Use of Thermistor Circuit to Detect and Measure

Temperature Changes Across Solids

Joshua A. Kravitz1, Stephen J Pablo2, and Harry J. Kinowski3

University of Central Florida , Orlando, Florida, 32816

In the current day, engineering has become a process of optimization. Tolerances and
design factors have become more critical as manufacturing and design technology has
progressed. With this, comes the need for accurate measurement and sensing of critical
material parameters. This experimental procedure and experiment seeks to understand and
calculate the accuracy and precision of “off the shelf” thermistor components and compare
the results to data sheets provided by the manufacturers. From this, an evaluation of
Fourier’s law of heat conduction can be understood for solid materials undergoing heat
transfer. The experiment will then measure the temperature differential across an aluminum
rod and attempt to evaluate the rate of heat transfer. This new understanding could give
design engineers valuable information regarding measurement and integration of
temperature sensing components to both structural and thermal engineering solutions, as
well as actual design tolerances and specifications beyond those provided by manufacturers.

Nomenclature
q = Heat flux density
k = Thermal conductivity
T = Temperature
x = Positional location in the x-dimension
L = Length
A = Cross sectional area
V = Electric Potential Difference (Voltage)
I = Electric Current (Amperage)
P = Power
R = Resistance

I. Introduction
Heat transfer occurs through 3 major paths: conduction, convection, and radiation. In conduction, heat is
transferred through a solid directly as a result of collisions between excited particles, while convection and radiation
rely on indirect methods of heat transfer. Conduction is heavily utilized in mechanical and thermal engineering
where heat transfer throughout a structure helps regulate temperatures. The rate of heat transfer through a substance
can be calculated by Fourier’s Law, equation 1.
Given this relationship, it should be noted that the accurate measurement of temperature throughout a solid
is crucial to understanding the heat transfer throughout the solid. Thus, in many experimental and industry
applications of thermodynamic-mechanical design interfaces, significant engineering effort is taken to accurately
measure the temperature of an object at various locations.

1
Student, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, 32816, Student Member (Potential).
2
Student, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, 32816, Student Member (Potential).
3
Student, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, 32816, Student Member (Potential).

University of Central Florida – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

 q =− k dT
dx (1)

Thermistor Background
A thermistor is a type of electrical resistor which changes its internal resistance to applied voltage at a
given temperature. While the devices are typically calibrated from the factory and provided with specification
sheets, it has become increasingly common and necessary to calibrate the thermistors, as the variance between
results must be measurable in order to ensure accuracy. Thermistors are available in two types, NTC thermistors and
PTC thermistors. NTC thermistors decrease in resistance as the temperature rises, while the resistance in a PTC
thermistor increases with temperature. NTC’s are much more commonly used as temperature sensors, while PTC
thermistors are typically used to provide overheat electrical resistance. NTC thermistors are made of semiconducting
material which changes its properties as temperature changes the internal structure and material properties of the
material.
For this experiment an NTC thermistor of unknown properties was calibrated against a given data sheet.
Using a logarithmic interpolation data fit, a thermistor equation was established. This temperature curve was then
used in order to measure the heat transfer through a heated aluminum rod.

Voltage Divider Circuit Background

A voltage divider is a type of circuit which produces an output voltage as a scale of an input voltage. This
scale is regulated by a set of two resistors. The output voltage of the circuit can be calculated by modifying Ohm's
law at the output voltage terminal. Equations 2, 3 are used to dictate the design of the circuit. Figure 1 shows the
design of the circuit for the experiments performed.
R2
Vo =Vi (2)
R1 +R2

R1 ×V o
R2 = (3)
V i −V o

Figure 1​: Thermistor Circuit Diagram (Voltage Divider Circuit)

University of Central Florida – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

 II. Experimental Details

A. Experimental Equipment / Tools

In order to conduct a repeatable and reliable experiment, the following list of tools and equipment is provided
below.

QTY Name Description / Type

3 Thermistor Type NTCLE100E3

1 Laptop Computer Lenovo Thinkpad E480, LabView Installed, Windows 10 1903 Update

1 DAQ National Instruments USB DAQ

1 Aluminum Rod
1 Electrical heating element
1 Power Supply GW Instek GPS 303000 Laboratory Power Supply
3 Resistor 120 ohm
1 Wire Thin gauge, insulated (cut to length), White, Red, Green colors.
1 Tape
1 Insulation foam AC pipe wrap
1 Thermometer Glass type, mercury free
1 Hot plate
1 Beaker
1 Measuring calipers low precision (<.01mm precision)
1 Insulated Cup
1 Ice
1 Tap Water Room temperature
1 Breadboard
1 USB Cable Type A to Type B
1 LabView Software For DAQ Data Acquisition and Measurement
1 Excel Software For data logging
1 Matlab Software For calibration, equation generation, data plotting
1 Lab Notebook and Pen General scratch notes
1 Soldering Station
1 Lead-Free Solder
1 Ruler Metric 30cm, 1mm precision
Table 1​: Materials and Equipment Used in Experiment

Part A - Calibration of Thermistors

The purpose of this experimental procedure was to measure and calibrate three provided, unknown
thermistors against a provided data sheet. From this initial calibration, an estimated temperature curve could be
calculated which can be used in engineering data measurements.
To begin, a LabView VI was created which measured the voltage from an analog input. The DAQ was
connected to the computer via a standard USB 3.0 port, which delivers a consistent 5V DC voltage. This 5V voltage
was used as the voltage input for the voltage divider circuit.
Next, each of the three thermistors was soldered to a set of wires to allow probing of several temperature
elements, while keeping the rest of the circuit isolated from the system. Standard insulated wire was cut to length,
and color coding, red, green, white, was used to identify each of the three thermistors for the duration of the
experiment.
Once this was completed, a voltage divider circuit (figure 1) was constructed using one of the thermistors, a
120 ohm resistor, and several wires in the breadboard. As per the circuit instructions, 5V DC input voltage from the
DAQ was connected as the input voltage, and two grounds were established, the ground on the DAQ digital pinout,

University of Central Florida – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

next to the 5V supply voltage, and the ground on the analog measurement on the DAQ. It was observed that the
DAQ keeps each circuit isolated, and thus a common ground could not be established as expected. The thermistor
output was connected per the circuit diagram to the analog input on the DAQ (Analog A1 was used, although the
actual input number is irrelevant, and should not interfere with results).
Once the circuit was established and basic testing was conducted to troubleshoot any potential electrical
issues, the thermistor was allowed to remain at room temperature for 5 minutes. A thermometer placed nearby
established the reference temperature. The DAQ recorded 1000 samples over the course of 10 seconds and displayed
the average voltage during this time. This process was repeated twice more, once for each of the other two
thermistors. All data was recorded in the lab notebook, including the reference temperature and the corresponding
voltage and amperage.
An ice water bath was created by mixing equal parts of ice and water in an insulated cup and allowing it to
sit until the temperature had equalized at around 0 degrees celsius. A thermometer was used again to establish the
reference temperature. As per before, the DAQ recorded 1000 samples over the course of 10 seconds and displayed
the average voltage during this time. This process was repeated twice more, once for each of the other two
thermistors. All data was recorded in the lab notebook, as before.
Lastly, the hot plate was used to heat a beaker of tap water to boiling (nearly 100 degrees celsius). A
thermometer was used to establish the reference temperature. Additional care was taken to ensure that the
thermometer did not make contact with the bottom of the beaker where the heat from the hot plate may skew the
results. Once the temperature had stabilized a thermistor was placed into the beaker and as before the acquisition and
logging process was performed. Again, as before, this process was repeated two additional times for the other
thermistors.
Each thermistor after testing should have had three measurements sets of data; temperature (observed via a
thermometer), and corresponding voltage (observed via the DAQ acquisition), at 3 different temperatures. Given
these results, a logarithmic curve fit was decided to best represent the relationship. Using Python, the data was fit
into a X-Y graph, and then a logarithmic fit line was created to represent the data. This was done for each of the
three thermistors, as well as the thermistor data sheet provided to establish a baseline. The equations were later used
in order to calibrate the resistors.

Part B - Measurement of Heat Transfer Across Aluminum Rod

The purpose of this experiment was to use the calibrated thermistors from part A to measure the heat
transfer through a heated, insulated aluminum rod.
To begin, a heating pad was attached to a calibrated lab power supply unit. The heating pad was then
attached directly to the end of an aluminum rod and secured with tape to ensure consistent heat transfer. Next the
three thermistors from the previous experiment were attached at various positions on the aluminum rod. The
positions were measured with calipers to accurately depict the locations along the rod. The total length of the rod
was measured with a ruler. Finally, the rod was wrapped with an insulating foam.

University of Central Florida – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

 Figure 2​: Insulated Aluminum Rod with Insulated Foam (cut to show sections)

Next, three voltage divider circuits were created in a breadboard, following the base circuit used in the first
experimental procedure. Each of these voltage dividers shared the 5V power supply as well as the common ground
on the DAQ. Special care was taken to ensure that there were no short circuits and that resistive elements were not
touching.
A Labview VI was then constructed which measured the voltage at each of the three analog inputs of the
DAQ, similar to the VI for part A of the lab. As before, 1000 samples were read over the course of 10 seconds, and
averaged to provide accurate results. The equations generated from part A were incorporated into the VI so that the
temperature output could be displayed. Figure 3 shows the labview VI setup for part B of the lab.

Figure 3​: Labview VI for Part B

Note that as before, the thermistors were labeled according to their color. This reduced human error in
reading the measurements, and helped to diagnose potential problems in the circuit VI.
The power supply was then set to output a specified voltage to the heating element, and the rod was
allowed to be heated for 5 minutes to establish the heat transfer. The power output to the electric heater was
calculated using equation 4.
VQ
P = t
=VI (4)

The voltage and temperature measurements from each of the three thermistors were acquired from the
DAC/Labview VI and recorded in the lab notebook. This process was repeated two more times, at two different
voltage supplies, and as usual data was recorded.

III. Results
The results of this experiment based on Fourier’s Law obtained results close to the theory values. Fourier’s
Law shows that when constant heat was applied to the end of the aluminum and temperature measurements taken
along the rod the thermal conductivity of the rod can be predicted. Before the experiment started, the thermistors
were calibrated.

Part A – Calibration of Thermistors

University of Central Florida – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

 The graph below shows the calibration curve that was used for one of the thermistors, it correlates
temperature and voltage. This enables temperature output from the resistance change of the thermistors.

Figure 4​: Calibration curve of thermistor one, with calibration equation.

Table 2​: Results of Calibration Parameters for 3 Thermistors

The results of the calculated resistance values of the thermistors was checked against the supplied data sheets
for the thermistors and showed that the error grew when the thermistors were heated (as shown below).

University of Central Florida – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

 Figure 5​: Resistance value of thermistor from the data sheet, with the error from the calculated resistance value.

Part B - Measurement of Heat Transfer Across Aluminum Rod

Once the thermistors were calibrated the experiment could begin. Three temperature measurements were
taken along the aluminum rod, with three different runs with different voltages for each run.

Table 3​: Thermal Conductivity of Aluminum Bar for Various Heat Inputs

University of Central Florida – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

 Figure 6​: Results of the experimental thermal conductivity, compared to the actual thermal conductivity of the
aluminum rod.

The results from the experiment concluded that the measured thermal conductivity of the aluminum rod is
W
198.08 m×K
9 ​Discussion

The objective of this lab was to measure the rate of heat transfer from the aluminum rod by finding its
thermal conductivity. Due to the various possible errors which could have occurred throughout the duration of this
experiment, the results from the lab and the theoretical values were different from one another. Although the values
from the experiment differ from theoretical values, the findings do make sense. Due to all the sources of error during
this experiment (see below), it is expected for the values found to be off. One of the main sources of error was the
foam insulation around the aluminum rod. The insulation had holes and cracks in it, in addition, it did not cover the
ends of the rods thus exposing them to the atmosphere and allowing exponential heat transfer to the surroundings.
In order to find the heat transfer rate, the thermal conductivity needed to be calculated. The theoretical
W W
value of thermal conductivity in an aluminum rod is about 215 m×K , while the results of lab yielded 198.089 m×K .
From those values, the heat transfer rate could be calculated. Based upon the thermal conductivities calculated (see
section III), the average heat transfer rate was 43.955kW but theoretically it should have been 46.346kW. The
reason why these values are far apart from one another is because of the several sources of this lab listed below.
The thermistor value ( R2 ) was also calculated in this lab. The theoretical value of the thermistor was
obtained from the database of the company that manufactures the thermistors. The theoretical value, at room
temperature (~20 ℃ ) is about 3.88 Ω . However, the measured resistance of the thermistor in the experiment was
about 160.981 Ω . Although the temperature at the time the lab took place was 19 °C, it should not have been this
large of a difference in resistance. This value is an average between three different thermistors with the same
resistance values (to see exact values from several trials, see section III). This is another source of error since the
actual resistances were nowhere near the theoretical resistances. The graph of the R2 resistance values shown in
section III, shows how much the data was off by the use of error bars.

Possible Sources of Error:

● Uneven insulation around aluminum rod
○ Uneven insulation around the aluminum rod could cause both hot and cold spots on the rod and
also cause non-uniform heat transfer through the rod.
● Aluminum rod ends were exposed to the environment
○ This causes heat loss through the ends of the rod and accelerates the rate of heat loss in the rod.
● Thermistor wires coming in contact with itself
○ If this happens, it can cause skewed results since current is no longer traveling to the thermistor.
● Human error

University of Central Florida – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

 ○ Humans can’t keep everything in an experiment exactly the same which is necessary when trying
to achieve accurate results.
● Uneven heating from heating pad
○ Uneven heating of the rod can cause uneven heat distribution within the aluminum rod
● Thermistors not placed on the same plane on the aluminum rod
○ If the thermistors are not place in a straight line along a rod, the uneven heat distribution could
skew the results.
● Old age of resistors could have altered the resistance values
○ The more resistors and used, the less resistance they have which could have an influence on the
data.
● Inaccurate thermistors
○ If the thermistors are inaccurate, the theoretical results and the results found in the lab will be off.

IV. Conclusions/ Future Directions

Overall, this lab contained many sources of error that inhibited the experimenters from getting accurate
data. The biggest error showed during the calibration of the thermistors. Without accurate thermistors, the whole
experiment and all data obtained will be inaccurate. The goal of this lab was to validate Fourier's Law of Heat
Conduction by measuring the temperature difference across the aluminum rod and calculating the heat transfer rate.
The combination of the thermistor values differing by more than 100 Ω , poor insulation, human error, etc. caused
this experiment to inaccurate and the experimenters were not able to reproduce the theoretical results.
In the future, there are a few things can be done to make this experiment achieve results closer to those of
the theoretical values. Having a better foam insulation or something that could encapsulate the entire aluminum rod
with the ability to close completely would ensure little to no heat loss to the surroundings. Thermistors that are the
same to the theoretical values would help the results accuracy. Having more time for the experiment, the
experimenters were pressed for time due to only have three hours to complete each part of the lab resulting in a few
things being rushed. One other thing that would have helped the experiment and could possibly help in the future is
new resistors to make sure their actual resistance value is as close as possible to the theoretical value.

University of Central Florida – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

 VI. Appendix

Change in Thermistor Values R2 (Ω) : ΔR2 = [ Vo

V i −V o ] ΔR + [
1
R1 ×V i
(V o −V i )
2 ] ΔV + [
o
−R1 ×V o
2
(V i −V o ) ] ΔV i

−q"
Temperature at Distance “x” (meters): T (x) = k
(x- xo ) + T o

−q" (x−xo ) (x−xo )

Change in Temperature (K): ΔT = k
(x − xo ) + q " × ΔT o − k
× Δq" + q " 2 × Δk
k

W L
Thermal Conductivity ( m×K ): k= A(T 1 −T 2 ) Q

University of Central Florida – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering