Outdoor surface temperature measurement: ground truth or lie?

Torbjorn Skauli

doi:10.1117/12.543212

5 August 2004 Outdoor surface temperature measurement: ground truth or lie?

Torbjorn Skauli

Proceedings Volume 5431, Targets and Backgrounds X: Characterization and Representation; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.543212
Event: Defense and Security, 2004, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

Contact surface temperature measurement in the field is essential in trials of thermal imaging systems and camouflage, as well as for scene modeling studies. The accuracy of such measurements is challenged by environmental factors such as sun and wind, which induce temperature gradients around a surface sensor and lead to incorrect temperature readings. In this work, a simple method is used to test temperature sensors under conditions representative of a surface whose temperature is determined by heat exchange with the environment. The tested sensors are different types of thermocouples and platinum thermistors typically used in field trials, as well as digital temperature sensors. The results illustrate that the actual measurement errors can be much larger than the specified accuracy of the sensors. The measurement error typically scales with the difference between surface temperature and ambient air temperature. Unless proper care is taken, systematic errors can easily reach 10% of this temperature difference, which is often unacceptable. Reasonably accurate readings are obtained using a miniature platinum thermistor. Thermocouples can perform well on bare metal surfaces if the connection to the surface is highly conductive. It is pointed out that digital temperature sensors have many advantages for field trials use.

Citation Download Citation

Torbjorn Skauli "Outdoor surface temperature measurement: ground truth or lie?", Proc. SPIE 5431, Targets and Backgrounds X: Characterization and Representation, (5 August 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.543212

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