Simulation Method for LWIR Radiation Distribution Using a Visual Ray-tracer

Infrared cameras with passive, uncooled sensor chips utilize the longwave infrared (LWIR) range of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths between 8 and 14 $\mu$m for image generation. The reason for this is that every object at room temperature is self-luminous at that wavelength. Therefore, every surface acts as a source of radiation in a LWIR scenario. To gain an impression and to model the effects and circumstances in an infrared scenario, a simulation method is required. In the visual domain this task is accomplished by ray-tracing software, which allows the generation of synthetic images as well as the analysis of irradiance distribution in a given scene. In this paper a way to apply one of such ray-tracers to a LWIR scenario is demonstrated. A possible application of the proposed simulation method in test-system modelling and uncertainty analysis is also presented.