Thermocouple Gauge

Muhammad Kashif IQbal

401322
Table of Contents
 Introduction
 TC Gauge and Pirani Gauge
 Working Principal
 Calibration
 Application
 Comparison
Introduction:
The two most common thermal conductivity gauge technologies used in
modern vacuum applications are
 Pirani gauges
 thermocouple gauges
This application note is designed to help vacuum users choose between
the two competing gauge technologies. Pressure measurement in a
thermal conductivity gauge is based on the transfer of heat from a hot
wire, located inside the sensor, to the surrounding gases. Since gauge
output depends on the thermal conductivity of the gases as well as their
pressure, all thermal conductivity gauges provide indirect, gas-
dependent, pressure readings. The two most common thermal
conductivity gauge technologies used in modern vacuum applications
are:

Pirani Gauges:
In the Pirani gauge (PG) the voltage required to maintain the hot wire at
a constant temperature is used as a non-linear, gas-dependent, function
of pressure. Traditional Pirani gauges provide useful pressure readings
between 10-3 and 10 Torr. In convection-enhanced Pirani gauges, the
upper range is extended upward to 1000 Torr by taking advantage of
thermal convection currents created at the higher pressures.
Thermocouple Gauges:
In the thermocouple gauge (TC) the pressure is indicated by measuring
the small voltage of a thermocouple spot welded directly onto the hot
wire. The wire is fed with a constant current and its temperature
depends on the thermal conductivity and pressure of the gases present.
TC gauges display useful pressures between 10-3 and 1 Torr. TC gauges
have long been regarded a cost-effective means to
 Monitor the fore line pressures of pumping stations
 Crossover gauges for vacuum systems
However, they are being systematically replaced in all modern vacuum
systems by more accurate and reliable Pirani gauges, such as the
convection-enhanced Pirani gauge manufactured by Stanford Research
Systems.
Working Principal:
The working of a thermocouple type vacuum gauge is very similar to that
of a pirani gauge. The only difference is that the hot wire temperature is
measured directly with a thermocouple which is attached to a wire. For
different pressures, the temperature is measured by the fine-wire
thermocouple, the hating current being initially fixed by the resistance
as shown in the figure. This device is usually used for comparison
purposes. The sensitivity of such an instrument depends on the pressure
and the wire current.

The thermocouple gauge is a device used to measure low vacuum. A

filament is heated up by passing a current through it. When gas
molecules interact with the filament, heat is carried away. Therefore in
this system the voltage of the thermocouple is measured and converted
into pressure units like milli-bars or Pascal's.
Measuring differential temperature:
Two sets of thermocouples are used to measure temperatures of heater
wires in the two chambers and oppose each other. When there is a
difference in pressures, there occurs an unbalance which is measured by
a potentiometer circuit. Instead of a single thermocouple per wire,
a thermopile is often chosen to increase sensitivity. The thermocouple
gauge is also composition dependent and needs empirical calibration for
the high vacuum range.

Calibration:
Thermocouples gauges are calibrated such that the wire’s temperature is
displayed as a pressure reading. This allows such problems as a variations
in heat flow through the supporting electrodes to be taken into account.
Thermocouples gauges are not particularly accurate instruments. Most
often they are used as rough indicators of pressure where 10 to 20
percent accuracy is acceptable.
Applications:
 Measuring low vacuum temperature.
 Monitor the fore line pressures of pumping stations
 Crossover gauges for vacuum systems in general
Comparison:
 Pirani gauge is preferred over thermocouple gauge
 It is ten time faster than thermocouple gauge
 Wider range of pressure can be measured with a pirani gauge
 Well designed pirani gauges offer better accuracy and response
time