Temperature Sensors

❖ The means of accurately measuring temperatures has long

fascinated people.
❖ One of the differences between temperature and other
physical concepts, such as mass or length, is that it is
subjective.
❖ Different people will have different perceptions of what is
hot and what is cold.
❖ To make objective measurements, we must use thermometer
in which some physical property of a substance changes with
temperature in a reliable and reproducible way.
 Scale
❖ Temperature is a measure of the thermal energy in the
body. Normally measured in degrees [°]using one of
the
following scales.

1. Fahrenheit.[°F]
2. Celsius or centigrade. [°C]
3. Kelvin .[°K]
 Temperature measurement
●
The following characteristics can be used to
measure the temperature
●
A change in dimentions - expansion or
contraction of material w.r.t. Temp change
●
A change in electrical resistance of metals
and semi-conductors w.r.t. Temp change
● A thermo-electric emf produced due to temp
difference at two junctions of two metal alloy
joined together
●
A change in intensity and colour of radiation
emitted by the hot body w.r.t to change in temp
 Expansion thermometers

●
(1)Bimetalic thermometer -solid expansion
●
(2)Liquid in glass thermometers
1.Liquid – in – Glass
Thermometer
Construction
1. Bulb: The reservoir for containing most of
the thermometric liquid (mercury).

2. Stem: The glass tube having a capillary bore

along which the liquid moves with changes in
temperature.

3. Scale: A narrow-temperature-range scale

for reading a reference temperature .
• The volume of mercury changes slightly with
temperature; the small change in volume drives the
narrow mercury column a relatively long way up
the tube.

• The space above the mercury may be filled

with nitrogen or it may be at less than
atmospheric pressure, a partial vacuum.
❖ Advantages
1) Simplicity in use & low cost.
2) Portable device.
3) Checking physical damage is easy.
4) Power source not require.

❖Disadvantages
1) Can not used for automatic recording.
2) Time lag in measurement.
3) Range is limited to about 300 °C .
 2.Bimetallic Thermometer
❖In an industry, there is always a need to measure
and monitor temperature of a particular spot, field
or locality.

❖The industrial names given to such

temperature sensors are Temperature
Indicators (TI) or Temperature Gauges (TG).

❖All these temperature gauges belong to the class

of instruments that are known as bimetallic
sensors.
 Bimetallic Thermometer
Two basic principles of operation is to be followed
in the case of a bimetallic sensor.

1) A metal tends to undergo a volumetric

dimensional change (expansion/contraction),
according to the change in temperature.

2)Different metals have different co-efficient of

temperatures. The rate of volumetric change
depends on this co-efficient of temperature.
Construction
• The device consists of a bimetallic strip of two
different metals .
• They are bonded together to form a spiral or a
twisted helix.
• Both these metals are joined together at one end by
either welding or riveting.
• It is bonded so strong that there will not be any
relative motion between the two.
• The image of a bimetallic strip is shown below.
 Construction
❖ A change in temperature causes the free end of
the strip to expand or contract due to the
different coefficients of expansion of the two
metals.

❖ This movement is linear to the change in

temperature and the deflection of the free end can
be read out by attaching a pointer to it.

❖ This reading will indicate the value of temperature.

Bimetallic strips are available in different forms like
helix type, cantilever, spiral, and also flat type.
❖ Advantages
1) Power source not required
2)Robust, easy to use and cheap.
3)Can be used to 500 °C.

❖Disadvantages
1) Not very accurate.
2) Limited to applications where manual reading
is acceptable.
3) Not suitable for very low temperatures because
the expansion of metals tend to be too similar,
so the device becomes a rather insensitive
thermometer
 Resistance Thermometer
► Also called resistance temperature detectors (RTDs).
►Theyare used to measure temperature by correlating the resistance of the
RTD element with temperature.
►TheRTD element is made from a pure material, typically platinum, nickel or
copper.
►The material has a predictable change in resistance as the temperature changes
and it is this predictable change that is used to determine temperature.
►The elements are pretty fragile and therefore they are kept inside a sheathed
probe.
►RTD sensing elements constructed of platinum, copper or nickel have a
repeatable
resistance versus temperature relationship (R vs T) and operating temperature
range.
►R vs T relationship is defined as the amount of resistance change of the sensor
per degree of temperature change.
 Resistance Thermometer - Construction
► These elements nearly always require insulated leads attached.
►Attemperatures below about 250 °C PVC, silicone rubber or
PTFE insulators are used.
Above this, glass fibre or ceramic are used.
►The measuring points, and usually most of the leads, require a
housing or protective sleeve, often made of a metal alloy which is
chemically inert to the process being monitored.
 Resistance Thermometer – Element Typ1es
►Three main categories of RTD sensors are thin film, wire-
wound, and coiled elements.
Carbon resistors are used at ultra-low temperatures (-173 °C
to
-273 °C).
►inexpensive.
Carbon They are most
resistor reliable
elements at extreme
are widely low temperature
available and
and doare very
not suffer hysteresis and strain gauge effects.
► Strain free elements use a wire coil minimally supported within a
sealed housing filled with an inert gas. These sensors are used up
to 961.78 °C and they consist of platinum wire loosely coiled over
a support structure to provide free expansion and contraction with
temperature. They are highly sensitive to vibration and shock.
 Resistance Thermometer - Features
► Advantages of Resistance Thermometers:
► High accuracy
► Wide temperature range, normally between – 200 ° and 650 °C
► Smaller in size, faster in response
► Good repeatability stable and accurate performance over many years
► Temperature compensation is not required

► Disadvantages of Resistance Thermometers:

► Higher cost
► Bridge circuit and power supply are needed
► Heating of resistance elements and current through bridge circuits lead
to
inaccuracy
► Mechanical abuse induced because of vibration
► Larger bulb size than thermocouples
► Slower response time than thermistors.
 Thermocouple
► Thermocouples consist of two wire legs made from different metals.
► The wire’s legs are welded together at one end, creating a junction.
► This junction is where the temperature is measured.
► When the junction experiences a change in temperature, a voltage is created.
►The voltage can then be interpreted using thermocouple reference tables to
calculate the temperature.
►There are many types of thermocouples, each with its own unique characteristics
in terms of temperature range, durability, vibration resistance, chemical
resistance, and application compatibility.
►Type J, K, T, Metal” & E are
thermocouples, “Base most common types
the thermocouples. of
►Type R, S, and B thermocouples are “Noble Metal” thermocouples, which are
used in high temperature applications.
► Thermocouples are self-powered and require no external form of excitation.
►Thermocouples do not actually measure an absolute temperature; they only
measure the temperature difference between two points, commonly known as
the hot and cold junctions.
 Thermocouple – Working Principle
► Thomas Johann Seebeck discovered that when any conductor is
subject to a thermal gradient, it generates a voltage. This is now
known as the thermoelectric effect or Seebeck effect.
► Any attempt to measure this voltage necessarily
involves another conductor
connecting to the "hot" end.
► The additional conductor experiences the same temperature
gradient and also develops
a voltage, which normally opposes the original.
 Thermocouple - Features
► Advantages of Thermocouple:
► Capable of being used to directly measure temperatures up to 2600°C
► Maybe brought into direct contact with the material being measured
► High resolution
► Rugged and reliable
►Disadvantages of Thermocouple:
Non-linear Complex operation
Two measurements required
Calibration required when in use
 RTD – Thermocouple - Thermister
Criteria Thermocouple RTD
Thermistor

Temp Range -267°C -240°C to 649°C -100°C to

to 500°C
2316°C
Accuracy Good Best
Good
Linearity Better Best
Good

Sensitivity Good Better Best

Cost Best Good

Better
 Thermister
► Thermistors are thermally sensitive resistors whose prime function is to
exhibit a large, predictable and precise change in electrical resistance
when subject to a corresponding change in body temperature.
► These are semiconductors made from a specific mixture of pure oxides of
nickel,
manganese, copper, cobalt, iron, magnesium, titanium and other metals
sintered at 982
°C.
► Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) thermistors exhibit a decrease in
electrical resistance when subject to an increase in body temperature
and
Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) thermistors exhibit an increase
in electrical resistance when subject to an increase in body temperature.
 Thermist
►Thermistors differ
er
from resistance
(RTDs) in that the material
temperature detectors

used in a thermistor is generally a ceramic or polymer, while RTDs

use pure metals.
► Range of Operation: −90 °C to 130 °C. Accuracy: ±0.1°C or
±0.2°C.
 Thermister - Principle
To measure temperature with a thermistor, it is placed in the measuring envi8ronment
►

and as temperature increases, the resistance decreases (assuming NTC), and vice
versa.
ce
► The thermistor is placed in one leg of a Wheatstone bridge circuit and at balan d
condition with
no change of temperature, the meter indicates zero.
a
► With changes in temperature, the Wheatstone bridge becomes unbalanced d an
n
electric current flows in the circuit.
► In this bridge circuit, three resistors are constant, R a, R b, and R c, while the resistive
sensor, RS, varies depending upon some physical variable - like temperature, light
level, etc. That's where the thermistor can be used.
► The thermistor can be placed anywhere in the bridge with three constant resistors, but
different placements can produce different behaviour in the bridge. For example,
different placements might cause the output voltage to go in different directions as
the temperature changes.
 Thermister - Features
► Advantages of Thermistors:
► Thermistors offer better accuracy in comparison to RTDs and thermocouples.
► Unlike RTDs and thermocouples, they are highly sensitive.
► They are smaller in size as compared to thermocouples.
► Thermistors provide faster response than RTDs.
► They offer high stability and brilliant repeatability.
► They are very reliable and convenient to use.
►Unlikethermocouples which provide millivolt outputs, use of thermistors result in
reasonable output voltages.
► Thermistors are particularly low cost and easily adaptable temperature sensors.
► Disadvantages of Thermistors:
► Highly non-linear
► Limited temperature range