EXPERIMENT NO.

4
TEMPERATURE MEASURING
INSTRUMENTS
Objectives:
 To know about different Temperature measuring instruments.

Theoretical Background:
 Types of Instruments:
Following are the basic types of temperature measuring devices:
1) Contact Type Temperature Measuring Devices:
Various types of contact type temperature measuring devices are briefly
discussed below:
a) Thermometer:
The liquid in glass thermometer, is the most commonly used device to
measure temperature and it is inexpensive to make and easy to use.

Construction:
 A thermometer consists of a glass bulb filled with
mercury. A capillary tube arises from this bulb. Due
to the thin bore of the tube, a little change in the
volume of the mercury becomes considerably
noticeable.

Working Principle:
 The bulb is typically filled with either mercury or red-
coloured alcohol and is free to expand and rise up
into the tube when the temperature increases, and
to contract and move down the tube when the
temperature decreases.
 In the Liquid in Glass Thermometers (LIG) the
thermally sensitive element is a liquid contained in a
graduated glass envelope.
 The principle used to measure temperature is that of the apparent
thermal expansion of the liquid.

b) Bimetallic Strips:
A thermometer which uses two different metal strips for converting the
displacement of temperature into mechanical.
Construction:
 The construction of this thermometer can
be done using two bimetallic strips that
are connected to form dissimilar thermal
expansion coefficients.
 Generally, it is a mechanical device where
the mechanical action of this device can
be used for activating the
switching mechanisms to acquire electronic output.
 The two metallic strips can be connected by using a welding technique or
different techniques like bolting, riveting and fastening, and there is no
relative motion among these metals. The metallic strip can be designed
with two metals like copper, steel, etc
Working Principle:
 The working principle of this thermometer mainly depends on two basic
temperature properties of the metal like the following.
 Once the temperature changes, then there will be a change in the physical
dimension of the metals. Whenever the temperature rises, the metal strip
turns in the direction of the less temperature coefficient metal. Similarly,
when the temperature reduces, then the strip turns in the direction of a
high-temperature coefficient metal.
 The metals used in the thermometer are steel, copper & brass. These
strips are connected and they will enlarge at different rates once they
heated. This change will compare with the real temperature & moves a
needle beside the scale.
c) Filled Thermal System:
Filled system temperature measurement systems have been mostly replaced
in new facilities with electronic measurements based
on thermocouples or RTD’s.
Construction:
The filled thermal device consists of a
primary element that takes the form of a
reservoir or bulb, a flexible capillary tube,
and a hollow Bourdon tube that actuates a
signal-transmitting device and/or a local
indicating temperature dial.
Working Principle:
This works on the following principle: Liquid
or Gas expands when heated and this change in
volume is used for measurement.
A typical filled-system thermometer is shown in Figure 7-1. In this system,
the filling fluid, either liquid or gas, expands as temperature increases. This
causes the Bourdon tube to uncoil and indicate the
temperature on a calibrated dial.
d) Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD):
A Resistance Temperature Detector (also known as a Resistance
Thermometer or RTD) is an electronic device used to determine the
temperature by measuring the resistance of an electrical wire. This wire is
referred to as a temperature sensor.
Construction:
 The construction is typically such
that the wire is wound on a form
(in a coil) on notched mica cross
frame to achieve small size,
improving the thermal
conductivity to decrease the
response time and a high rate of
heat transfer is obtained.
 In the industrial RTD’s, the coil is
protected by a stainless steel
sheath or a protective tube.
Working Principle:
 The RTD incorporates pure metals or certain alloys that increase in
resistance as temperature increases and, conversely, decrease in
resistance as temperature decreases.
 A change in temperature will cause an RTD to heat or cool, producing a
proportional change in resistance. The change in resistance is measured
by a precision device that is calibrated to give the proper temperature
reading.
e) Thermistor:
A type of resistor whose resistance value is sensitive to the change in
temperature is known as Thermistor. This is the passive component in the
circuit. 
Construction:
The thermistor is made with the sintered mixture of metallic oxides like
manganese, cobalt, nickel, cobalt, copper, iron, uranium, etc. It is available in
the form of the bead, rod and disc.
Working Principle:
 The principle obeyed by the
thermistor is its dependency on-
resistance values on the change in
temperature.
 The value of resistance can be
measured by using an ohmmeter.
These are connected in series
with the battery and the meter.
 In thermal resistors, the change in the resistance is dependent upon the
change in temperature.
 If the temperature tends to increase the resistance in the circuit decreases
in these special variants of resistors. It is decided based on the coefficient
of temperature.
f) Thermocouple:
A thermocouple is constructed of two dissimilar metal wires joined at one
end. When one end of each wire is connected to a measuring instrument, the
thermocouple becomes a sensitive and highly accurate measuring device
Construction:
 Thermocouples may be
constructed of several different
combinations of materials. The
performance of a thermocouple
material is generally determined
by using that material with
platinum.
 The most important factor to be
considered when selecting a pair
of materials is the
“thermoelectric difference”
between the two materials. A significant difference between the two
materials will result in better thermocouple performance.
Working Principle:
 Thermocouples will cause an electric current to flow in the attached
circuit when subjected to changes in temperature.
 The amount of current that will be produced is dependent on the
temperature difference between the measurement and reference
junction; the characteristics of the two metals used; and the
characteristics of the attached circuit.
2) Non-Contact Type Temperature Measuring Devices:
Following is the example of non-contact type temperature measuring
devices:
a) Thermography:
Thermal imaging is a
technology for detecting
temperatures without
contacting the
measurement object.
Working Principle:
Every object with a
temperature above absolute zero emits infrared radiation. This is invisible to
the human eye. Taking a thermal image with a thermographic camera the
infrared radiation of objects will be recorded. Thermal images can be
analyzed effectively and easily