1b: The Seebeck Thermo-Electric Effect

ABSTRACT
The experiment was carried out to demonstrate the resultant E.M.F produces in the thermocouple
circuit and its application in temperature measurement using thermocouple type J and thermocouple
type K. The measurement was taken when the thermocouple was placed in the water where the
thermometer was put in the boiling water and the other one in the water ice mixture. The water heater
was heated up and the temperature reading was recorded every 30 seconds until the temperature reach
100oC. If the temperature is increase the value of E.M.F will increase. It is because the larger
temperature difference between cold and hot water mixture the more electrical current and voltage
will produce.

INTRODUCTION
According to Daniel Pollock (1993), a thermocouple is a device used primarily for the
measurement of temperature. Its operation is based on the findings of Seebeck in 1821, whose work
showed that as small electric current will flow in a closed circuit composed of two dissimilar
conductors when their junctions are held at different temperatures. Simply stated, a thermocouple is a
device that converts thermal energy into electrical energy. The electrical energy produced can be used
to measure temperature.
The Seebeck effect is a phenomenon in which a temperature difference between two dissimilar
electrical conductors or semiconductors produces a voltage difference between the two substances.
When heat is applied to one of the two conductors or semiconductors, heated electrons flow toward
the cooler one. If the pair is connected through an electrical circuit, direct current (DC) flows through
that circuit. Seebeck investigated the thermoelectric properties of a large number of metals and
arranged them in a thermoelectric series. When a circuit is formed of two metals in the series, the
E.M.F is greater the further the metals are apart in the series. Also, the direction of the current, at the
hot junction, is from the metal occurring earlier in the series to the metal occurring later in it
(Duckworth, 1960)
A thermocouple is comprised of at least two metals joined together to form two junctions. One is
connected to the body whose temperature is to be measured; this is the hot or measuring junction. The
other junction is connected to a body of known temperature; this is the cold or reference junction.
Therefore the thermocouple measures unknown temperature of the body with reference to the known
temperature of the other body. Remember that the thermocouple cannot be formed if there are not two
junctions. Since the two junctions are maintained at different temperatures the Peltier E.M.F is
generated within the circuit and it is the function of the temperatures of two junctions. If the
temperature of both the junctions is same, equal and opposite E.M.F will be generated at both
junctions and the net current flowing through the junction is zero. If the junctions are maintained at
different temperatures, the E.M.F’s will not become zero and there will be a net current flowing
through the circuit. The total E.M.F flowing through this circuit depends on the metals used within
the circuit as well as the temperature of the two junctions (Khemani, 2013). The total E.M.F or the
current flowing through the circuit can be measured easily by the suitable device. Now, the
temperature of the reference junctions is already known, while the temperature of measuring junction
is unknown. The output obtained from the thermocouple circuit is calibrated directly against the
unknown temperature. Thus the voltage or current output obtained from thermocouple circuit gives
the value of unknown temperature directly.
Thermocouples are widely used in science and industry because they're generally very accurate
and can operate over a huge range of really hot and cold temperatures. Since they generate electric
currents, they're also useful for making automated measurements: it's much easier to get
an electronic circuit or a computer to measure a thermocouple's temperature at regular intervals than a
thermometer (Woodford, 2009). Because there's not much to them apart from a pair of metal strips,
thermocouples are also relatively inexpensive and (provided the metals involved have a high enough
melting point) durable enough to survive in pretty harsh environments.

OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate the resultant E.M.F produces in a thermocouple circuit and its application in
temperature measurement.

MATERIAL AND APPARATUS

 Cold water

 Vacuum flask

 Mixture of crushed ice and pure water

 Water heater

 Plug

 Power Cord

 Socket

 Thermocouple (Type K)
 mV indicator

 Thermometer

 Bimetallic temperature indicator

 Resistance temperature detector (RTD)

 Thermistor

 Vapor pressure indicator

METHOD AND PROCEDURE

1. The water heater was filled with clean water and the power cord was connected.

2. The vacuum flask was half filled with a maximum of crushed ice and pure water

3. Thermocouple type K was used. The thermocouple’s 2 wire legs are placed in ice-water mixture
and the water heater respectively.
4. The ice-water mix was used as a reference point and the water heater temperature is measured
using a thermometer.
5. The thermocouples blue and black plugs are then connected to the corresponding sockets of the
type k thermocouple millivolt indicator. The voltage was observed and recorded.

6. The voltage and temperature were recorded for every 30 seconds until the water heats up to 100oC.

RESULTS
Table 2: Values obtained for E.M.F using a k-type thermocouple

Temperature (℃)
Ice- Water Mixture Water Heater E.M.F (mV)

2 45 4.8
2 54.6 5.8
2 63.3 6.8
2 71.4 7.8
2 80.1 8.8
2 90.2 9.8
 Figure 1: E.M.F (mV) vs Temperature (ᴼC)

DISCUSSION

Figure 2: Thermocouple circuit diagram

Based on the Table 2 and Figure 1, it can be seen that the e.m.f value increase as the value of
temperature between two junction of thermocouple increase. This is because when two ends of a
conductor are held at different temperatures electrons at the hot junction at higher thermal velocities
diffuse to the cold junction. Heating one end of a thermoelectric material causes the electrons to move
away from the hot end toward the cold end. When the electrons go from the hot side to the cold side
this causes an electrical current. The larger the temperature difference the more electrical current and
voltage is produced.
 Boyes (2010) stated that if a closed circuit is form of two metals and the junctions of the metal
are at different temperature, an electric current will flow around the circuit. This phenomenon in
which a temperature gradient in a currentless circuit consisting of different materials produces a
primary voltage is known as the Seebeck effect. When the water in both vessels is at the same
temperature, the milliamp meter will not change the value because the thermocouple circuit will not
function and generate any current at the same temperature. This is because there is no charge carriers
in the material (electrons or holes) to diffuse from the hot side to the cold side. (Zhang & Zhao,
2015).

When there are interchange position of the thermocouple, the current will flow in opposite
direction and the e.m.f value will become a negative result. In fact, the thermocouple circuit will
actually generate a measurable, low voltage output that is almost directly proportional to the
temperature difference between the hot junction and cold junction. A unit change in this temperature
different produce some net change in the voltage.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the temperature of the water is effecting the value of E.M.F. When the temperature of
the boiling water is increase the value of E.M.F will increase. It is because the larger the temperature
difference the more electrical current and voltage is produced.

REFERENCES
1. Boyes, W. (2010). Instrumentation references book. Retrieved from
https://books.google.com.my/books?id=ZvscLzOlkNgC

2. Duckworth, H. E. (1960) Electricity and Magnetism, p. 180-181. New York: Holt, Rinehart and
Winston
3. Khemani, H. (2013). What is a Thermocouple & How Does it Work? Principle of Working of
Thermocouple. Retrieved from
http://www.brighthubengineering.com/manufacturing-technology/53682-what-is-a-thermocouple
-how-thermocouple-works/.
4. Pollock, D. D. (1993). Physical properties of materials for engineers. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press

5. Woodford, C. (2009) Thermocouples. Retrieved from

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/howthermocoupleswork.html.

6. Zhang, X., & Zhao, L. D. (2015). Thermoelectric materials: Energy conversion between heat and
electricity. Journal of Materiomics, 1(2), 92-105.