TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT

By M. Khurram Saeed

Temperature Measurement
Methods
Mechanical or Non-Electric Methods
Liquid in glass thermometer change in pressure
Constant volume gas thermometer
Bimetallic thermometer

Electric Method

Resistance temperature detector

Thermistors
Thermocouple

 Radiation methods
Total radiation pyrometer
Selective radiation pyrometer
Infrared pyrometer

What is thermometer

A device to measure temperature

A thermometer has two important elements

a temperature sensor (e.g. bulb on the mercury thermometer) in which

some physical change occurs with temperature.

Some mean of converting change into a value.

Glass thermometer

Mercury filed in a glass tube and a glass bulb at a bottom.

As the temperature increases the mercury rises in the glass tube.

The glass tube is calibrated with Celsius, Fahrenheit or Both.

The range of the mercury thermometer is 390C to 340oC.

Application like open liquid tank, air ducts, stream line, cooking kettle
etc.

Galileo Thermometer

Pressure spring thermometer

The volume of liquid increases when heated. This expansion is

proportional to temperature.

It consists of mercury filed bulb, flexible capillary tube and the bourdon
tube.

When the steel bulb is heated the mercury level in the bulb expands and
hence temperature on the bourdon tube is increases.

Due to this the free end of the bourdon tube moves on the calibrated
scale and indicates the temperature.

Advantages
Simple and inexpensive design
Remote indication upto 100 m is possible
Fairly good response, accuracy and sensitive.
Easily attached to pen recorder.

Bimetallic thermometer

Bimetallic strips consists of two pieces of different metal welded.

Each piece of metal have different coefficient of expansion.

In industry bimetallic strip is wounded in helical form.

The bimetallic strip is made of brass and invar metals.

Typical range of bimetallic thermometer is -74oC to 540oC.

Advantages and application

Simple and inexpensive design.
Quite rugged construction ,minimum chances
of damage
It is used for automatic control in home
appliances.
For the measurement of temperature of
engine , reaction chambers and furnaces

Resistance temperature detectors

(RTD)
How it works? It utilizes the
fact that resistance of metal
change with temperature.
Made Up . Traditionally made
up of platinum, nickel, iron or
copper wound around a
insulator.
Temperature Range from
-196oC to 660oC.

RTD geometry

Sheathing and outer covering : stainless steel or Inconel, glass, alumina

quartz.

Metal sheath can cause contamination at high temperature and best

below 250oC.

At very high temperature, quartz and high-purity alumina are best to

prevent contamination.

Types of RTD

RTD Advantages And Disadvantages

Disadvantages

Advantages

Expensive
Current source required

Stable

Very accurate

Change in resistance is linear

Wide temperature operating range -196oC to 660oC.

Good stability at high temperature.

Small change in resistance

Self heating
Less rugged than
thermocouples
Affected by shock and
vibration

Applications
Air conditioning and refrigeration serving
Food processing
Stoves and grills
Textile production
Plastic processing
Micro electronics
Air ,gas and liquid measurement
Exhaust gas temperature measurement

Thermistors
How it works? Like RTD
use the fact that
resistance of the metal
change with
temperature.
Make up? Generally
made up of
semiconductor metals.
Temperature range
-60oC to 200oC.

THERMISTOR Advantages and

Disadvantages
Advantages

Very sensitive (has very

largest output change
from input
temperature).
Quick response

Disadvantages
Output is a non linear
function.
Limited temperature
range.

More accurate than RTD

and Thermocouples

Require a current source

No 4-wire bridge is
requires as in RTD

fragile

Self heating

Thermocouples
How it works? It made
up of two different
metals joined at one
end produce small
voltage at given
temperature.
Made up of two
different metals.

temperature range
-9oC to 750oC.

Thermocouple advantages and

disadvantages
Advantages

disadvantages

Self power (does not

require a current voltage
source)

Extremely low voltage

output mV

Rugged

Needs a reference

Simple

point

inexpensive

Not very stable

Choice between RTD, thermistors and

thermocouples

Cost-thermocouples are cheapest by far, followed by RTDs

Accuracy-RTD or thermistor

Sensitivity-thermistor

Speed-thermistor

Stability at high temperature-not thermistor

Size-thermocouples and thermistors made quit small

Temperature range-thermocouples has highest range followed by RTDs

Ruggedness-thermocouples are best

Pyrometer
Pyrometer derived from greek root pyro mean fire.
A pyrometer is a non contact instrument that detects an objects
surface temperature by measuring temperature of
electromagnetic radiation infrared or visible) emitted from
object.
Idea: every object whose temperature is above absolute zero
emits radiation.

Disappearing filament pyrometer

Advantages of pyrometer
High temperature measurement
Fast response
No adverse effect on temperature and
material
Measuring moving objects
Measuring objects which are difficult to
access.

Infrared thermometer
They work by focusing infrared heat
into a sensor that can convert
infrared energy into temperature
units
Detect IR radiation (=0.7 -1000m)
Non contact
Wide range (30oC to 4500oC)
Accuracy: 1% of reading

Benefits
Can be used for
Moving objects
Non contact
application where
sensor would
affect results or
difficult to insert
or condition are
hazards.
Large distances
Very high range.

references
Industrial instrumentation and control by S.K Singh
www.authorstream.com/temperaturemeasurements