ANALYSIS OF UNCERTAINTIES IN INFRARED CAMERA MEASUREMENTS OF IBD

Sinopse

The infrared (IR)signature ofa jet aircraft engine in altitude operation is a key component for the design of effective IR countermeasures and low-emission engines. Predicting the signature with radiometric models is widely accomplished, but measurements in situ are crucial for model verification. The altitude test cell provides a venue for measuring the IR signature in a simulated altitude environment, but the facility is designed for testing engines, not IR imaging. As a result, the imaging in the test cell is laden with measurement uncertainty due to stray radiation from the facility structure, hot exhaust gases, and the measurement equipment itself. Postprocessing using correction factors is necessary to extract the engine signal from the stray radiation. The correction factors, however, inject an additional level of uncertainty in the measurements. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center measured the IR signature of a jet aircraft engine in an altitude test cell in the summer of 2002.They reported measurement uncertainty as the foremost concern. With NASA?s efforts as the prime motivation, this research investigated the uncertainties in measuring the IR signature of a General Electric F110-GE-129 turbofan engine inside an altitude test cell. The engine is measured by an IR camera immersed in the hotexhaust gases 35 feet downstream from the on-engine axis view. A protective enclosure and zinc selenide (ZnSe) window shield the camera from the heat and vibrations of the plume. The requirements for the IR measurement system include the apparent intensity and radiance of the visible engine surfaces in three bands of operation, two Medium Wave IR (MWIR) bands and one Long Wave IR (LWIR) band with a spatial resolution of one inch. To explore the extent of the measurement uncertainties, a radiometric model of the altitude test cell at NASA is formulated to quantify the engine and stray flux. To increase the fidelity of the modelThis work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation