Gek95168 RTD

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GEK 95168c
Revised, February 2012
GE Energy
Resistance Temperature Detectors
These instructions do not purport to cover all details or variations in equipment nor to provide for every possible contingency to
be met in connection with installation, operation or maintenance. Should further information be desired or should particular
problems arise which are not covered sufficiently for the purchaser's purposes the matter should be referred to General Electric
Company. These instructions contain proprietary information of General Electric Company, and are furnished to its customer solely
to assist that customer in the installation, testing, operation, and/or maintenance of the equipment described. This document shall
not be reproduced in whole or in part nor shall its contents be disclosed to any third party without the written approval of General
Electric Company.
© 2012 General Electric Company. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed in whole or in part,
without prior permission of the copyright owner.
GEK 95168c Resistance Temperature Detectors
The following notices will be found throughout this publication. It is important that the
significance of each is thoroughly understood by those using this document. The definitions are
as follows:
NOTE
Highlights an essential element of a procedure to assure correctness.
CAUTION
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, could result in minor
or moderate injury or equipment damage.
WARNING
INDICATES A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION, WHICH, IF

NOT AVOIDED, COULD RESULT IN DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY
***DANGER***
INDICATES AN IMMINENTLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION,

WHICH, IF NOT AVOIDED WILL RESULT IN DEATH OR
SERIOUS INJURY.
2 © 2012 General Electric Company. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed in whole or in part,
Resistance Temperature Detectors GEK 95168c
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. DESCRIPTION .......................................................................................................................................... 4
II. APPLICATION .......................................................................................................................................... 4
III. RTD CONSTRUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 7
A. Armature Coil Temperature Measurement ............................................................................................ 7
IV. GAS TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT............................................................................................. 8
V. LIQUID TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT ...................................................................................... 8
VI. RTD TYPES................................................................................................................................................ 9
A. Molded–Stick Type................................................................................................................................ 9
B. Molded–Strip Type .............................................................................................................................. 10
C. Bulb Type ............................................................................................................................................ 10
D. Sheath Type ......................................................................................................................................... 11
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. RTD Resistance vs. Temperature for Copper and Platinum RTDs ........................................................ 4
Figure 2. RTD and Temperature Meter Circuit...................................................................................................... 5
Figure 3. RTD and Wheatstone Bridge Circuit...................................................................................................... 6
Figure 4. RTD Connections ................................................................................................................................... 6
Figure 5. RTD Construction................................................................................................................................... 7
Figure 6. Molded-Stick Type RTD ........................................................................................................................ 9
Figure 7. Molded–Strip Type RTD ...................................................................................................................... 10
Figure 8. Bulb Type ............................................................................................................................................. 10
Figure 9. Sheath–type RTD.................................................................................................................................. 11
© 2012 General Electric Company. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed in whole or in part, 3
I. DESCRIPTION
A resistance temperature detector (RTD) is a resistive element used to measure temperature. It is usually
made of copper, platinum, or nickel. Operation of the RTD is based on the principle that the electrical
resistance of a metallic conductor varies linearly with temperature. Resistance variation with temperature
is shown for a 10Ω copper RTD and for a 100Ω platinum RTD in Figure 1.
Figure 1. RTD Resistance vs. Temperature for Copper and Platinum RTDs
II. APPLICATION
The RTD is used in several places in electrical generators to monitor winding, gas, bearing metal and
liquid temperatures. The RTD system consists of two parts. The first is the machine equipment consisting
of the RTD elements, leads, and terminal block with grounding connections. The second part of the RTD
system is usually located with the generator controls and converts RTD resistance values to temperature.
Older equipment makes use of a Wheatstone Bridge circuit to determine RTD resistance values, while
recent installations often make use of a constant current source and measure voltage drops.
A typical circuit utilizing the RTD is shown in Figure 2. That part which is to the right of the dotted line
is the Temperature Meter, which is outside the machine, and that part to the left is the RTD located inside
the machine. Part of the circuit is a Wheatstone Bridge which consists of the RTD as one arm and three
fixed resistors of negligible temperature coefficient as the other three arms. The bridge is excited by a
constant DC potential, which is obtained through a constant voltage transformer and a copper oxide
rectifier. A DC milliammeter is connected across corners of the bridge. The reading of this instrument
depends on the current flowing through it, and this current depends only on the resistance of the RTD
(since the other resistances of the bridge are fixed). The resistance of the RTD depends upon its
temperature and thus the scale of the dc milliammeter is calibrated directly in degrees. The temperature of
the RTD (which is the approximate temperature of armature windings of a generator, for example) is then
indicated by the DC milliammeter.
Figure 2. RTD and Temperature Meter Circuit
In order to prevent any change in lead resistance (due to ambient temperature change) from affecting the
temperature meter, the RTD is connected in the circuit so that there is equal lead resistance in two ratio
arms of the Wheatstone Bridge. Redrawing Figure 2 with the lead resistance included, it can be seen that
the lead resistance from A to the detector element is in one arm and lead resistance from B to the other
side of the detector element is in the other arm, illustrated in Figure 3. Any change in these lead
resistances will appear in the two arms and the net effect will be no change in current through the DC
milliammeter. It is common practice to ground one lead of each RTD, because it is recognized that a
breakdown in stator coil insulation to an RTD element in a machine is possible. The RTDs are thus held
at ground potential at all times assuring the safety of an operator. The B lead is usually the one which is
grounded on a generator. This makes it possible to connect all the B leads to a common grounding strip at
the terminal board on the generator and run a single lead from this strip to the temperature meter. See
Figure 4. The leads from the RTDs are brought cut to the terminal board in sheathed cable and conduit to
protect them from physical damage and from contact and high–voltage coils.
Figure 3. RTD and Wheatstone Bridge Circuit
Figure 4. RTD Connections
III. RTD CONSTRUCTION
A test resistor is usually provided for periodically checking the calibration of the temperature meter. This
resistor has a value of resistance of 11.73 ohms, which corresponds to the resistance of a detector at a
temperature of 70°C (158°F). A transfer switch is used to connect the temperature meter to any one of
several detectors in the machine. The design is such that the contacts are opened and closed in proper
sequence when transferring from one detector to another. Another position connects to the calibrated test
resistor to check the temperature meter at the 70°C (158°F) point. The construction of RTDs is shown in
Figure 5. Each detector has three leads designated as A, B, and C. The resistance of the element itself is
the total resistance from A to B or A to C minus the lead resistance B to C. The detectors are made in
three principal types: the molded stick for installation in stator slots next to the winding of rotating
machines, the molded strip type for installation in air ducts, and the bulb type for immersion in air, gas or
liquid.
Generator RTDs for winding and gas temperature measurement are single-or dual-element. A schematic
of a single element RTD is shown in Figure 5. Some machines are made with dual-element RTDs. This
means that there are two completely separate circuit elements within the RTD. Dual-element RTDs
usually contain one copper and one platinum element to provide the customer with the flexibility to use
either type. Some machines use RTDs with two elements of the same type. The configuration and RTD
lead color specific to a given machine is shown on the unit's Electrical Connection Outline Drawing.
Figure 5. RTD Construction
Depending on the element type used, the RTD will behave in accordance with one of the following
standards.
1. 10Ω Copper (Figure 1)

2. 100Ω Platinum - DIN Standard 43-760, α = 0.00385 (Figure 1)
3. 100Ω Platinum - American “Standard,” α = 0.00392 (note: the American “Standard” is not a national
standard but is the name given to RTDs with a temperature-resistance coefficient, α, near 0.00392.
The actual α of such RTDs is manufacturer dependent).
4. 100Ω platinum - IEC Standard 60751, α =0.003908
A. Armature Coil Temperature Measurement
Armature coil temperature is measured with the molded stick type RTD. The resistance wire of a
molded stick type detector is molded into an epoxy glass stick. The detectors are non-inductively
wound to cancel the extraneous voltage induced in them.
When RTDs are used in generators to detect the approximate temperature of armature coils, they are
known as coil or slot RTDs. Coil RTDs are typically located between top and bottom armature bars
in the stator, in an axial and circumferential location, where they will detect the highest temperature.
This location can be found in the Electrical Connection Outline Drawing. Although most of a
generator’s coil RTDs are connected to the customer’s monitoring system, a number are often left
unwired and serve as spares. Coil RTDs do not detect coil copper temperature. There is a temperature
drop from the coil copper to the RTD through the coil insulation.
The RTD temperature may be 5°C-10°C (9°F-18°F) lower than copper temperatures in small
machines and as much as 30°C (54°F) lower in large machines. The temperature difference is
affected by the following variables:
• coil insulation thickness
• slot width
• cooling gas (air or hydrogen)
• hydrogen pressure (slight effect)
• armature current
RTD use and placement is governed by the appropriate ANSI or IEC standards and the particular
construction of the generator.
IV. GAS TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
Gas temperature measurement is usually made with molded stick type detectors, although molded strip
detectors and sheath type detectors have been used in the past. RTDs are provided on all machines with
internal water-to-gas heat exchangers (TEWAC & Hydrogen-cooled), and on open ventilated machines.
On large machines, and whenever requested, there are two RTDs in each cooler; one at the gas inlet side
of the cooler, and the other at the gas discharge side. Exciter exit air temperature is measured with a gas
RTD on machines equipped with a brushless exciter. On hydrogen-cooled units, a bulb type RTD may be
used to measure common cold gas temperature. Gas RTDs detect the average temperature of the gas
stream in which they are placed.
V. LIQUID TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
Bearing drain oil temperatures are typically measured using probe type RTDs sunk in thermal wells.
Probe type RTDs are also used to measure armature winding inlet and exit bulk water temperature in
large liquid-cooled generators.
VI. RTD TYPES

A. Molded–Stick Type
The Molded–stick detector shown in Figure 6 is used to detect the approximate temperature of
armature coils and is known as a “coil RTD.” They are located between coil sides in the slot of the
stator where they will detect the highest temperatures. See the RTD portion of the connection outline
for reference regarding the slots in which each RTD is located and the axial position in the slots. In
some cases, the connection outline contains instructions concerning which coil RTDs should be
connected to the temperature meter. The remaining ones are reserved as spares to be used in the event
that any of the other RTDs become inoperative.
Figure 6. Molded-Stick Type RTD

Coil RTDs do not detect copper temperature. The reason is that there is a temperature drop from the
copper to the RTD through the coil insulation. The RTD temperature may be 5 to 10°C (41 to 50°F)
lower than copper temperature in smaller machines, and may be as much as 30°C (86°F) lower in the
larger machines. The temperature difference is affected by the following variables:
• insulation thickness
• slot width
• cooling medium (air or hydrogen)
• hydrogen pressure (slightly)
• armature current
B. Molded–Strip Type
The Molded-Strip detector shown in Figure 7 is contained in an epoxy glass molded strip with
convenient means of attaching the unit to the stator frame.
The detectors are used in generators to detect air or hydrogen temperature. They are provided on all
machines with internal water–to–gas heat exchangers and on other machines upon customer request.
On smaller generators, there is usually one RTD at the discharge side of each cooler. On larger
machines and whenever requested, there are two RTDs in each cooler; one at the inlet side of the
cooler, and the other at the discharge side.
The RTDs are used to determine effectiveness of the air or hydrogen coolers. They detect the average
temperature of the air or hydrogen stream in which they are located.
Figure 7. Molded–Strip Type RTD

C. Bulb Type
The Bulb detector shown in Figure 8 has a resistance wire enclosed in a protective tube with a fitting
brazed to the tube for mounting into a protecting well, tank, etc. The detector is furnished with either
an enclosed terminal head as shown or with three wire flexible armored cable.
Figure 8. Bulb Type
D. Sheath Type
The Sheath detector shown in Figure 9 is contained in a copper housing, which provides a convenient
means of attaching the unit to the stator frame.
Sheath detectors may be used in generators to detect air or hydrogen temperature. They are normally
provided on all machines with internal water–to–gas heat exchangers and on other machines upon
request by the customer. On smaller generators there is usually one RTD at the discharge side of each
cooler. On larger machines and whenever requested, there are two RTDs in each cooler; one at the
inlet side of the cooler, and the other at the discharge side.
Sheath–type RTDs may be used to determine effectiveness of the air or hydrogen coolers. They
detect the average temperature of the air or hydrogen stream in which they are located.
Figure 9. Sheath–type RTD
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Resistance Temperature Detectors

Highlights an essential element of a procedure to assure correctness.

INDICATES A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION, WHICH, IF

INDICATES AN IMMINENTLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION,

Figure 2. RTD and Temperature Meter Circuit

Figure 3. RTD and Wheatstone Bridge Circuit

Figure 4. RTD Connections

III. RTD CONSTRUCTION

Figure 5. RTD Construction

1. 10Ω Copper (Figure 1)

• coil insulation thickness

• cooling gas (air or hydrogen)

• hydrogen pressure (slight effect)

IV. GAS TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT

V. LIQUID TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT

VI. RTD TYPES

Figure 6. Molded-Stick Type RTD

• cooling medium (air or hydrogen)

• hydrogen pressure (slightly)

Figure 7. Molded–Strip Type RTD

Figure 8. Bulb Type

Figure 9. Sheath–type RTD

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