Analysis of the Potential Accuracy of Thermodynamic Measurement Using the Double-Wavelength Technique

A detailed analysis of the double-wavelength radiation thermometry technique for determining the thermodynamic temperature is presented. This technique provides an alternative method to absolute filter radiometry without the requirement of traceability to the watt. The analysis derives an algebraic expression for the uncertainties in the temperatures measured with the double-wavelength technique, which shows that the optimum strategy is to employ one narrowband and one broadband spectral responsivity, and that the center wavelengths do not need to be widely separated. With current best estimates for signal and spectral responsivity measurements, it is shown that the double-wavelength method can achieve total uncertainties only about four times larger than the current best absolute radiometric methods. Improvements in the signal measurement in the future could possibly reduce the total uncertainty to a level comparable to absolute radiometry.