AHS 1853

TEMPERATURE SENSOR Automotive Sensor & Actuator

Hairulazmi
UNIT LEARNING OUTCOME
1. Explain the measuring principles used in temperature sensor.
2. Perform the temperature measurement.
3. Analyse the output signal changes as the temperature change.
4. Identify the placement of temperature sensor on actual car.
OUTLINE
Introduction to temperature
Measuring principles
Resistive sensor
Thermocouple
Thermistor
TEMPERATURE
Non-directional quantity which characterizes the energy
state of a given medium, and which can be a function of
time and location:

T = T (x.y.z.t)

Where: x, y and z are the spatial coordinates, t is time, and T is

measured according to the Celsius or Kelvin scale
TEMPERATURE
MEASUREMENT
Measurements depend on the monitored media

Gases or liquid form: can be taken at any point

Solid bodies: restricted to body’s surface

DIRECT AND INDIRECT
MEASUREMENT

Figure 1: Water/coolant temperature sensor Figure 2: OATS

TEMPERATURE
MEASUREMENT METHOD
Direct contact method to measure as precisely as possible
Non contact method for special cases e.g. by means of its thermal radiation

Figure 3: Infra-red thermometer Figure 4: Thermal imager

THERMISTOR
Commonly used for temperature measurement on vehicles.
They are made out of semiconductor materials such as cobalt or nickel oxides.
Change in temperature causes change in change in resistance of the thermistor.
Most of the thermistors are of the negative temperature coefficient(NTC) type
Resistance range – Several Kilo Ohms at 0oC to a few hundred Ohms at 100oC.
Thus it can be more sensitive.
THERMISTOR: COMMON
APPLICATION
Air intake
Battery
Engine and transmission temperature
Air conditioning and internal/external environmental temperature
Oil and gas temperatures
TEMPERATURE SENSOR
Application: Engine management
Function: Registration of temperature of coolants, fuel and air
Installation: Engine block, coolant circuit, air-intake tract
Sensing principle: NTC technology (hot conductor, negative temperature coefficient)
Technical data:
1. Temperature range: -40°C...+150°C
2. Time constant: 5 s...44 s (depending on type)
3. Accuracy: ±0.8 K at 100°C ±1.5 K at 20°C
TEMPERATURE RANGE
No. Measuring Point Temperature range °C
1 Intake/charge air -40 to 170
2 External environment -40 to 60
3 Interior -20 to 80
4 Exhaust air/heating system -20 to 60
5 Evaporator (air-conditioning system) -10 to 50
6 Cooling water -40 to 130
7 Engine oil -40 to 170
8 Battery -40 to 100
9 Fuel -40 to 120
10 Tire air -40 to 120
11 Exhaust gas 100 to 1000
12 Brake caliper -40 to 2000

Table 1: Measuring points in the motor vehicle (Courtesy of Bosch automotive)

BASIC RELATIONSHIP
ΔR = kΔT

 Where;

 ΔR = change in resistance
 ΔT = change in temperature
 k = first-order temperature coefficient of resistance
 The equation above assume the relationship between temperature
and resistance is linear
MEASURING PRINCIPLE:
RESISTIVE

Figure 5: Resistance/voltage conversion

CHARACTERISTIC
NEGATIVE TEMPERATURE
COEFFICIENT (NTC)
Thermally sensitive semiconductor resistors.
Change in resistance due to the change in temperature.
Made from oxides of nickel, cobalt or sulfides of iron, aluminum or
copper.
Resistance decreases as their temperature increases.
APPLICATION

Temperature Measurement

An NTC Thermistor is chosen for accurate temperature

measurement when, small size is desired, or where small
temperature differences need to be measured.
ADVANTAGES

Available in many physical forms for probe configurations.

Standard two-wire connection system.
Good electrical noise immunity.
Easy to interface to electronic instrumentation.
AUTOMOTIVE RELATED
APPLICATIONS
STEINHART-HART
Purpose:
• To validate the measured resistance reading to
environment temperature.
• To map a non-linear into controller programming
level.

The formula:
S-H IN C
S-H: USING COEFFICIENT
CALCULATOR
Choose 3 point reading
 This reading can be obtained either from the table provided or plot on a graph
attached.
 Temperature value in degree Celsius.
 Take at least 10oC reading apart for a good coefficient value
 e.g. if 1st point is 0oC, next reading must be 10oC instead of 5oC.
 Resistance value in Ohm.
 Key-in the value in the calculator.
 Result of unknown T from manual calculation will be in degree Kelvin.
 2079.59
APPLICATIONS: STEINHART-
HART

Noticed the temperature selected are 20oC apart.

5oC, 25oC and 45oC
https://www.thinksrs.com/downloads/programs/therm%
20calc/ntccalibrator/ntccalculator.html
23
S-H METHOD
A= 2.509205357e-3
B= 0.8340336603e-4
C= 1.713059472e-7

Calculate temperature in deg. Celsius

when resistance reading is 87Ω.
ASSIGNMENT 1: WRITE A
REPORT
Explain measuring principles in: Submit latest by:
1. Thermocouple 20th August 2021 @ 5PM
2. Thermistor. Format: Word document/pdf
Take one example of temperature sensor and Softcopy only.
explain in detail:
Group of 3.
3. Calibration/signal conditioning
Pages: Not less than 12 pages.
4. Application
REFERENCE
https://www.amphenol-sensors.com/en/products/temperature/transportation-
assemblies/2134-automotive-temperature-sensors
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256611
https://store.vacmotorsports.com/vac---s54-water--coolant-temperature-
manifold-p1768.aspx
https://www.conrad-electronic.co.uk/ce/en/product/102267/Fluke-62-MAX-
Infrared-Thermometer