MEASURING DEVICES

Temperature
Measurement
Devices

Prof.Dr. Reda Khalf-Allah

 Desirable Properties of a Liquid used in a Glass Thermometer

1- the liquid should be clearly visible

2- have very large a coefficient of expansion
3- the temperature dimensional relationship should be linear
4- should not stick to a capillary walls

Mercury : is the best liquid using in glass thermometer and is high grade instruments

Liquid Boiling Point Freezing Point

Pentane 36 C -130 C
Ethyle alcohol 78 C - 100 C
 Liquid in glass thermometers

Advantages:
1- it has linear scale
2- cheap
3- simple to use
4- absence of need for auxiliary power

Disadvantage:
1- unsuitable for remote readings
2- Response time is long (2-3min)
3- made of glass which is liable to break.
4- range limited to about 600 C
 Pressure thermometers

Pressure thermometers have now been superseded by other alternatives in most

applications, but they still remain useful in a few applications such as furnace temperature
measurement when the level of fumes prevents the use of optical or radiation pyrometers.
Examples can also still be found of their use as temperature sensors in pneumatic control
systems. The sensing element in a pressure thermometer consists of a stainless steel bulb
containing a liquid or gas. If the fluid were not constrained, temperature rises would cause
its volume to increase. However, because it is constrained in a bulb and cannot expand, its
pressure rises instead. As such, the pressure thermometer does not strictly belong to the
thermal expansion class of instruments but is included
because of the relationship between volume and pressure according to Boyle’s law:
PV = KT.
The change in pressure of the fluid is measured by a suitable pressure transducer
such as the Bourdon tube. This transducer is located remotely from the bulb and
connected to it by a capillary tube as shown in Figure. The need to protect the
pressure-measuring instrument from the environment where the temperature is
being measured can require the use of capillary tubes up to 5m long, and the
temperature gradient, and hence pressure gradient, along the tube acts as a
modifying input that can introduce a significant measurement error. Pressure
thermometers can be used to measure temperatures in the range between - 250°C
and +2000°C and their typical inaccuracy is + 0.5% of full-scale reading. However,
the instrument response has a particularly long time constant.
 Advantages of Pressure Thermometer

1- most economical
2- verstile ‫متنوع‬
3- Rugged in construction
4- stable in operation
5- Remote indication at a distance of about 60 meter

Limitations of Pressure Thermometer

1- Compensation is required in case of change in ambient temperature and also in case

long capillary tubes are used

2- the transient response is primarily dependent on the bulb size and the thermal properties
of the enclosed fluid
Bimetallic Strips

A Bimetallic Strip

Bimetallic Strip Bent after Heat is Applied

A bimetallic strip is constructed by bonding two metals with different
coefficients of thermal expansion (Figure). If heat is applied to one end of
the strip, the metal with the higher coefficient of expansion will expand
more readily than the lower one. As a result, the whole metallic strip will
bend in the direction of the metal with the lower coefficient (Figure )

When contacts are attached to the strip, it can be used as a fast acting
thermostat to control air temperature as per figure 12. One drawback is
that there cannot be any flammable vapours surrounding the strip due to
arcing generated across the contacts.
 Bimetallic Thermometers

Another common configuration of the

bimetallic strip is coiled in a helix to increase
the swing or displacement similar to the coil
above. In this shape,
the strip is more rugged and less subject to
vibration.
A helical bimetallic thermometer is shown in
Figure .
Helical Bimetallic Thermometer
Bimetallic thermometers in general are very
rugged and require little maintenance.

They are usually used to measure process

parameters such as pump and bearing
temperature.
 One main advantage of the bimetallic

One main advantage of the bimetallic strip is that it can be used to operate over
a range of temperatures when the strip is fashioned into a coil (for larger swing)
and placed on an adjustable pivot (figure). Most room thermostats operate on
this principle.

Application of Bimetallic Strip

 Advantages of Bimetalic Thermometer

1- Simple and robust‫وى‬EE‫ق‬

2- relative less costly

Disadvantages of Bimetalic Thermometer

1- Temperature indicated are not correct

2- not suitable for use at temperature above 400 C continuous operation or 550 C for
intermittent

Application of Bimetallic Strip

1- switching device as car turn indicator lamps

 Thermocouple (T/C)
A thermocouple consists of two pieces of dissimilar metals with their ends
joined together (by twisting, soldering or welding). When heat is applied
to the junction, a voltage, in the range of milli-volts (mV), is generated.

A thermocouple is therefore said to be self-powered. Shown in Figure is a

completed thermocouple circuit.

Iron (Fe)

100ºC 0ºC

Constantan (CuNi)

A Thermocouple Circuit
• The thermoelectric voltage produced depends on the metals
used and on the temperature relationship between the
junctions.

• If the same temperature exists at the two junctions, the voltage

produced at each junction cancel each other out and no current
flows in the circuit.

• With different temperatures at each junction, different voltages

are produced and current flows in the circuit.

• A thermocouple can therefore only measure temperature

differences between the two junctions, a fact which dictates
how a practical thermocouple can be utilized.

A Thermocouple Circuit
 Thermocouples (TC’s)

Thermocouple measuring circuit

Equivalent to
80ºC reading
Iron (Fe)
100ºC Copper (Cu)

20ºC 0 10
mV
:Hot Junction Constantan (CuNi)
Copper (Cu)

In Process
:Cold Junction
Needs to be held constant to give a
fixed reference. ( early methods
held cold junction at 0ºC using ice
.or refrigeration unit)

#17
The voltage generated at each junction depends on junction temperature. If
temperature T1 is higher than T2, then the voltage generated at Junction 1 will
be higher than that at Junction 2. In the above circuit, the loop current shown on
the galvanometer depends on the relative magnitude of the voltages at the two
junctions.

In order to use a thermocouple to measure process temperature, one end of the

thermocouple has to be kept in contact with the process while the other end has
to be kept at a constant temperature. The end that is in contact with the process
is called the hot or measurement junction. The one that is kept at constant
temperature is called cold or reference junction.

The relationship between total circuit voltage (emf) and the emf at the junctions
is:

Circuit emf = Measurement emf - Reference emf

If circuit emf and reference emf are known, measurement emf can be
calculated and the relative temperature determined.
 Thermocouples (TC’s)

Standard Thermocouple Alloy Conductor Combinations 

CODE CONDUCTOR COMBINATION TYPICAL OPERATING

RANGE ºF
B Platinum-30% Rhodium / Platinum-6% Rhodium +2500 to +3100
C Tungsten-5% Rhenium / Tungsten-26% Rhenium +3000 to +4200
D Tungsten-3% Rhenium / Tungsten-25% Rhenium +2800 to +3800
E Nickel Chromium / Constantan 0 to +1650
J Iron / Constantan +0 to +1400
K Nickel Chromium / Nickel Aluminium 0 to +2300
N Nickel-Chromium-Silicon / Nickel-Silicon- 1200 to +2300
Magnesium
R Platinum-13% Rhodium / Platinum 1600 to +2600
S Platinum-10% Rhodium / Platinum 1800 to +2600
T Copper / Constantan -300 to +650
Thermocouples (TC’s)

A graph of temperature vs. voltage shows

thermocouple characteristics are not perfectly linear.
 Thermocouple Advantages and Disadvantages

:Advantages

1- Thermocouples are used on most transformers. The hot junction is

inside the transformer oil and the cold junction at the meter mounted
on the outside. With this simple and rugged installation, the meter
directly reads the temperature rise of oil above the ambient
temperature of the location.

2- In general, thermocouples are used exclusively around the turbine

hall because of their rugged construction and low cost.

3- A thermocouple is capable of measuring a wider temperature range

than an RTD.
 Thermocouple Advantages and Disadvantages
:Disadvantages

1- If the thermocouple is located some distance away from the measuring device,
expensive extension grade thermocouple wires or compensating ‫ويض‬E‫ع‬EEE‫ت‬cables
have to be used.

2- Thermocouples are not used in areas where high radiation fields are present
(for example, in the reactor vault). Radioactive radiation
(e.g., Beta radiation from neutron activation), will induce a voltage
in the thermocouple wires. Since the signal from thermocouple is
also a voltage, the induced voltage will cause an error in the
temperature transmitter output.

3- Thermocouples are slower in response than RTDs

4- If the control logic is remotely located and temperature transmitters (milli-volt

to milli- amp transducers) are used, a power supply failure will of course cause
faulty readings.
 Thermocouples (TC’s)

Thermocouple Construction 

Sheath (normally stainless steel)

• Normally element is in a thermowell

Arc Welded Junction Conductors • Commonly element is 1/4” outside Diameter
some are earthed at tip For( insulated by
)improved response time Magnesium Oxide • Sheath material, normally Stainless steel but
Powder can be special material such as Inconel,
Incoloy, Hastelloy etc.
• Duplex thermocouples have 2 elements
inside one sheath.

#24
 RTDs (Resistance Temperature Detectors )

RTDs (Resistance Temperature Detectors) operate under the principle that

the electrical resistance of certain metals increases and decreases in a
repeatable and predictable manner with a temperature change.

RTD using a Wheatstone Bridge

Every type of metal has a unique composition and has a different resistance to the
flow of electrical current. This is termed the resistively constant for that metal. For
most metals the change in electrical resistance is directly proportional to its change in
temperature and is linear over a range of temperatures. This constant factor called the
temperature coefficient of electrical resistance (short formed TCR) is the basis of
resistance temperature detectors. The RTD can actually be regarded as a high
precision wire wound resistor whose resistance varies with temperature. By
measuring the resistance of the metal, its temperature can be determined.

Several different pure metals (such as platinum, nickel and copper) can be used in the
manufacture of an RTD. A typical RTD probe contains a coil of very fine metal wire,
allowing for a large resistance change without a great space requirement. Usually,
platinum RTDs are used as process temperature monitors because of their accuracy
and linearity.

To detect the small variations of resistance of the RTD, a temperature

transmitter in the form of a Wheatstone bridge is generally used. The circuit
compares the RTD value with three known and highly accurate resistors
A Wheatstone bridge consisting of an RTD, three resistors, a
voltmeter and a voltage source is illustrated in Figure 1. In this
circuit, when the current flow in the meter is zero (the voltage
at point A equals the voltage at point B) the bridge is said to be
in null balance. This would be the zero or set point on the RTD
temperature output. As the RTD temperature increases, the
voltage read by the voltmeter increases. If a voltage transducer
replaces the voltmeter, a 4-20 mA signal, which is proportional
to the temperature range being monitored, can be generated.
 Radiation Pyrometers

The principle, that the radiant energy emitted from a body increases with temperature,
is used in measuring temperatures particularly in the higher ranges.

Radiation Pyrometer Applications

1- high temperatures
2- where it is not possible to contact the material whose temperature is to be measured
3- where furnace atmosphere is detrimental to thermocouples and causes error and
short life
Advantages of Radiation pyrometers

1- High speed of response

2- accuracy + 2% of scale
3- Direct contact is not necessary with the object
4- can be used to measure the temperature of an object which may be stationary or
moving
5- Relative independent of the distance between the measuring element and the heated
body

Disadvantages of Radiation pyrometers

1- cooling is required to protect the instrument from the overheating

2- the presence of dust and dirt on the mirrors or lens causes the instrument to read too
low
Optical Pyrometer
 Advantages of Optical Pyrometers

1- Excellent accuracy within + 5 C for the operating range 700-3000 C

2- No direct contact is necessary
3- Measurement is independent of the distance between target and measuring
instrument

Disadvantages of Optical Pyrometers

1-Lower measuring temperature is limited to 700 C

 The total emf of the thermoelectric pyrometer is given as
___________
 a) Peltier effect b) Thomson effect c) Seebeck effect d) Joule’s
method

 Explanation: Generation of an emf due to the contact between

two dissimilar metals or wires is called Peltier effect. The
generation of an emf due to a temperature difference due to
opposing ends of the same wire is Thomson effect. The
algebraic sum of these four emfs is known as Seebeck effect.
???Any Questions