Abstract: A heat energy measuring system which directs radiation through a sample of a combustible fluid and detects the absorbance of at least one combustible component of the combustible fluid at a selected spectral line, there being at least one spectral line for each combustible component to be examined in the fluid. The system also combines at least one heat energy proportionality factor with the absorbance at each spectral line and sums these combinations to determine the heat energy of the fluid. Where the components to be examined are functional groups, the system measures more generally a physical property of a fluid dependent on the physical characteristics of and the quantity of those functional groups in the fluid.

Abstract: The sub-surface temperature of a body of water, such as an ocean, is measured remotely by directing a laser beam into a body of water and analyzing the Raman backscatter produced by the water. The Raman backscatter contains information which, when processed, indicates the water temperature at various depths. Precise temperature measurements may be made by separately detecting and measuring the polarization ratio at different wavelength intervals throughout the Raman band and measuring the differential diffuse attenuation coefficient using range-gated Raman backscatter techniques on a wavelength by wavelength basis.