Measurement of pyrotechnic ignition energy by thermography

Measuring the laser energy required to ignite pyrotechnic pellets is complicated by several factors that are difficult to control or predict. These include reflection of part of the incident laser energy, reemission from the heated sample, and heat conduction away from the ignition site. In addition to these factors, it is often difficult to control and/or measure the incident laser power. High-speed thermographic recording of the temperature distribution in the test sample makes it possible to calculate the heat content of the test pellet at any instant. Thus, one can actually observe the laser heating and on-set of reaction in the pellet and avoid having to make measurements or assumptions to account for possible energy losses.