Thermopile sensors read electromagnetic radiation as a function of the object’s temperature. Because there is a temperature difference between the cold ground and the warm sky, these sensors could be used to detect the horizon and thus be used as a reference to stabilise a small aircraft, such as a UAV. To verify this hypothesis, a system has been developed that uses horizon detection using the...

Accurately determining photovoltaic (PV) module performance in the field requires measuring solar irradiance reaching the PV panel at a high level of accuracy and known uncertainty. Silicon detectors used in various solar energy measuring instruments that include reference cells are a potentially attractive choice for multiple reasons, including faster responsivity than thermopile detectors, ch...

Heat flux is traditionally measured, in a steady flow situation, with the heat passing through a medium of known thermal conductivity which has temperature sensors built in at determined distances. An alternative method consists of making the heat flow between the ends of a thermopile and measuring the resulting emf. The first method has the disadvantage that it is necessary to know the thermal...

A milliwatt power s~urcc (MPS) has been developed to satisfy the rcquircments of scvcral potcntial solar system cxploration missions. Thc MPS is a small power source consisting of thrce major componcnts: a spacc qualified heat same (RHU), a thermopile (thermoelectric convcncr or TEC) and a containcc to dircct the RHU heat to the TEC. Thermopiles from Hi-Z Technology, Inc. of San Diego and thc I...

Abstract This paper presents a low-power infrared motion detection system suitable for smart devices such as wearables. The SoC incorporates instrumentation chopper amplifiers (ICA), LPFs, ADCs, and a DSP. The low-noise ICAs amplify very low frequency μV-level thermopile outputs with 2.0 NEF and provide programmable gain modes. To reduce standby power the ICA uses lower current when the system ...

We report the observation of the spin Peltier effect (SPE) in the ferrimagnetic insulator yttrium iron garnet (YIG), i.e., a heat current generated by a spin current flowing through a platinum (Pt)|YIG interface. The effect can be explained by the spin transfer torque that transforms the spin current in the Pt into a magnon current in the YIG. Via magnon-phonon interactions the magnetic fluctua...

We have evaluated the responsivity of seven different thermal detectors compared to an electrically calibrated photoacoustic reference detector at 119 μm (2.5 THz) and 394 μm (0.76 THz) laser wavelengths. Among the thermal detectors is an electrically calibrated thermopile having a vertically aligned carbon nanotube array as the absorber. We document the uncertainty contributions attributable t...

Thermal sensors based on thermopiles are some of the most robust and popular temperature sensing technologies across industries and research disciplines. A chip calorimeter with a 3D thermopile layout with a large sensing area and multichannel capacity has been developed, which is highly desired for many applications requiring large reaction chambers or high throughputs, such as biofilm researc...