Document Title:

Training on GET-Instrumentation

November
2014

TEMPERATURE MEASURMENT AND

CONTROL

Code: PI

Introduction:Temperature is one of the most frequently used process measurements, all most
all the chemical and petro chemical processes and reactions are temperature
dependent, not in chemical plants there are many other areas or industries
where temperature measurement is essential such industries include power
plants, oil & gas industries, paper mills...Etc
To ensure that process temperature remains within the limits of plant design so
that damage does not occur to the equipments by exceeding their safety limits
Temperature: - Temperature is a measure of degree of hotness or coldness of
an object
Units: - The two most common temperature scales are:
Fahrenheit (F)
Celsius (C).

Measurement:
For measuring the temperature there are different types of sensors used in the
industries, some of the sensors used to measure the temperature.
TEMPERATURE GAUGES
THERMOCOUPLES
RESISTANCE TEMPERATURE DETECTOR (RTD)
THERMISTOR

Temperature Gauges:There are two types of temperature gauges.

Bimetal Temperature sensors.
Fluid Filled Temperature sensors.

Bimetal Temperature sensors: Solids tend to expand when heated. The amount that a solid sample will
expand with increased temperature depends on the size of the sample,
the material it is made of, and the amount of temperature rise. The
following formula relates linear expansion to temperature change:

Document Title:

Training on GET-Instrumentation

November
2014

TEMPERATURE MEASURMENT AND

CONTROL

Code: PI

l = l0 (1 + T)
Where,
l = Length of material after heating
l0 = Original length of material
= Coefficient of linear expansion
T = Change in temperature
One way to amplify the motion resulting from thermal expansion is to
bond two strips of dissimilar metals together, such as copper and iron. If
we were to take two equally-sized strips of copper and iron, lay them sideby-side, and then heat both of them to a higher temperature, we would
see the copper strip lengthen slightly more than the iron strip:
Iron copper Expansion
If we bond these two strips of metal together, this differential growth will
result in a bending motion greatly exceeding the linear expansion. This
device is called a bi-metal strip

Bimetallic strip

Bimetallic thermometer

Document Title:

Training on GET-Instrumentation

November
2014

TEMPERATURE MEASURMENT AND

CONTROL

Code: PI

Fluid Filled Temperature Sensors:-

Filled-bulb systems exploit the principle of fluid expansion to measure

temperature. If a fluid is enclosed in a sealed system and then heated, the
molecules in that fluid will exert a greater pressure on the walls of the
enclosing vessel. By measuring this pressure, and/or by allowing the fluid
to expand under constant pressure, we may infer the temperature of the
fluid.

Thermocouple:When two dissimilar metal wires are joined together at one end, a voltage is
produced at the other
end that is approximately proportional to temperature. That is to say, the
junction of two different
metals behaves like a temperature-sensitive battery. This form of electrical
temperature sensor is
called a thermocouple
Thermocouple works on the principle of see beck effect. See beck discovered
that if a closed circuit is formed of two metals, and two junctions of the metals
are at different temperature an electric current will flow round the circuit.

Document Title:

Training on GET-Instrumentation

November
2014

TEMPERATURE MEASURMENT AND

CONTROL

Code: PI

With the measurement (J1) and reference (J2) junction voltages opposed to each
other, the voltmeter only sees the difference between these two voltages.
Thus, thermocouple systems are fundamentally differential temperature sensors.
That is, they provide an electrical output proportional to the difference in
temperature between two different points. For this reason, the wire junction we
use to measure the temperature of interest is called the measurement junction
while the other junction (which we cannot eliminate from the circuit) is called the
reference junction (or the cold junction, because it is typically at a cooler
temperature than the process measurement junction).
Thermocouple Types: Certain combinations of alloys have become popular as industry standards.
Selection of the combination is driven by cost, availability, convenience, melting
point, chemical properties, stability, and output. Different types are best suited
for different applications. They are usually selected on the basis of the
temperature range and sensitivity needed. Thermocouples with low sensitivities
(B, R, and S types) have correspondingly lower resolutions.

Document Title:

Training on GET-Instrumentation

November
2014

TEMPERATURE MEASURMENT AND

CONTROL

Code: PI

Thermowell:
A thermowell is an integral part of a process plant that serves two important
functions:
it protects an industrial thermometer from the process fluid
it enables the thermometer to be replaced without breaking the
containment of the process plant
Types of thermowells:-

S - Sanitary (Triclamp)

Thermowell Installation in pipe:

Difference between Thermocouple grade and Extension grade

wire:
Thermocouple grade wire is wire that is used to make the sensing point
(or probe part) of the thermocouple. Extension grade wire is only used to
extend a thermocouple signal from a probe back to the instrument
reading the signal. The extension grade wire typically will have a lower

Document Title:

Training on GET-Instrumentation

November
2014

TEMPERATURE MEASURMENT AND

CONTROL

Code: PI

ambient temperature limit in which the wire may be used. Namely, it may
pass a signal representing a higher temperature as received from the
probe, but the wire physically may not be exposed to higher
temperatures. Thermocouple wire may be used as extension wire, but
extension grade wire may not be used in the sensing point (or probe part)
of the thermocouple. Part numbers for extension wire typically begin with
an "EX" prefix.

Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD):RTD s are devices made of pure metal wire (usually platinum or copper)
which always increase in resistance with increasing temperature. RTDs are
relatively insensitive but very linear.
A Resistive Temperature Detector (RTD) is a special temperature-sensing element
made of fine metal wire, the electrical resistance of which changes with
temperature as approximated by the following
Formula:
RT = Rref [1 + (T T ref)]
Where,
RT = Resistance of RTD at given temperature T (ohms)
Rref = Resistance of RTD at the reference temperature T ref (ohms)

Document Title:

Training on GET-Instrumentation

November
2014

TEMPERATURE MEASURMENT AND

CONTROL

Code: PI

= Temperature coefficient of resistance (ohms per ohm/degree).

Note:100 is a very common reference resistance (Rref at 0 degrees Celsius) for
industrial RTDs.
1000 is another common reference resistance, and some industrial RTDs have
reference resistances as low as 10 . Compared to thermistors with their tens or
even hundreds of thousands of ohms nominal resistance, an RTDs resistance is
comparatively small. This can cause problems with measurement, since the
wires connecting an RTD to its ohmmeter possess their own resistance,
which will be a more substantial percentage of the total circuit resistance than
for a thermistor.

2-WIRE RTD:The following schematic diagrams show the relative effects of 2 ohms total wire
resistance on a
RTD circuit:
2-wire construction is the least accurate of the 3 types since there is no way of
eliminating the lead wire resistance from the sensor measurement. 2-wire RTDs
are mostly used with short lead wires or where close accuracy is not required.
Measured resistance Rt = R1 + R2 + Rb

3-WIRE RTD:3-wire construction is most commonly used in industrial applications where the
third wire provides a method for removing the average lead wire resistance from
the sensor measurement. When long distances exist between the sensor and
measurement/control instrument, significant savings can be made in using a
threewire cable instead of a four-wire cable.
(R 1+2+R b ) - (R 2+3) = (R b )
The 3 wire circuit works by measuring the resistance between #1 & #2 (R 1+2)
and subtracting the resistance between #2 & #3 (R 2+3) which leaves just the
resistance of the RTD bulb (R b). This method assumes that wires 1,2 & 3 are all
the same resistance

Document Title:

Training on GET-Instrumentation

November
2014

TEMPERATURE MEASURMENT AND

CONTROL

Code: PI

4-WIRE RTD:4-wire construction is used primarily in the laboratory where close accuracy is
required. In a 4 wire RTD the actual resistance of the lead wires can be
determined and removed from the sensor measurement. The 4-wire circuit is a
true 4-wire bridge, which works by using wires 1 & 4 to power the circuit and
wires 2 & 3 to read. This true bridge method will compensate for any differences
in lead wire resistances.

RTD Connections:-

It is critically important to note that the common connections shown by

the symbols for 3-and 4-wire RTD sensors represent junction points at the
sensor ; not terminals jumpered by the technician at the time of installation, and
not internal jumpers inside the transmitter. The whole purpose of having 3-wire
and 4-wire RTD circuits is to eliminate errors due to voltage drop along the
current-carrying wires, and this can only be realized if the sensing wire(s)

Document Title:

Training on GET-Instrumentation

November
2014

TEMPERATURE MEASURMENT AND

CONTROL

Code: PI

extend out to the RTD itself and connect there. If the transmitters sensing
terminal(s) are only jumpered to a current carrying terminal, the transmitter will
sense voltage dropped by the RTD plus voltage dropped by the current-carrying
wire(s), leading to falsely high temperature indications.
Misconceptions surrounding proper RTD connections unfortunately abound
both in students and in working industry professionals. With any luck, the
following presentation will help you avoid such mistakes, and more importantly
help you understand why the correct connections are best.

Thermistors:A Thermistor is a temperature-sensing element composed of sintered

semiconductor material which exhibits a large change in resistance proportional
to a small change in temperature. Thermistor usually have negative temperature
coefficients which mean the resistance of the Thermistor decreases as the
temperature increases.

Thermistors can be classified into two types: If the resistance increases with
increasing temperature, the device is called a positive temperature coefficient
(PTC) thermistor. If the resistance decreases with increasing temperature, the
device is called a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor. Resistors
that are not thermistors are designed to keep their resistance almost constant
over a wide temperature range.
Accuracy
Thermistors are one of the most accurate types of temperature sensors. OMEGA
thermistors have an accuracy of 0.1C or 0.2C depending on the particular
thermistor model. However thermistors are fairly limited in their temperature
range, working only over a nominal range of 0C to 100C .
Stability
Finished thermistors are chemically stable and not significantly affected by
aging.

Document Title:

Training on GET-Instrumentation

November
2014

TEMPERATURE MEASURMENT AND

CONTROL

Code: PI