Temperature Calibration

ANAB Assessor PD Session

January 26, 2017
 Introduction

Frank Liebmann
• B.S. Electrical Engineering University of Utah
• 13 years with Fluke/Hart Scientific
• Temperature Metrologist
• Laboratory QA Manager
• Sr. Design Engineer
• Radiation Thermometry Engineer
• Chairman ASTM Subcommittee E20.02 on Radiation Thermometry
• Chairman NCSLi Committee 132 Measurement Comparison Program
• 20 years U.S. Army
• frank.liebmann@flukecal.com
• Phone: 801.763.1700

©2017 Fluke Corporation ANAB PD Presentation 2

 My Presentation

• ISO 17025 Applicability

• Temperature in General
• Contact Temperature Calibration
• Non-contact Temperature Calibration

©2017 Fluke Corporation ANAB PD Presentation 3

 17025 Applicability

• 5.4.6.1 A calibration laboratory, or a testing laboratory

performing its own calibrations, shall have and shall apply a
procedure to estimate the uncertainty of measurement for
all calibrations and types of calibrations.
• 5.4.6.3 When estimating the uncertainty of measurement,
all uncertainty components which are of importance in the
given situation shall be taken into account using appropriate
methods of analysis.
• 5.6.2.1.1 For calibration laboratories, the programme for
calibration of equipment shall be designed and operated so
as to ensure that calibrations and measurements made by
the laboratory are traceable to the International System of
Units (SI) (Système international d'unités).

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 What are we measuring

• Thermometers are transducers

• Exhibit a change in a characteristic which is proportional to
the change in temperature
• Fundamentally, calibration is characterization of this
relationship

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 Contact Thermometry

• A few basics
• Calibration Uncertainties
• Types of Sensors
• Types of Heat Sources
• Readouts
• Key Uncertainties

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 Temperature Calibration Theory

Concept of Thermal Equilibrium

A B A B

No change in properties. Properties change until

equilibrium is reached.

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 Contact Thermometry Calibration

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 Instruments-Standards-Apparatus

• Reference Probe
• Readout for the reference
• Readout for the DUT (device
under test)
• Temperature source

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 Readouts - General Requirements

• DMMs provide moderate results

• Readouts designed for temperature measurement
provide better results
• Readouts designed for temperature calibration provide
best results
• Switch or multiplexer increases efficiency of
measurement system

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 Calibration Uncertainties

• System
• Measurement Noise
• Process Repeatability
• Readout Uncertainty
• Immersion Effects
• Reference
• Reference Thermometer Calibration
• Reference Thermometer Drift
• Heat Source
• Heat Source Uniformity
• Thermal Loading
• Hysteresis

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 Sensors

• PRT
• SPRT
• Sec PRT
• IPRT
• Thermistor
• Thermocouples

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 PRTs - Characteristics

• Temperature range (-260 to 1000

°C)
• Stable over time and temperature
• Well defined mathematically
Photo courtesy of
• Relatively linear with low sensitivity Burns Engineering

• Relatively easy to measure &

calibrate
• Available in many configurations

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 Reference Probes - Types

• SPRTs • PRTs
• Standardized • Not standardized
• -200 to 1000 °C range • -200 to 1000 °C range
• 0.25, 2.5, 25.5 Ohm versions • 100 ohm typical
• Highly stable & accurate • Quite stable and accurate
• Typical uncertainties from 0.001 • Typical uncertainties from 0.010
to 0.010 K to 0.025 K
• Expensive & fragile • Less expensive & less fragile than
SPRTs

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 IPRTs

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 Thermistor

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 Thermocouple
•Thermocouples are inherently measuring relative temperature: it’s a
differential measurement between the hot junction and the cold
junction.

A C
T1
T2 V

Hot junction or called

B C
Cold junction or called
measuring junction
reference junction

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 Thermocouple

Gold-Platinum Thermocouple

Type S Thermocouple

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 Fixed Points

• Define the ITS-90

• NMI level work

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 Temperature Sources - Types
• Dry Block Calibrator
• Moderate accuracy
• Fixed hole diameter
• Fixed immersion depth
• Dry and clean
• Portable
• Faster temperature changes
• Internal reference probe
©2017 Fluke Corporation ANAB PD Presentation
• Calibration Baths
• High accuracy
• Flexible with immersion depth and
probe diameter
• Can be messy
• Not usually portable
• Slower temperature changes
• Requires external reference probe
20
 Temperature Sources - Types

• Dry-blocks for higher temperatures (above ~500 °C)

• LN2 comparison device or variable cryostat for lower
temperatures (below -100 °C)

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 Temperature Calibration Tiers

• Tier 1 – Reference Level – Calibration by Fixed Point

• Lowest uncertainties
• Expensive and complicated fixed-point equipment
• Takes place in a cal lab
• Tier 2 – Secondary Level – Calibration by Comparison
• Good uncertainties, probably considered reference level in many cal labs
• May use some fixed points but mostly calibration by comparison is baths
and dryblock furnaces
• Takes place in a cal lab or instrumentation shop
• Tier 3 – Industrial Level – Calibration by Comparison
• Uncertainties needed for calibrating controllers, transmitters in industrial
settings
• More rugged, portable equipment
• Takes place in factories, refineries, vans

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 Metrological Traceability

REASONABLE DIFFICULT TO JUSTIFY

NIST U = 0.002 K NIST U = 0.002 K

Reference Reference
U = 0.010 K U = 0.010 K
Calibration Calibration

User User
U = 0.050 K U = 0.012 K
Application Application

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 Procedures - Characterization

Thermometer Readout Method

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 Procedures - Characterization

Probe placement
• Circular pattern with reference in center
• Sufficient immersion
(20*) x (probe diameter) + (sensor length)
i.e., 20 x 3/16” + 1” = 3.75” + 1” = 4.75”
(20 x 4 mm + 25 mm = 80 mm + 25 mm = 105 mm)

* Note: 15X and 20X are often used with some small
uncertainty due to immersion error. When practical,
immersion of 30X essentially eliminates all error from
this component.

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 Statistical Process Control (SPC)

Primary Tool: XBAR (X’) (mean) and s (standard deviation)

charts
LN2 Check Standard SPRT 5683 S/N 4015 W (0mA)

0.60 1.0

0.9

0.40
0.8

0.7
0.20

0.6
t (mK)

0.00 0.5

0.4

-0.20
0.3

0.2
-0.40

0.1

-0.60 0.0
1-Jun-05 30-Aug-05 28-Nov-05 26-Feb-06 27-May-06 25-Aug-06 23-Nov-06 21-Feb-07 22-May-07 20-Aug-07

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 Key Uncertainties

DB - DB –
FP Baths
Indirect Direct

Measurement Noise
System

Process Repeatability

Readout Uncertainty

Immersion Effects

Reference Thermometer Calibration *

Ref

Reference Thermometer Drift

Heat Source

Heat Source Uniformity

Thermal Loading
Hysteresis

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 Example CMCs @ 100 °C

Heat Source U (k = 2) (K)

Fixed Points 0.0006
Baths 0.008
DB Indirect 0.02
DB Direct 0.12

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 Normalized Documents

• ASTM
• E644-11 Standard Test Methods for Testing Industrial Resistance
Thermometers
• E2593-12 Standard Guide for Accuracy Verification of Industrial
Platinum Resistance Thermometers
• E563-11(2016) Standard Practice for Preparation and Use of an Ice-
Point Bath as a Reference Temperature
• E1502-16 Standard Guide for Use of Fixed-Point Cells for
Reference Temperatures
• E1750-10(2016) Standard Guide for Use of Water Triple Point Cells
• E2488-09(2014) Standard Guide for the Preparation and Evaluation
of Liquid Baths Used for Temperature Calibration by Comparison
• WK30000 Standard Guide for Use and Testing of Dry-block
Temperature Calibrators

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 Non-contact Thermometry

• How it works
• Calibration Setup
• What Should be Reported
• Uncertainties

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 Sir William Herschel (1800)

• Testing Filters
• Trying to measure ambient temperature
• Held thermometer just beyond red
• Temperature higher than visible spectrum
• ∴ invisible form of light (IR)

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 IR, Wavelength, Temperature

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 IR Measurement System

Collected
IR
IR Energy Windows
and Optics IR Sensor

S 453¡C

T SP1 470¡C
EMS ¯.85

Electronics
Target Environment
Electronic Display
IR Detector
or Other Output

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 Balance + Kirchhoff

1  

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 Emissivity

• Ratio of spectral radiance of a real surface to that of an

ideal surface
• Example
• Perfect emitting body: 10,000W/m2
• Real surface: 9,500 W/m2
• Emissivity = 0.95
• Blackbodies absorb light

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 Paint and Metal
• Flat Metal Plate
– Left: Bare Aluminum (ε = 0.20)
– Right: Painted Aluminum (ε = 0.95)
• Measured Temperature
– Left: ~40 °C
– Right: ~100 °C
• Why?
– Emissivity Difference
• See video
– Emissivity Makes a Temperature Difference: Blackbody
Calibrator
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JElKE-ADXr8

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 Calibration Geometry

Distance

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 Traceability Schemes

• Scheme I
• Contact traceability
• Scheme II
• Radiometric traceability

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 Laboratory Setup - Incorrect
• A heat source facing a
flat-plate
• A flat-plate facing an
exterior wall
–Especially a window
• A flat-plate in the
vicinity of air drafts
–HVAC vent
–Commonly used traffic
way

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 Controlling Reflected Temperature

• Especially a concern for lower temperature calibrations

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 Procedure – Measuring Distance

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 Procedure - Alignment

• Laser Alignment
• Maximizing Alignment

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 Reporting Your Results

Every Report of Calibration Should Contain:

• Title
• Unique identification of the calibrated infrared thermometer
• Record of the person who performed the calibration
• Date of calibration
• Source temperature versus infrared thermometer readout temperature
• Measuring distance
• Emissivity setting of the infrared thermometer
• Diameter of the source
• Ambient temperature
• Description of the aperture including aperture distance (if used)
• Measurement uncertainties

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 Uncertainty Analysis

U(100 °C)
Uncertainty Desig. Type
(°C)
Calibration temperature U1 B 0.268
Source emissivity U2 B 0.128
Source

Reflected ambient radiation U3 A 0.031

Source heat exchange U4 B 0.012
Ambient Conditions U5 B 0.001
Source uniformity U6 A 0.163
Size-of-source effect U7 B 0.019
Thermometer

Ambient temperature U8 A 0.050

Infrared

Atmospheric absorption U9 B 0.020

Noise U10 A 0.100
Display Resolution U11 A 0.058

Combined Expanded Uncertainty (k=2) 0.364

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 Spectral Band

• Not all thermometers are 8 – 14 µm instruments

• Low cost instruments may be 5 – 20 µm

Emissivity - Paint 1

0.98

0.96

0.94
Emissivity (%)

0.92 Emissivity - Paint 2

0.9
1
0.88
0.98
0.86
0.96
0.84
0.94
0.82
0.92
Emissivity
0.8
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 0.9

Wavelength (um)
0.88

0.86

0.84

0.82

0.8
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Wavelength (um)

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 Bandwidth

Emissivity - Paint 2

0.98

0.96

0.94

0.92
Emissivity

0.9

0.88

0.86

0.84

0.82

0.8
Emissivity - Paint 2
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Wavelength (um)
1

0.98

0.96

0.94

Emissivity 0.92

0.9

0.88

0.86

0.84

0.82

0.8
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Wavelength (um)

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 Letter to Accreditation Bodies

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 Letter to Accreditation Bodies

• Uncertainties understated for Scheme I traceability

• Root cause: Emissivity not accounted for (Fluke 9132)

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 9132 Emissivity Spec

ε = 0.95 ±0.02
T / °C ε U(ε) ∂T/∂ε / K U(T)
-30 ±0.02 0.0231 -79.45 1.83
-15 ±0.02 0.0231 -50.24 1.16
0 ±0.02 0.0231 -27.43 0.63
23 ±0.02 0.0231 0.00 0.00
35 ±0.02 0.0231 11.99 0.28
50 ±0.02 0.0231 25.52 0.59
100 ±0.02 0.0231 64.11 1.48
120 ±0.02 0.0231 78.12 1.80
200 ±0.02 0.0231 132.17 3.05
350 ±0.02 0.0231 237.07 5.47
500 ±0.02 0.0231 351.25 8.11

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 UC 9132 Source

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 UC 4181 Source

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 Normalized Documents

• ASTM E2847, “Standard Test Method for Calibration and

Accuracy Verification of Wideband Infrared Thermometers”

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