An improved long-wave radiometer
By: by Steven P. Anderson and Richard E. Payne.
Contributors: Payne, Richard E.; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Series: WHOI -- 00-13.; Technical report; WHOI (Series) -- 2000-13.; Technical report (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Publisher: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Published: 2000
Place of publication: Woods Hole, Mass
Language: eng
Number of pages: 39
Subjects: Radiometers -- Design.
Other titles: Long-wave radiometer.
Description: This report describes the development of an improved long-wave radiometer (pyrgeometer) for deployment on ships and buoys. Standard pyrgeometers use a thermopile to measure the temperature gradient between the receiver surface and the instrument case, and thus infer the receiver temperature and incident radiation. The key design change employed in the new radiometer is to remove the thermopile and replace it with a small, glass-encapsulated thermistor to measure the receiver temperature directly. To prove the concept, a prototype radiometer was built and calibrated. It was then deployed outside for a period of a week on the roof of the Clark Laboratory (Quissett Campus, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) to demonstrate the feasability of the new concept. Data from the prototype were compared to those from a pair of standard radiometers. The intercomparison shows that the prototype performed surprisingly well. It was able to capture all the variability observed by the standards with only a small bias. The next step in the design process, which has been funded by the National Science Foundation, is to build a rugged version of the prototype that can be deployed in the field.
Notes: "December 2000"

"Funding was provided by the Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Technology Innovations Awards Program and the National Science Foundation, Grant OCE98-18470."

Includes bibliographical references.

Also issued online.