Thermocouple

Tuesday, 10 June 2008

By Administrator,
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Published in : Artikel, Instrumentation

Thermocouple temperature probes consist of two wires, each made of a different homogeneous metal or
alloy. The wires are joined at one end to form a measuring junction. This measuring junction is exposed
to the fluid or medium being measured. The other end of the wire is usually terminated at a measuring
instrument where they form a reference junction. When the two junctions are at different temperatures,
current will flow through the circuit. The voltage resulting from the current flow is measured to
determine the temperature of the measuring junction.

About a dozen thermocouple temperature probe types are commonly used in industrial applications.
Seven of these have been assigned letter designations by the Instrument Society of America (ISA). By
convention, a slash mark is used to separate the materials of each thermocouple wire. For example,
copper/constantan identifies a thermocouple with one copper wire and one constantan wire. The order
in which the wire materials are listed identifies the polarity of the wires. The first wire, on the left of the
slash, has a positive polarity when the measuring junction is at a higher temperature than the reference
junction is. Thermocouples can be divided into three functional classes: base metal thermocouples, noble
metal thermocouples, and refractory metal thermocouples. Base metal thermocouple temperature
probes are useful for measuring temperatures under 1000C. This class includes thermocouple
temperature probes made of iron/constantan (Type J), copper/constantan (Type T), Chromel/Alumel
(Type K), Chromel/constantan (Type E), and alloys of copper, nickel, iron, chromium, manganese,
aluminum, and others elements. Noble metal thermocouples are useful to about 2000C. Refractory
metal thermocouples are useful to about 2600C.

Sheathed thermocouple temperature probes are available with one of three junction types: grounded,
ungrounded or exposed. At the tip of a grounded junction probe, the thermocouple wires are physically
attached to the inside of the probe wall. This results in good heat transfer from the outside, through the
probe wall to the thermocouple junction. In an underground probe, the thermocouple junction is
detached from the probe wall. Response time is slowed down from the grounded style, but the
ungrounded type offers electrical isolation of 1.5 M1/2 at 500 Vdc in all diameters. In the exposed
junction style, the thermocouple protrudes out of the tip of the sheath and is exposed to the surrounding
environment. This type offers the best response time, but is limited in use to noncorrosive and
nonpressurized applications.