THERMOMETER

A thermometer is an instrument for measuring or showing temperature (how hot

or cold something is). One type of thermometer is a narrow, concealed glass tube

containing mercury or alcohol which extends along the tube as it expands. Another type

is a digital thermometer, which uses electronics to measure temperature. A

thermometer has two important elements: a temperature sensor in which some change

occurs with a change in temperature; and some means of converting this change into a

numerical value.

The Dry Bulb Temperature refers basically to the ambient air temperature. It is

called "Dry Bulb" because the air temperature is indicated by a thermometer not

affected by the moisture of the air. It can be measured using a normal thermometer

freely exposed to the air but shielded from radiation and moisture.

The wet bulb temperature of air is also measured by the ordinary thermometer, but the

only difference is that the bulb of the thermometer is covered by the wet cloth.When the

air comes in contact with the wet cloth it absorbs some moisture and gives up some

heat, due to which the temperature of the air reduces. This reduced temperature

measured by the thermometer is called as the wet bulb temperature. If the moisture

content of the air is very low, it will give up more heat to the cloth and the wet bulb

temperature of air will also be comparatively lower. On the other hand, if the moisture

content of air is high it will loose lesser heat to the air and wet bulb temperature will be

higher. The more is the moisture or water vapor content of the air more is the wet bulb

temperature.
THERMOCOUPLE

A Thermocouple is a sensor used to measure temperature. Thermocouples

consist of two wire legs made from different metals. The wires legs are welded together

at one end, creating a junction. This junction is where the temperature is measured.

When the junction experiences a change in temperature, a voltage is created. The

voltage can then be interpreted using thermocouple reference tables to calculate the

temperature.

The Seebeck effect is the conversion of thermal energy/temperature differences directly

into electrical energy or electricity.

The change in the voltage is proportional to the temperature difference between the

junctions when the ends are connected to form a loop.

TYPES OF THEMOCOUPLE

Type K Thermocouple (Nickel-Chromium / Nickel-Alumel): The type K is the

most common type of thermocouple. It’s inexpensive, accurate, reliable, and has a wide

temperature range.

Temperature Range:

–454 to 2,300F (–270 to 1260C)

Type T Thermocouple (Copper/Constantan): The Type T is a very stable

thermocouple and is often used in extremely low temperature applications such as

cryogenics or ultra low freezers.

Temperature Range: Thermocouple grade wire, -454 to 700F (-270 to 370C)

 Type E Thermocouple (Nickel-Chromium/Constantan): The Type E has a

stronger signal & higher accuracy than the Type K or Type J at moderate temperature

ranges of 1,000F and lower.

Temperature Range: Thermocouple grade wire, -454 to 1600F (-270 to 870C)

Type N Thermocouple (Nicrosil / Nisil): The Type N shares the same accuracy

and temperature limits as the Type K. The type N is slightly more expensive.

Temperature Range:

Thermocouple grade wire, -454 to 2300F (-270 to 392C)

Type S Thermocouple (Platinum Rhodium - 10% / Platinum): The Type S is

used in very high temperature applications. It is commonly found in the BioTech and

Pharmaceutical industries. It is sometimes used in lower temperature applications

because of its high accuracy and stability.

Temperature Range:

Thermocouple grade wire, -58 to 2700F (-50 to 1480C)

Type R Thermocouple (Platinum Rhodium -13% / Platinum): The Type R is used

in very high temperature applications. It has a higher percentage of Rhodium than the

Type S, which makes it more expensive. The Type R is very similar to the Type S in

terms of performance. It is sometimes used in lower temperature applications because

of its high accuracy and stability.

Temperature Range:

Thermocouple grade wire, -58 to 2700F (-50 to 1480C)

 Type B Thermocouple (Platinum Rhodium – 30% / Platinum Rhodium – 6%):

The Type B thermocouple is used in extremely high temperature applications. It has the

highest temperature limit of all of the thermocouples listed above. It maintains a high

level of accuracy and stability at very high temperatures.

Temperature Range:

Thermocouple grade wire, 32 to 3100F (0 to 1700C)

Type M thermocouples use a nickel alloy for each wire. The positive wire (20

Alloy) contains 18% molybdenum while the negative wire (19 Alloy) contains 0.8%

cobalt. These thermocouples are used in vacuum furnaces for the same reasons as

with type C. Upper temperature is limited to 1400°C / 2552°F. It is less commonly used

than other types.

A pyrometer is a type of remote-sensing thermometer used to measure

the temperature of a surface. Various forms of pyrometers have historically existed. In

the modern usage, it is a device that from a distance determines the temperature of a

surface from the amount of the thermal radiation it emits, a process known as pyrometry

and sometimes radiometry.

The word pyrometer comes from the Greek word for fire, "πῦρ" (pyr), and meter,

meaning to measure. The word pyrometer was originally coined to denote a device

capable of measuring the temperature of an object by its incandescence, visible light

emitted by a body which is at least red-hot.[1] Modern pyrometers or infrared

thermometers also measure the temperature of cooler objects, down to room

temperature, by detecting their infrared radiation flux.

 A modern pyrometer has an optical system and a detector. The optical system

focuses the thermal radiation onto the detector. The output signal of the detector

(temperature T) is related to the thermal radiation or irradiance j of the target object

through the Stefan–Boltzmann law, the constant of proportionality σ, called the Stefan–

Boltzmann constant and the emissivity of the object.

Radiation pyrometers are used to measure the temperature of very hot objects without

being in contact with them. Molten glass and molten metals during smelting and forming

operations are typical of the objects they measure. In selecting the correct radiation

pyrometer for an application you must consider several factors. In either narrow or wide

fields of view, the cross-sectional area can vary greatly. It can be rectangular, circular,

and slot shaped, depending on the kind of apertures used in the instrument. In some

instruments, a telescopic eye magnifies the radiant energy so much smaller objects at

longer distances can be measured. Hot objects as small as 1/16 inch in diameter can be

measured with some instruments. The detector receives the photon energy from the

optical system and converts it into an electrical signal. Two types of detectors are used:

thermal (thermopile) and photon (photomultiplier tubes). Photon detectors are much
faster than the thermopile type. This enables you to use the photon type for measuring

the temperature of small objects moving at high speed.