Assignment-01: PHYSICS2-MI-202 Date: August 22, 2021

Submitted by: Alexis T. Martin Submitted to: Engr. Winston Dereje

Introduction to Thermodynamics Part 1

Different temperature devices

Explain the operational principle of each device, its advantages and disadvantages, its cost, and its
range of applicability. Which device would you recommend for use in the following cases: taking the
temperatures of patients in a doctor’s office, monitoring the variations of temperature of a car engine
block at several locations, and monitoring the temperatures in the furnace of a power plant?

Upon researching the different things and information about various types of temperature
measuring devices, I have come to conclusion that all of them were made and produced for many
varying reasons. They were categorized to the type of material used and the difference of their
operational principles. Some devices or tools are directed towards measuring subtle hot objects
while other can withstand blazing temperatures reaching up to 1000°C and up while others are just
used for cryogenic regions.

For all I know, when taking temperatures inside a hospital or a doctor’s office, they usually
use mechanical temperature measuring devices such as thermometers that can be used for oral,
tympanic, forehead and more. For car engine blocks that are placed carefully inside a car, typically
people use thermojunctive thermocouple because these are temperature devices that can be used
to measure an object’s temperature by measuring its radiation which can be done without any
contact from the hot body. Apparently, this device is commonly used because of its strong points
such as simplicity and rugged body and for its cheaper price and support for wider temperature
change. For the monitoring of the temperatures of in a furnace of a power plant, people usually use
devices that can measure temperature that can be taken without physical contact from a surface
with relatively high temperature. For this situation, people generally choose the pyrometers that is
also known as radiation thermometry because of it can measure temperatures reaching 700° C to
2000° C and at the same time has a high-speed response.
MECHANICAL TEMPERATURE MEASURING DEVICES

Temperature change causes mechanical motion as materials expand with a rise in temperature.
Mechanical thermometers make use liquids, solids, or even gases as the temperature-sensitive
material. The mechanical motion is read on a physical scale.

1. Liquid in Glass Thermometer

According to tech science, these are based on the principle of thermal expansion of substances
from which when a liquid in a glass tube (called a capillary) expands when heated and contracts when
cooled. The scale can now be used to read off the respective temperature that led to the corresponding
thermal expansion. These liquid in glass thermometer can also be called as capillary thermometers.
The range of a thermometer and it reading accuracy is dependent on the size of the hole, the length of
the tube and the fluid in the thermometer.
Advantages:
• It is best known to be used worldwide for measuring our body temperature.
• Simplicity in use and low cost
• Portable device
• Checking physical damage is easy.
• Power source not required
Disadvantages:
• Cannot be used for automatic recording
• Time lag in measurement
• Range is limited to about 600°C.
• Fragile construction
Range of Applicability:
1. It is mostly used in hospitals and homes for measuring body temperature.
2. In aircraft application to measure the atmosphere condition which is suitable for flight.
3. It is used in meteorological and oceanographic applications. It helps to measure weather
forecast models

2. Bimetallic Devices:
It is a temperature measuring device that checks the temperature by the means of using two metals
called bimetals inside the temperature sensor. It is made up of two metals strips having different thermal
expansion coefficient. The metals expand when they are heated, these metals bonded together and
mechanically linked to a pointer. When heated, one side of the bimetal strip will expand more than the
other metal which means that expansion occurred being shown from the pointer of the device which
then be calibrated according to the proper temperature range.
• A metal tends to undergo a volumetric dimensional change (expansion/contraction), according
to the change in temperature.
• Different metals have different co-efficient of temperatures. The rate of volumetric change
depends on this co-efficient of temperature.
Advantages:
• This device can measure temperature from -80°C to +600°C which means it can measure high
temperatures.
• Power source not required in their operation.
• Robust, easy to use and cheap.
Disadvantages:
• This temperature device is not accurate like electrical devices such as the thermocouple.
• Limited to applications where manual reading is acceptable.
• Not suitable for very low temperatures because expansion of metals tends to be similar, so
device becomes rather insensitive thermometer.
Range of Applicability:
1. It is most used in household thermostats.
2. The other main application of bimetallic device is in circuit breakers.

THERMOJUNCTIVE
1. Thermocouple:
It is a temperature device that measures the temperature with the variation of in the voltage. As the
temperature increase, the voltage also increases therefore they are directly proportional to each other
but the variation between voltage and temperature can be linear or not.
Advantages
• This type of temperature device can be used to measure an object’s temperature by
measuring its radiation which can be done without any contact from the hot body.
• Thermocouple measures temperature in -200°C to +2500°C range.
• No external power required
• Simple and rugged in construction
• Cheaper and has support for wider temperature range
Disadvantages
• Non linearity
• least stability
• Low voltage
• Lowest accuracy
Range of Applicability:
1. It is mostly used in laboratories. 5. Heat treating
2. Plastic injection molding machinery 6. Medical equipment
3. Food processing equipment 7. Industrial heat treating
4. Semiconductor processing 8. Packaging equipment
RADIATIVE TEMPERATURE MEASURING DEVICES
1. Radiation thermometry:
Radiation thermometry is formerly known as pyrometers which are not based on any change of
property with temperature but uses the electromagnetic radiation from a body to be measured. It is
based upon the radiation emitted by the body. It refers to the technology used to measure the
temperature of an object without any physical contact. This type of thermometer uses radiation that is
focused on a detector wherein a lens can be used to transmit appropriate radiation.
Advantages:
• This type of temperature device can be used to measure an object’s temperature by
measuring its radiation which can be done without any contact from the hot body.
• The radiation pyrometer has high output and moderate cost.
• It has ability to measure high temperature.
• It has fast speed response.
• It has good stability.
• It has no physical contact with target of measurement.

Disadvantages:
• According to Science Direct, this type of device limits its applicability if it was to be used to
measure lower temperatures where energy emitted is much less, and the emissivity of the
radiating surface comes into the equation as well as its temperature.
• The radiation pyrometer is complex in nature.
• It has nonlinear scale.
• It has possible errors due to pressure to intervening gases or vapors that absorb radiation.
• Emissivity of target material affecting measurement.

Range of Applicability
1. It is used to measure the temperature without any physical contact.
2. It is helpful to measure temperature of objects which are at some distance.
3. Radiation thermometers measure temperature at very faster rate. So it is used where quick
results are required.
4. Radiation thermometers are generally used in industrial process control for specific
temperature measuring tasks.
INFRARED SENSORS
Infrared sensors are non-contacting sensors. As an example, if you hold up a typical infrared sensor to
the front of your desk without contact, the sensor will tell you the temperature of the desk by virtue of
its radiation–probably 68°F at normal room temperature.

In a non-contacting measurement of ice water, it will measure slightly under 0°C because of
evaporation, which slightly lowers the expected temperature reading.
An infrared sensor intercepts a portion of the infrared energy radiated by an object. Many types Optical
Pyrometers, Radiation Pyrometers, Total Radiation Pyrometers, Automatic Infrared Thermometers, Ear
Thermometers, Fiber optic Thermometers, Two-Color Pyrometers, Infra-Snakes, and many more.
Advantages:
• No contact with the product required
• Response times as fast or faster than thermocouples
• No corrosion or oxidation to affect sensor accuracy
• Good stability over time
• High repeatability
Disadvantages:
• High initial cost
• More complex - support electronics required
• Emissivity variations affect temperature measurement accuracy
• Field of view and spot size may restrict sensor application
• Measuring accuracy affected by dust, smoke, background, radiation, etc.
Range of Applicability:
1. Manufacturing process like metals, glass, cement, ceramics, semiconductors, plastics, paper,
textiles, coatings.
2. Automation and feedback control.
3. Improve safety in firefighting, rescues and detection of criminal activities.
4. Used to monitor and measure human body temperatures with one second time response.
5. Reliability and maintenance needs from building heating to electrical power generation and
distribution