Temperature measurements are of great importance for the control of processes, for quality assurance, and for plant safety. It is not always possible to measure temperatures directly in the medium but on the surface of vessels and pipelines, etc. However, when determining the surface temperature with contact thermometers, a number of influencing variables, some of which are difficult to determine, affect accurate and reproducible temperature measurement. These are presented in the article.

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a widely used tool to analyze thermal material properties. This study focuses on the advancement of a miniaturized DSC chip as an alternative to conventional devices. The first development steps for the integration of a weighing system are shown, starting with model considerations and simulation-based optimization to initial measurements. Three different measurement methods are investigated and show promising results.

The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt calibrated pyroelectric detectors at two independent primary radiometric standards regarding their spectral responsivity. The SI traceable measurements in the spectral range between 1.5 and 14 µm are consistent within the measurement uncertainty in the range of 1 % and 14 %. The importance of the correct read-out of lock-in amplifiers and the accurate consideration of the temporal shape of the chopped radiant flux behind the chopper wheel are shown.

Temperature measurement in engine and exhaust systems is necessary for thermal protection of parts and optimizing the combustion process. The basic idea of this novel sensor concept is to use thick-film technology on component surfaces. Different standardized and especially nonstandard material combinations have been produced for validation of this concept. Application-oriented measurements took place in the exhaust system of a test vehicle and were compared to standard laboratory conditions.

Metamaterials are artificial composite structures with unusual physical properties such as the perfect absorption of light, which can be exploited to improve the spectral sensitivity and selectivity of thermal detectors. The desired detector characteristics are engineered by tuning the absorption properties of metamaterials. The numerical simulations demonstrate polarization-independent absorption of disc-shaped dielectric/metallic absorbers and their integration capability in thermal detectors.