Temperature Sensor: "It Is Time To Turn Up The Heat But First You Must Learn How To Measure It"

Temperature Sensor
“It is time to turn up the heat but

first you must learn how to
measure it”
Methods of Temperature Measurement
1. Thermocouples
2. Thermistors
3. Electrical resistance change (RTD)
4. Expansion of materials
5. Pyrometers
Thermocouples
When 2 dissimilar metals are joined together to

form a junction, an emf is produced which is
proportional to the temperature being sensed.
Seebeck Effect:
The generation of
current in a circuit
comprising of two wires
of dissimilar metals in
the presence of
temperature difference
Thermocouple Types
TCs are identified by a single letter type and

grouped according to their temperature
range
 Base Metals – up to 1000 °C
 Type J, Type E, Type T, Type K
 Noble Metals – up to 2000 °C
 Type R, Type S, Type B
 Refractory Metals – up to 2600 °C
 Type C, Type D, Type G
Metal Combinations
TC Colours Range C Positive Lead Negative Lead

Type (Coloured) (all Red)
J White/Red -210 to 1200 Iron Constantan
E Purple/Red -270 to1000 Chromel Constantan
T Blue/Red 0 to 400 Copper Constantan
K Yellow/Red -270 to1372 Chromel Alumel
R Black/Red -50 to 1768 Platinum-13% Platinum
rhodium
S Black/Red -50 to 1768 Platinum-10% Platinum
rhodium
B Grey/Red 0 to 1700 Platinum-30% Platinum-6% rhodium
rhodium
C White- 0 to 2320 Tungsten/5% Tungsten 26% rhenium
Red/Red rhenium
Chromel = Nickel-chromium
Alumel = Nickel-aluminum
Constantan = Copper-nickel
Thermocouple Tables
Voltage to Temperature Conversion
Type T Thermocouple (Blue & Red) Reference Junction 0 °C

C 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
0 0.000 0.039 0.078 0.117 0.156 0.195 0.234 0.273 0.312 0.352
10 0.391 0.431 0.470 0.510 0.549 0.589 0.629 0.669 0.709 0.749
20 0.790 0.830 0.870 0.911 0.951 0.992 1.033 1.074 1.114 1.155
30 1.196 1.238 1.279 1.320 1.362 1.403 1.445 1.486 1.528 1.570
40 1.612 1.654 1.696 1.738 1.780 1.823 1.865 1.908 1.950 1.993
1.445 mV equal to temperature ……………………………………..

Thermistors
 Thermistor, a word formed by combining thermal with

resistor, is a temperature-sensitive resistor fabricated
from semiconducting materials.
 The resistance of thermistors decreases proportionally

with increases in temperature.
 The operating range can be -200°C to + 1000°C

Thermistors
 The thermistors can be in the shape of a rod,

bead or disc.
 Manufactured from oxides of nickel, manganese,

iron, cobalt, magnesium, titanium and other
metals.
Thermistors
 The word that best describes the thermistors is

“sensitive”
Thermistors
Advantages:
 Small sizes and fast response
 Low cost
 Suitability for narrow spans
Disadvantages:
 More susceptible to permanent decalibration at
high temperatures.
 Use is limited to a few hundred degrees Celsius.
 Respond quickly to temperature changes, thus,
especially susceptible to self-heating errors.
 Very fragile
Electrical Resistance Change (RTD)
Resistance Temperature Detector- RTD
 RTD (Resistance Temperature Detector) is a

temperature sensitive resistor.
 It is a positive temperature coefficient device, which

means that the resistance increases with temperature.
 The resistive property of the metal is called its

resistivity.
The industry standard is the platinum wire RTD

(Pt100) whose base resistance is exactly 100.00
ohms at 0.0 °C.
Platinum Wire RTDs (PRTs)
PRTs have established themselves as the de-facto industry

standard for temperature measurement, and for many reasons:
 linear temperature sensors
 Resistance vs temperature
characteristics are stable and
reproducible
 linear positive temperature

coefficient (-200 to 800 °C)
 very accurate and suitable for use as

a secondary standard
Other RTDs
 10 ohms Copper RTD - .00427 coefficients
 100 ohms Platinum RTD - .00385 coefficients

(new IEC)
 100 ohms Platinum RTD - .00392 coefficients (old)
 120 ohms Nickel RTD - .00672 coefficient
 604 ohms Nickel-Iron RTD - .00518 coefficients
All base resistances are specified at a temperature of 0 degrees C

A Pt1000 will have a base resistance of 1000 ohms at 0 deg. C
RTDs with a bridge circuit
Only practical if the RTD lead wires are short.

In many applications the RTD is located far from the conditioning
circuit adding extra resistance because the length of the copper
lead wire.
Cu = 0.0302 Ω per ft.
How much error will 100 ft length of Cu lead wire introduce?
Most RTD’s have an extra

wire to compensate for
the length of lead wire.
RTD Colour Code
Not standardized but this is common

colour arrangement. Some (like in the
lab) will use BLK-BLK-RED
Expansion Thermometers
 Bimetallic Thermometer
(Expansion of solids)
Effect of unequal expansion of a bimetallic strip
-Different metals have difference coefficient.
-Configured as spiral or helix for compactness
- Can be used with a pointer to make an

inexpensive compact rugged thermometer.
Bimetallic thermometer
 Filled Thermal Systems

(Filled System Thermometer, Filled Bulb Thermometer)
Similar operation as the liquid in glass
 Bulb
 Capillary tube
 Pressure element
 Scale
Spiral Type
Bourdon Tube
 Filled Thermal System Classes

(Filled System Thermometer, Filled Bulb Thermometer)
 Class l A,B – Liquid filled

 Class ll A,B,C,D –Vapour filled
 Class lll A,B – Gas filled
 Class V A,B – Mercury Filled
Temperature Range Response

 Class l: -125 F to + 600 F Slowest
 Class ll: -40 to 32 or 32 to 600 F Fastest
 Class lll: -450 F to +1400 F Fast
 Class V: -40 F to +1200 F Fast
Pyrometer
Pyrometry is a technique for measuring temperature without

physical contact
An apparatus for measuring high temperatures that uses
the radiation emitted by a hot body as a basis for
measurement.
 Radiation pyrometers ( measurement of radiant energy)

 Optical Pyrometers (comparison of the intensities )
Summary of Temperature Sensor Characteristics
Summary of Temperature Sensor Characteristics
Pressure Sensors
“In any given plant, the number of
pressure gauges used is probably
larger than all other instruments
put together”
Pressure Measurement Methods
1. Elastic pressure transducers
2. Electric pressure transducers
3. Pressure measurement by measuring vacuum
4. Pressure measurement by balancing forces

produced on a known area by a measured force
5. Manometer method
Elastic Pressure Transducers
1. Bourdon tube pressure gauge
2. Diaphragm pressure transducers
3. Bellows
Bourdon Tube Pressure Gauge
Bourdon tubes are generally

are of three types;
1. C-type
2. Helical type
3. Spiral type
Diaphragm Pressure Gauge
They are used to measure gauge pressures over very low

ranges.
 Two types of diaphragm pressure guages are:
1. Metallic diaphragms gauge

2. Slack diaphragms gauge
Bellows
 More sensitive than

bourdon type gauge.
 Used to measure low

pressures
 Brass, phosphor bronze,

stainless steel, beryllium
copper etc.
Electric Pressure Transducers
1. Pressure sensing element such as a bellow , a diaphragm or a

bourdon tube
2. Primary conversion element e.g. resistance or voltage
3. Secondary conversion element
Types of Electric Pressure Transducers
 Strain gauge pressure transducers
 Capacitive pressure transducers
 Potentiometer pressure
transducers
Strain Gauge Pressure Transducer
A strain gauge is a passive type resistance pressure transducer

whose electrical resistance changes when it is stretched or
compressed
Capacitive Pressure Transducer
The sensing diaphragm and capacitor form a differential

variable separation capacitor. When the two input
pressures are equal the diaphragm is positioned centrally
and the capacitance are equal. A difference in the two input
pressure causes displacement of the sensing diaphragm
and is sensed as a difference between the two capacitances
Potentiometer Pressure Transducer
The device consists of a precision potentiometer whose

wiper alarm is mechanically linked to bourdon tube or
bellow. The movement of wiper alarm across the
potentiometer converts the mechanically detected sensor
deflection into a resistance measurement using a
Wheatstone bridge circuit.
Differential Pressure Cell (DP Cell)
It is a device that measures the differential pressure

between two inputs.
• Depending on what class the

DP-cell is, it will give you
feedback with a current signal.
• Normal in Europe is 4-20

mA, where 4 is lowest and 20
is highest.
Summary of Pressure Sensor Characteristics

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Temperature Sensor

“It is time to turn up the heat but

When 2 dissimilar metals are joined together to

TCs are identified by a single letter type and

TC Colours Range C Positive Lead Negative Lead

Voltage to Temperature Conversion

Type T Thermocouple (Blue & Red) Reference Junction 0 °C

1.445 mV equal to temperature ……………………………………..

 Thermistor, a word formed by combining thermal with

 The resistance of thermistors decreases proportionally

 The operating range can be -200°C to + 1000°C

 The thermistors can be in the shape of a rod,

 Manufactured from oxides of nickel, manganese,

 The word that best describes the thermistors is

Resistance Temperature Detector- RTD

 RTD (Resistance Temperature Detector) is a

 It is a positive temperature coefficient device, which

 The resistive property of the metal is called its

The industry standard is the platinum wire RTD

Platinum Wire RTDs (PRTs)

PRTs have established themselves as the de-facto industry

 linear temperature sensors

 linear positive temperature

 very accurate and suitable for use as

 10 ohms Copper RTD - .00427 coefficients

 100 ohms Platinum RTD - .00385 coefficients

 120 ohms Nickel RTD - .00672 coefficient

 604 ohms Nickel-Iron RTD - .00518 coefficients

All base resistances are specified at a temperature of 0 degrees C

Only practical if the RTD lead wires are short.

Most RTD’s have an extra

Not standardized but this is common

Effect of unequal expansion of a bimetallic strip

-Different metals have difference coefficient.

-Configured as spiral or helix for compactness

- Can be used with a pointer to make an

 Filled Thermal Systems

Similar operation as the liquid in glass

 Filled Thermal System Classes

 Class l A,B – Liquid filled

Temperature Range Response

Pyrometry is a technique for measuring temperature without

 Radiation pyrometers ( measurement of radiant energy)

1. Elastic pressure transducers

2. Electric pressure transducers

3. Pressure measurement by measuring vacuum

4. Pressure measurement by balancing forces

1. Bourdon tube pressure gauge

2. Diaphragm pressure transducers

Bourdon tubes are generally

They are used to measure gauge pressures over very low

1. Metallic diaphragms gauge

 More sensitive than

 Used to measure low

 Brass, phosphor bronze,

1. Pressure sensing element such as a bellow , a diaphragm or a

 Strain gauge pressure transducers

 Capacitive pressure transducers