thermopile

/'θə:moupail/

Thân thiện

A scientist uses a thermopile to measure the heat from a small flame.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A device for measuring heat radiation: A thermopile is a scientific instrument that detects and measures thermal radiation. It operates by converting heat energy directly into electrical energy through the thermoelectric effect.
   • A series of thermocouples: It consists of multiple thermocouple junctions connected in series to increase the output voltage, making it sensitive enough to measure small temperature differences or radiant heat.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The laboratory used a sensitive thermopile to measure the infrared radiation from the sample.
  • A thermopile is often found in devices like infrared thermometers and radiation pyrometers.

Advanced Usage

• Scientific Instrumentation: In advanced contexts, a thermopile is crucial in fields like radiometry, astronomy (for measuring star temperatures), and environmental science (for studying Earth's radiation budget).
  • The satellite's payload included a thermopile radiometer to map thermal emissions from the planet's surface.

Variants and Related Words

• Thermocouple (n): A pair of dissimilar metals joined at one end, producing a voltage proportional to temperature difference. This is the basic building block of a thermopile.
  • A single thermocouple generates a small voltage, but a thermopile combines many to create a stronger signal.

Synonyms

• Radiation thermometer: A device that measures temperature from thermal radiation, often using a thermopile as its sensor.
• Thermoelectric pile: An alternative, less common name for a thermopile, emphasizing its thermoelectric principle.

Related Phrases and Technical Terms

• Thermoelectric effect: The direct conversion of temperature differences to electric voltage and vice versa, which is the operating principle of a thermopile.
  • The thermopile's function relies entirely on the thermoelectric effect.
• Seebeck effect: The specific phenomenon where a temperature difference between two dissimilar electrical conductors or semiconductors produces a voltage. This is the effect harnessed by the thermocouples in a thermopile.
  • The voltage output of the thermopile is a result of the Seebeck effect across its multiple junctions.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a kind of thermometer for measuring heat radiation; consists of several thermocouple junctions in series