Temperature Measuring

Instruments
Dr. Fahad Rehman
CUI, Lahore Campus
Temperature Measuring Instruments
• Thermistor

• RTDs

• Thermocouples

• Pyrometers
Thermistor
• Thermistor is a combination of two words “Thermal” and “Resistor”.
• Invented by Samuel Ruben in 1930
• U.S Patent# 2021491
• Thermistors are made of semiconductor materials (metallic
compounds including oxides such as manganese, copper, cobalt, and
nickel, as well as single-crystal semiconductors silicon and
germanium)
• Common carbon resistors, made from carbon powder mixed with a
phenolic binder glue.
Thermistors
• Assume a simple linear relationship between resistance and temperature
for the following discussion:

• ΔR = k ΔT

• where

• ΔR = change in resistance
• ΔT = change in temperature
• k = first-order temperature coefficient of resistance
• Thermistors can be classified into two types depending on the sign
of k.

• If k is positive, the resistance increases with increasing temperature,

and the device is called a positive temperature coefficient (PTC)
thermistor, Posistor.

• If k is negative, the resistance decreases with increasing temperature,

and the device is called a negative temperature coefficient (NTC)
thermistor.
• PTC thermistors can be used in place of fuses for circuit protection. As
the circuit heats up, resistance increases to prevent overload.

• NTC thermistors, on the other hand, are used as current-limiters and

temperature monitors in digital thermostats and automobiles
• Thermistor-choice is based on;
• the nominal resistance
• the operating temperature range
• on the size
• on the time constant.

• Time constants are about 5 - 10 seconds. (Check this out with your
thermistor).
• Thermistor is very definitely a non-linear sensor. However,
the major advantages of thermistors are their relatively
low cost and their small size.

• This size advantage means that the time constant of

thermistors operated in sheaths is small, although the size
reduction also decreases its heat dissipation capability
and so makes the self-heating effect greater.

• In consequence, thermistors have to be operated at

generally lower current levels than resistance
thermometers and so the measurement sensitivity is less.
Testing a Thermistor
• For faulty thermistors, we may observe the following things.
• The change in reading will never be smooth or there will not be any
change at all.
• For a short thermistor, the meter reading will be always zero where as
for an open thermistor the meter reading will be always infinity.
• As I mentioned earlier, it is just a rough test.
• For confirmation, we need to follow some process of measuring the
temperature and corresponding resistance reading an
 RTDs
• Resistance temperature detectors rely on
the principle that the resistance of a metal
varies with temperature according to the
relationship

𝑅 ≈ 𝑅𝑜 (1 + 𝛼1 ∆𝑇)
• Where
R = the resistance of the conductor at temperature t
(0C)
R0= the resistance at the reference temperature,
usually 200C
α = the temperature coefficient of resistance
ΔT= the difference between the operating and the
reference temperature
 SENSOR ACCURACY to DIN EN 60751:1995(DIN
3
IEC 751)

2.5
Error in Degrees C.

1.5

0.5

0
-200 -150 -100 -50 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
Temperature in Degrees C.
• Platinum is the best metal for RTD elements for three reasons.
• It follows a very linear resistance-to temperature relationship;
• it follows its resistance-to-temperature relationship in a highly repeatable
manner over its temperature range
• It has the widest temperature range among the metals used to make RTDs.

• Platinum is not the most sensitive

metal; however, it is the metal that
offers the best long term stability.
 RTDs
• The working range of each of these four types of resistance
thermometer is as shown below:

• Platinum: -270°C to 1000°C (though use above 650°C is uncommon)

• Copper: -200°C to 260°C
• Nickel: -200°C to 430°C
• Tungsten: -270°C to 1100°C
 RTDs
• The sensitive portion of an RTD, called an element, is a coil of small-
diameter, high-purity wire, usually constructed of platinum, copper,
or nickel.

• This type of configuration is called a wire-wound element. With

thin-film elements, a thin film of platinum is deposited onto a
ceramic substrate.
Thermocouple
The Seebeck
effect is a
phenomenon in
which a temperature
difference between
two dissimilar
electrical conductors
or semiconductors
produces a voltage
difference between
the two substances.
Thermocouple
In 1821, T.J. Seebeck discovered that when two distinct metals were joined at a
point as part of a circuit at different temperatures, a compass needle could be
deflected. Later he determined that the temperature difference caused an
electrical current and the voltage generated was close to proportional to the T .
An example of a circuit is shown in Figure 5.9, where This referred to as the hot
junction and Tc represents the cold junction and A and B represent two
dissimilar metals (or alloys). The voltage resulting from joining two metals at
different temperatures is referred to as the Seebeck effect .

(although it was Nobili in 1829 who invented the first thermocouple).

Peltier showed in 1834 that by passing a current through two dissimilar metals,
the junction would heat up in one direction and cool down in the opposite
direction. This is known as the Peltier effect and can be used to liqueify nitrogen
(−196 ◦C).
Thermocouple
Thermocouple
Thermocouples
• Thomson effect; A potential is created due to a temperature gradient
along the length of the thermocouple wires.
• The choice of thermocouple;

• “Bare wire requirement”

• Accuracy
• Metal/alloy- material of construction
• Geometry of application.
• Response time
 Thermopile
The emf generated is directly proportional to
the number of junctions. A four-junction Type
J thermopile generates 21.076 mV—or four
times that of a single thermocouple. Greater
precision may also be achieved by more
advanced electronics with respect to
potentiometers but for precise
measurements of temperature differentials, a
thermopile is very effective. Figure 5.10
illustrates the electrical circuit of a four-
junction thermopile measuring the
temperature differential between two points.
Thermowell design style
(thickness at tip)