Name: Gabriel O.

Gabuya
EE3-1
EE323 – Instrumentation and Control
Quiz 3
Thermo-Couple and Transducer’s system
1. Discuss the principle of a thermocouple. What are the potential limitations
of this instrument?
➢ These are the temperature sensors which are extensively used for the
measurement of the temperature variations. They sense the temperature
and the temperature is further measured by other instruments after
sensing it
➢ A thermocouple is an electrical device that consists of an electrical
connection formed by two different electrical conductors. The Seebeck
effect causes a thermocouple to create a temperature-dependent voltage,
which can be used to monitor temperature. Thermocouples are a type of
temperature sensor that is commonly utilized.
➢ It is based on is based on the Seeback Effect. This effect states that when
a closed circuit is formed by jointing two dissimilar metals at two
junctions, and junctions are maintained at different temperatures then an
electromotive force (e.m.f.) is induced in this closed circuit. The amount of
induced e.m.f. is different for different metal combinations and is
proportional to the temperature difference of the junctions. This is the
basic thermocouple working principle.
➢ The only limitations that these have, thermocouples are susceptible to
corrosion because they require the contact of two dissimilar metals, which
can compromise their calibration and accuracy. In difficult locations, the
junction is frequently encased in a steel sheath to protect the wires from
moisture and chemicals. However, for optimum long-term performance,
thermocouples must be cared for and maintained.

2. What are transducers? Provide examples of transducers used in power

system relaying, and briefly describe its uses?
A transducer is an electrical device that is used to convert one form of
energy into another form. In general, these devices deal with different types
of energies such as mechanical, electrical energy, light energy, chemical
energy, thermal energy, acoustic energy, electromagnetic energy, and so on.
 Ultrasonic Transducer- The main function of the ultrasound transducer is
to convert electrical signals to ultrasound waves. This transducer can also be
called capacitive or piezoelectric transducers. This transducer can be used to
measure the distance of the sound based on reflection. This measurement is
based on a suitable method compared to the straight methods which use
different measuring scales. The areas which are hard to find, such as
pressure areas, very high temperature, using conventional methods the
measurement of the distance is not a simple task. So, this transducer-based
measuring system can be used in this kind of zone.
Temperature Transducer- A temperature transducer is an electrical device
that is used to convert the temperature of a device into another quantity like
electrical energy or pressure or mechanical energy, then the quantity will be
sent to the control device for controlling the temperature of the device. A
temperature transducer is used to measure the temperature of the air such
that to control the temperature of several control systems like air-
conditioning, heating, ventilation, and so on.
Piezoelectric Transducer- A piezoelectric transducer is a special kind of
sensor, and the main function of this transducer is to convert mechanical
energy into electrical energy. In the same way, electrical energy can be
transformed into mechanical energy. The pressure transducer is used to
measure the pressure of a specific quantity like gas or liquid by changing the
pressure into electrical energy. The different kinds of these transducers like
an amplified voltage transducer, strain-gage base pressure transducer,
millivolt (mv) pressure transducer, 4-20mA pressure transducer, and
pressure transducer.