiation detector and the temperature detection means and provides a third output signal proportional to the sum of these first and second output signals. In a second operating condition, a signal biasing means is connected into the signal summing means. The signal biasing means provides a signal to the signal summing means to cause the third output signal to become zero when radiation is received from a reference surface. When the arrangement is in the second operating condition and directed to receive thermal radiation from a second surface different from the reference surface, the signal biasing means maintains the same level of bias to the signal summing means as it did when detecting the radiation from the reference surface.