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Emissivity Improvement on Tube for Optical Pyrometer Temperature Readings

Company: Westinghouse Electric Company

Major(s):
Primary: MATSE
Secondary: ME

Non-Disclosure Agreement: YES

Intellectual Property: YES

As part of the research and development efforts of the eVinci™ Microreactor, high temperature heat pipes are being constructed and tested. During testing, the heat pipe temperature is a critical measurement. One method of temperature measurement employes an optical pyrometer to perform contactless measurements of the surface temperature of a heat pipe. Surface condition and emissivity have been shown to have significant effects on these surface temperature measurements of tested heat pipes. The goal of this design team will develop a method to improve the emissivity of the heat pipe tube material. The method developed for application to the heat pipe tube should result in a uniform high emissivity surface of the tube and survive exposure to high temperatures.