Calibration of High Heat Flux Sensors at NIST.
An ongoing program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is aimed at improving and standardizing heat-flux sensor calibration methods. The current calibration needs of U.S. science and industry exceed the current NIST capability of 40 kW/m2irradiance. In achieving this goal, as well as meeting lower-level non-radiative heat flux calibration needs of science and industry, three different types of calibration facilities currently are under development at NIST: convection, conduction, and radiation. This paper describes the research activities associated with the NIST Radiation Calibration Facility. Two different techniques, transfer and absolute, are presented. The transfer calibration technique employs a transfer standard calibrated with reference to a radiometric standard for calibrating the sensors using a graphite tube blackbody. Plans for an absolute calibration facility include the use of a spherical blackbody and a cooled aperture and sensor-housing assembly to calibrate the sensors in a low convective environment.
Aero-Tech Inc. Hampton, VA 23666.
A V
AV
Murthy
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001.
B K
BK
Tsai
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001.
C E
CE
Gibson
absolute technique; calibration; heat flux; irradiance; radiation; sensor; transfer technique; uncertainties