A NEW COMPUTER METHOD FOR TEMPERATURE-MEASUREMENT BASED ON AN OPTIMAL-CONTROL PROBLEM

A new computer method to measure extreme temperatures is presented. Th e method reduces the measurement of the unknown temperature to the sol ving of an optimal control problem, using a numerical computer. Based on this method, a new device for temperature measurement is built. It consists of a hardware part that includes some standard temperature se nsors and it also has a software section. The problem of temperature m easurement, according to this new method, is mathematically modelled b y means of the one-dimensional heat equation, with boundary and initia l conditions, describing the heat transfer through the device. The pri ncipal hardware component of the new device is a rod. The variation of the temperature which is produced near one end of the rod is determin ed using some temperature measurements in the other end of the rod and the new computer method which is described in this work. This device works as an attenuator of high temperatures and as an amplifier of low temperatures. In fact, it realizes an extension of the standard worki ng range of temperature sensors at very high and very low values. The mathematical model of the device and the computer method are explained in detail and some possible practical implementations and a collectio n of simulations are also presented.