GLLG muiuiu u m m e n c e in aapporo, August 4-6, ZUW

Hokkaido Institute of Tecnology, Japan

E.M.F. Drift and Inhomogeneity

of Q p e K Thermocouples
T. Hatnadal, Y Suyama2
Tanaka IClkinzoku Kogyo K.K. Isehara Works, 26 Suzukawa Isehara @259-1146 Japan
1 [email protected]
2 Y-SWAMA@ml,tanaka.co.jp

Abstract: Type K thennocouples were exposed at some temperatures in order to estimate their E.M.F.
drift and inhomogeneity. About 3'C E.M.F. drift was observed at 7OO0Cexposure. And over 10°C E.M.F.
change caused by inhomogeneity was also observed at XOO°C exposure. It wiU be dangerous for type K
thermocouples to calibrate at around 800OC
Keywords: Type K, Thermocouple, Drift, Inhomogeneity.

1. Introduction
PIatindaUadium thermocouple has already been exam-
ined and reported by Ogra et 01'. 2). It is applied for the
transfer standard at Silver and Cupper fixed points on JCSS '.
Qpe R themocoupIe, which is apply for working stan-
dard, has also been reported of its E.M.F. drift and
inhomogeneity3-4, ').
However little reports of simiIar E.M.F. drift and inhomo-
geneity are seen of type K thermocouple@ in spite of the
grate use in not only laboratory but also industry.
So, we are going to report the E.M.F. drift and inhomo-
geneity of type K thermocouple after exposed at high e m -
peratures.
JIS C 1602-*9g5says that 65OoCis an upper limit for con-
tinuous measurement and 850T is another limit for short
t:
time measurement €or type K thermocouple with 4 0.65mm O O 20 40
wires. So, calibration often requires up to 85OoC. Distance from the hot juction, Ucm
Following the above, type K thermocouples were exposed
at 70OoC and 800T in order to evaluate their E.M.F. drift
and inhomogeneity in the experiment.
Figure 1: Temperature distributions of the heating fumace
and measuring furnace.
2. E.M.F.drift
There will be two method to measure the E.M.F. drift of ther- In this case, temperature distribution is changed be-
mocouples. Details are as follows. tween two furnaces, so that the measured E.M.F. con-
tains the effect of inhomogeneity. However it is possi-
1. in situ observation" ble to measure at fixed points, small change of E.M.F.
The test is performed in a furnace. The test thermocou- is detected,
ples keep being in the fumace and a new thermocou-
ple is installed into the furnace when the temperature As each method has merit and demerit, present experiment
and/or E.M.F. is measured. has performed with Two furuace method. From the view
point if the calibrated results is believed by users, how much
This method has a merit that there is no influence difference will be observed caused by inhomogeneity which
caused by inhomogeneity. is born the difference between the temperatwe distribution
of the furnaces among the calibration laboratory and users
2. N o fumace methods
one.
' h o furnaces are used for the test. The first one is for
only expose at high temperatures. When measure the
E.M.F. drift andlor inhomogeneity, thermocouples are 2.1 Experimental procedure
put into another furnace. 1. Q p e K thermocouple wires are installed into two bom
'Japan Calibration Service System insulators with 6 3" out diameter, 4 0.8" holes and

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PR0002/04/oooQ-0989
 I ' I I I 1 I
3. Inhomogeneity
There is also some method to detect the value of inhomo-
geneity as well as E.M.F. drift. From the same view paint of
E.M.F. drift measurement, following procedure was applied
in this experiment.

I 1
800 -

0 .
2

-
0 200 400 600
Temperature, T/"C

Figure 2: E.M.F. drift of a type K thermocouple caused by

700°C exposure.

l O O m m length. No annealing is applied for wires. 35cm

2. Comparison calibrations are applied 2 0 0 T through

60OOC with 2 0 0 T interval. Standard thermometer is
a type R theimocouple calibrated at some fixed point.
3. The type K thermocouple is exposed at 70OOC for 5
hours.
4. Repeat the 2 and 3 for several times.

2.2 Experimental Results

Figure 1 shows the temperature distributions of furnaces.
The one, which has long homogeneous temperature aria, is
for exposure at '7OO0C. Other three ones, which has short d
homogeneous temperature aria, are used for comparison cal-
ibration at 200°C, 400OC and 600'C. 0 20
In this conditions, the aria of thermocouple exposed at lo time, +/min.
700°C homogeneously is put on the temperature gradient
aria when the coinparison calibration So, I think the E.M.F.
drift caused by purely high temperature exposure is detected Figure 3: Temperature distribution of the fumace compar-
by comparison cdibratiw. ing to the thermocouple positions and tempera-
Figure 2 shows the E.M.F. drift caused by 700T expo- ture stability at each position.
sure. After the first and second exposure, E.M.F. increases
gradually. Later the E.M.F. seems stable.
Anyway, E.M.F. of the type K thermocouple drift for at
least first 15 hours. If the calibration is performed less than 3.1 Experimental Procedure
15 hours at 7OO0C,the E.M.F. will drift during the use. 1. Reference standard type R thermocouple
Type R thermocouple is the reference standard. It is ob-
vious that this reference standard will also have the in-
homogeneity, however the value is regarded to be small
enough comparing with that of type K. So, the drift
and inhomogeneity of reference standard type R ther-
mocouple is ignored.

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 50 100 150 200
time, Vh

Figure 4: E.M.F. change caused by inhomogeneity

2. Temperature distribution of the furnace is measured Figure 4 shows the E.M.F. change, calculated to tempera-
with a type R thermocouple. (see Fig. 3) ture, from the reference standard type R thermocouple .
At the beginning of the test, the type K thermocouples
3. Reference standard Type R thermocouple with only a h - show little difference between center position and puiled po-
mina insulator and type K thermocouples with not only sition. However, the longer exposed time bring larger EMF.
alumina insulator but also in silica tube a e wounded change especially at 50cm and 57.5cm positions.
with platinum wire caring hot junction being same At last after 200 hours passed, the E.M.F. change caused
depth. by inhomogeneity over 10°C at 57.5cm position !!
4. Put the thermocouples at 35cm position in fig.3. Generally speaking, temperature stability and distribution
of calibration furnace should be good as well as possible. As
5 . E.M.F. o f each thermocouple is measured at this posi- the result, its immersion depth becomes larger.
tion. On the other hand, furnaces in laboratories andor facto-
ries do not always have long immersion depth. So that the
6. Pull the thermocouples to the 42.5cm position in fig.3 similar situation will occur, i.e. the thermocouple is cali-
and E.M.F. of each thermocouple is measured. brated with long immersion depth in a calibration laboratory
7. Pull them 50cm and measure. Then Pull them 57.5cm but it is set with short immersion depth in a factory.
and measure. In this case, the calibration makes no sense.

8. Go back the thermocouples to the 35cm position.

9. Keep at SOOT overnight.

4. Conclusion
10. Repeat 5-9 several times. About 3 T E.M.F. drift was observed at 700T exposure.
And over 10°CE.M.F. change caused by inhomogeneity was
also observed at 800°C exposure.
3.2 Experimental ResuIts According to the present experiment, the calibration of
Figure 3 shows the temperature distribution of the furnace type K thermocouples sometimes makes no sense at high
comparing with the thermocouple positions. temperatures.
At night, thermocouples are exposed at 800°C. The aria
of thermocouples, where the temperature is almost ho-
mogeneous around XOOOC at 3 5 m position, gets a grate Acknowledgment
temperature gradient when thermocouples are pulled to
42.5cm ......57.5cm. Present measurement had performed Mr, Igari and Takemoto
If the high temperature exposure gives inhomogeneity, who were student of Tamagawa University, when they were
the larger distance from the center of the furnace, the more staying TANAKA KIKINZOKU KOGYO K.K. Isehara Works
E.M.F. change will be observed. Thermometer Calibration Laboratory as a laboratory work.

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 We would like to thank them and Professor Gotoh, Pro-
fessor of Tamagawa University, allowing the presentationof
their measurement.

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