In this paper, the development of a new device for high temperature emissivity measurement is described. This device aims at measuring both spectral and total emissivity for a thermal range of 600–1000 °C. The main targeted properties of this device are versatility and simplicity. To achieve this, a rigorous selection of components such as heating systems, heat sources, sample holders, and measuring devices was made. Sample dimensions and the corresponding sample holder were optimized through a ray tracing model computation. Selection of sensors to compute the total emissivity was also discussed. A near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer and two mid-infrared (MIR) cameras equipped with optical filters covering the bandwidth of 3–5 and 7.5–13 μm were chosen for spectral measurements. The major impediment was the separation of the sample signal and various spurious signals emitted by the environment. A specific measurement methodology was then made for each bandwidth to resolve this issue. Platinum was chosen as the reference material for the device validation. Spectral emissivity measurements were then compared to values from a commercial spectrometer. A good agreement was found between NIR and MIR band I measurements, and a higher error rate was seen in MIR band II which is explained by a less favorable signal to noise ratio. Integrated emissivity is then calculated and compared to values found in the literature. A good agreement between these values is found, and similar trends with temperature are observed. The device is then validated for spectral and total emissivity measurements. Device versatility and simplicity allow for an easy adaptation to a large area of applications.

This paper describes the complete dimensioning of a method and apparatus dedicated to the automatic detection of defects on optical mirror-like components called optical solar reflector (OSR), which are used to ensure the thermal control of satellites. First, the requirements of the method are defined according to the properties of the OSR (multilayer and semitransparent) and the defects to be detected. The defect dimensions are then measured and exhibit very dispersed micrometric values. Second, the optical characterization of the OSR and its sublayers is conducted, enabling the dimensioning of the machine with regard to the localization of the defect (surface, interface, or volume). Third, a semi-industrial prototype is developed and evaluated through two kinds of experiments. The first experiment illustrates the production capacity of the prototype and the second the measurement capability. Results showed that the prototype exceeded the initial requirements and could be used to replace the currently used control with confidence.

This articles investigates the temperature errors due to chromatic aberration in multiwavelength thermography methods. The Chromatic aberration leads to a shift in the perspective projection of a point in the 3D space on the image formed at different wavelengths. This shift causes an error in the temperature field calculated by polychromatic methods, from the fusion for each pixel of radiance temperature images at different wavelengths. The temperature error can reach 40% on a sample with high spatial non-uniformities, due to wide variations of emissivity. This paper suggests an approach to correcting the chromatic aberration that is based not on equipment but on software, coupled with a calibration, using Digital Image Correlation (DIC). This experimental technique is a 2D optical method used in mechanical engineering, for inferring a deformation of a plane structure's surface from a displacement field calculated by correlation between pixels of two successive images. This paper applies the technique to achieve the field displacement induced between two images at two wavelengths by chromatic aberration. After applying this correcting displacement field, the temperature error decreases from 40% to 1% for the pixels located at the boundary of two areas with different emissivities.