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Design, construction and testing of a new pyrheliometer

Conference · · Proc. Annu. Meet. - Am. Sect. Int. Sol. Energy Soc.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5779965
 [1];
  1. Univ. of Florida, Gainesville

A new pyrheliometer has been designed and constructed that utilized a totally new methodology to measure solar radiation. By operating the shutter of the instrument and measuring the temperature slopes of the sensor during heating and cooling processes at the very moment when the sensor is at the same temperature, the solar radiation can be accurately determined using these slopes. The method is highly accurate and has shown to be totally independent of the loss coefficients in the experiment. The pyrheliometer has been tested using a standard irradiance lamp in the laboratory. Error of the instrument has been identified to be 0.61%. Field testing was also conducted by comparing data with that of a calibrated (Eppley) Normal Incidence Pyrheliometer. Details of the construction and testing of the instrument are spelled out; the theory underlying the methodology is also touched upon. Because of its low cost, the instrument is considered to be well suited for use as a bench standard for measuring solar radiation.

OSTI ID:
5779965
Report Number(s):
CONF-810509-(Vol.2)
Journal Information:
Proc. Annu. Meet. - Am. Sect. Int. Sol. Energy Soc.; (United States), Journal Name: Proc. Annu. Meet. - Am. Sect. Int. Sol. Energy Soc.; (United States) Vol. 4.2; ISSN PMSID
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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