Instrumentation & Measurement

Ruqia Ikram

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 Module 3
Temperature
Measurement

2
Temperature Measurement
 Bimetallic thermometers
 Liquid in glass thermometers
 Pressure thermometers
 Thermocouples
 Bulk semi conductor sensors (RTD, Thermistors)
 Radiation methods (Pyrometers)

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Applications

Electronics
Plastic Industry
Chemical Industry

Medical Food Industry

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Bimetallic Thermometers
 If the two strips of metals A and B with different thermal expansion
coefficient but at same temperature are firmly bonded together.

 Temperature changes causes differential expansion and strip will deflect

into uniform circular arc.

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Bimetallic Thermometers

 Accuracy of bimetallic strip depends upon

requirement of applications.
 Temperature range to
 Inaccuracy of about 0.5 to 1 percent.

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Bimetallic Thermometers
Applications
 Used as overload cutout switches in electric apparatus allowing current
to flow through bimetal strip.
 These devices can be used for temperature control systems.
 Temperature compensating devices that have temperature as
modifying or interfering inputs.

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Liquid-in-glass thermometers
 It is the well known and most adaptable thermometer.
 Liquid filled bulb takes energy from environment until two are at same
temperature.
 Mercury utilized at intermediate and high temperature .( to )
 For lower temperature, alcohol , Pentane , mixture of propane and
propylene .
 Inaccuracy

 Two types based on amount of error

 Partial immersion
 Total immersion

Applications?

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Pressure Thermometers
It consists of
 Sensitive bulb
 Interconnecting capillary tube
 Pressure measuring devices
e.g. bourdon tube.

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Pressure Thermometers
 Capillary tube as long as 200 ft length may be used for remote
measurements.

 Temperature variations along the capillary and at pressure sensing device

need compensation.

 Using compensating system, the motion due to interfering effects is

subtracted from total motion and resultant output is dependent on blub
temperature only.

 Temperature range to with mercury and to with xylene.

 Inaccuracy

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Pressure Thermometers

Vapour Pressure thermometer

 Temperature range to

Applications
 Furnace temperature measurement
 Pneumatic control system

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Thermocouples
 If two wires of different materials A and B are connected in circuit with one
junction at temperature T1 and other at T2 ,voltage or current is detected
across its end.
 Direct conversion of heat energy into electrical energy.

Three different effects

 Seebeck effect
 Peltier effect
 Thomson effect
Seebeck effect:- It is defined as temperature difference of dissimilar electrical
conductors produce voltage difference between them.

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Thermocouples
 Peltier effect:- It is a phenomenon when electric current is passed through
thermocouple, heat is evolved at one junction and absorbed at other end
means one end becomes hot while other becomes cold.

 Thomson Effect:- When a current flow through unequally heated

conductor, there is an absorption or evolution of heat in the body of the
conductor.

 Pair of materials mostly preferred for thermocouples are Platinum

/Rhodium, Chromel / Alumel, Copper/ Constantan, Iron/ Constantan.

 Maximum sensitivity at (Copper/Constantan)

 Minimum sensitivity (Platinum/ Rhodium)

Applications
Gas turbine exhaust, Heat treatment, diesel engine

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 Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD)
 Electrical resistance of various materials changes with temperature.
Conductors RTD
Semiconductors Thermistor

 The number of terms depends upon material, accuracy required and

temperature range.
 Most commonly used material are platinum, nickel , copper.
 They may be clamped, welded or cemented onto the body surface.
 For fluid, winding may be enclosed in stainless steel bulb to protect it from
corrosive liquid and gases.

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Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD)
 Bridge circuits used with resistance temperature sensor may use either deflection or
null mode of operation.
 Selection of bridges depends upon on the accuracy required.
 For bridge with fixed arms cause severe non-linearity, for this R1,R2 can be fixed and
higher resistance than R3 & R4.
 Self heating error can be generated with ac type excitation. This can be avoided by
unsymmetrical pulse type of excitation.

Ranges

Applications
Used in chemical laboratories to detect very
low temperature, furnaces, electronics, engines
etc.

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Thermistors
 Manganese, nickel and cobalt oxides mixed in proper proportion and
pressed into desired shapes called thermistors.

 Normally, thermistors have a negative temperature coefficient (NTC), i.e.

the resistance decreases as the temperature increases. However, positive
temperature coefficient (PTC) thermistors are also available.

 Thermistors are available commercially in form

of beads, flakes, rods and disks.
 Temperature range to

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Thermistors
Applications
Battery pack monitors, Fire alarms, current limiting switches, ovens,
thermostats.

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Radiation method
 All temperature measuring devices discussed up to this point require a
physical contact of thermometer with the body whose temperature is to be
measured.
 For very hot bodies , thermometer may actually melt at high temperature.
 For moving bodies, non-contacting means of temperature sensing is
convenient.
 For this purpose device called as radiation pyrometers and optical
pyrometers are used.

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Radiation method
Optical pyrometer
 It contains a heated tungsten filament within its optical system. The current
in the filament is increased until its color is the same as the hot body.
 Temperature measurement is therefore obtained in terms of the current
flowing in the filament.
 Measured above 600°C.

Optical pyrometer

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Radiation method
Radiation pyrometer
 The heat energy emitted from the hot body is allowed passed on to
the lens, which collects it and focuses on to the detector and the
detector converts the radiation energy into an electrical signal.
 -100°C to +3600°C.

Radiation pyrometer
Applications
 Missile guidance
 Satellite attitude sensing
 Infrared spectroscopy

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Reference
Chapter 8, Systems Application and Design, by Ernest O. Doebelin. McGraw-
Hill 4th ed.

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