Radiometers in German Industry
Published: Wednesday, November 24, 2010
One of the applications in industry is at Rail Tec Arsenal. This is an internationally active independent research and testing institute for rail and road vehicles, new transport systems and technical facilities that are subject to extreme climatic conditions.
Their largest test chamber is 100 m long with a 100 m preparation hall. It can simulate wind speeds of up to 300 km/h. All Rail Tec chambers can simulate snow, rainfall, high humidity, and temperatures ranging from -50 ºC to +60 ºC. To simulate the effect of the sun, there is an artificial solar field consisting of 698 metal-halide lamps of 1500 Watt each, providing a radiating area of 200 m².
Not surprisingly, Rail Tec Arsenal uses Kipp & Zonen instruments for the best reliability in such extreme conditions, such as the CM 4 High Temperature Pyranometer. It was specifically developed for industrial applications. CM 4 has built-in temperature compensation and is constructed from materials suitable for operation from -40°C to +150°C with an irradiance of up to 4000 W/m² (compared to the maximum power of 1150 W/m² normally received on the Earth). CM 4 is the world’s most reliable pyranometer for measurements in such extreme temperatures.