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Mech 215 - Instrumentation and Measurement Week 4, Lecture 1 Temperature Measurement - Rtds and Thermistors
Mech 215 - Instrumentation and Measurement Week 4, Lecture 1 Temperature Measurement - Rtds and Thermistors
Mech 215 - Instrumentation and Measurement Week 4, Lecture 1 Temperature Measurement - Rtds and Thermistors
Measurement
Week 4, Lecture 1
Temperature Measurement RTDs and
Thermistors
Read section 8.1 in text for a good short history of the definition
of temperature and temperature measurement.
Temperature is based on the 0th law of thermodynamics two
systems that are at thermal equilibrium (no heat transfer
between systems) are at the same temperature.
Temperature scale provides:
1. Definition of the size of a degree
2. Reference points for establishing known temperatures.
3. A means of interpolating between known temperature points
Liquid-in-glass Thermometer
Based on the thermal expansion of a liquid.
Bimetalic Thermometers
Based on differential thermal expansion of two
metals.
[
R = R0 1 + (T T0 ) + (T T1 ) + "
2
]
R0 = reference resistance measured at T0
, , etc. = material constants
R = R0 [1 + (T T0 )]
= material temperature coefficient of resistivity
(depends on material and purity)
R1 R3
At balanced conditions, =
R2 RRTD
RRTD = R3 + r1 r3
RRTD + r3 = R3 + r1 RRTD + r1 = R3 + r3
A four-wire bridge provides increased compensation
for lead-wire resistances.
January 13, 2009 Page 26
RTDs
R3 + R3
RRTD =
2
Practical Considerations
Transient thermal response of typical commercial
RTDs is generally quite slow. Therefore, RTDs
should not be used for transient temperature
measurements.
Exception: Small diameter (10m) wires have high
transient response rates and low thermal
capacitance. They are used in non-corrosive
flowing gasses for hot wire anamometry or heat
flux measurements.
Thermocouples