School of Engineering Technology

Department of Electrical Engineering

Instrumentation and Control Systems Lab

Lab Experiment # 3
Sensing Elements: Temperature Sensors

Issue Date Contributors Verified by List of Modifications

2 Oct. 2020 Eng. Atheer AlShaggah Dr. Abdelrahman Al-Attili
1 Oct. 2019 Eng. Wala’a Qwaider Dr. Abdelrahman Al-Attili
School of Engineering Technology
Department of Electrical Engineering
Instrumentation and Control Systems
Lab Experiment # 3

Lab Experiment # 3
Sensing Elements: Temperature Sensors

Purpose: The purpose of this lab session is to obtain basic knowledge about electronics,
measurement, sensors, and instrumentation. Also, to be able to analyze sensor, instrument,
and measurement situations. Learn how to identify the measured nominal value, range,
accuracy, speed environmental conditions.

Background:
The instrumentation measurement system is used to give a numerical value corresponding
to the value being measured as shown in the following block diagram:

Sensing element Signal processing Data presentation

The sensing element is the contact element with the measured variable, and it gives output
depending in some way on the value of the measured variable. Some examples of the
sensing elements are the temperature sensors. There are three well-known temperature
sensors:

A. Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD), where the resistance of the sensor changes
according to the change in the temperature. When the temperature increases the
resistance increases. The one we are going to use today is PT-100.
B. Thermistors are semiconductor sensors made from a mixture of metal oxide. The
resistance of the thermistor decreases in a very non-linear manner with an increase in
temperature. The one we are going to use today is NTC 10D-15 which has a resistance
of 20K at 20o C.
C. A thermocouple consists of two different metals joined together. If both junctions are
at the same temperature, the potential difference between the two junctions cancels
each other. If a temperature difference occurs between the two junctions, there is a
potential difference. The value of the potential difference depends on the value of the
temperature difference. The one we are going to use today is the type K Thermocouple.
In the lab
-Sensors Specifications:
A. RTD
1- Connect the hot plate and plate.
2- Set the temperature of the water to be 20o C.

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School of Engineering Technology
Department of Electrical Engineering
Instrumentation and Control Systems
Lab Experiment # 3

3-Place the RTD inside the water and connect its terminal to a DMM to measure the
resistance.
4- Change the water temperature as in the following table and fill it.
Water Temperature R R (Table) Error
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
5- Set the water temperatures at 60o C and take the resistance value each 20 second
for 10 minutes.
Time (minutes) R Time (minutes) R
0.2 5.2
0.4 5.4
1.0 6.0
1.2 6.2
1.4 6.4
2.0 7.0
2.2 7.2
2.4 7.4
3.0 8.0
3.2 8.2
3.4 8.4
4.0 9.0
4.2 9.2
4.4 9.4
5.0 10.0
B. Thermistor
1- Connect the hot plate and plate.
2- Set the temperature of the water to be 20o C.
3- Place the Thermistor inside the water and connect its terminal to a DMM to
measure the resistance.
4- Change the water temperature as in the following table and fill it.
Water Temperature R R (Table) Error
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
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School of Engineering Technology
Department of Electrical Engineering
Instrumentation and Control Systems
Lab Experiment # 3

55
60
5- Set the water temperatures at 60o C and take the resistance value each 20 second
for 10 minutes.

Time (minutes) R Time (minutes) R

0.2 5.2
0.4 5.4
1.0 6.0
1.2 6.2
1.4 6.4
2.0 7.0
2.2 7.2
2.4 7.4
3.0 8.0
3.2 8.2
3.4 8.4
4.0 9.0
4.2 9.2
4.4 9.4
5.0 10.0
C. Thermocouple
1- Connect the hot plate and plate.
2- Set the temperature of the water to be 20o C.
3- place the Thermocouple inside the water and connect its terminal to a DMM to
measure the voltage difference.
4- Change the water temperature as in the following table and fill it.

Water Temperature Δv **Δv (Table) Error

20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60

**(Since the cold junction is not at 0 we have to use the law of intermediate
temperatures, we consider the cold junction to be 20 degree, so subtract from 0.8 )

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School of Engineering Technology
Department of Electrical Engineering
Instrumentation and Control Systems
Lab Experiment # 3

5- Set the water temperatures at 60o C and take the value of Δv every 20 second for
10 minutes.
Time (minutes) Δv Time (minutes) Δv
0.2 5.2
0.4 5.4
1.0 6.0
1.2 6.2
1.4 6.4
2.0 7.0
2.2 7.2
2.4 7.4
3.0 8.0
3.2 8.2
3.4 8.4
4.0 9.0
4.2 9.2
4.4 9.4
5.0 10.0

Lab task on Your Own

- Use excels or MATLAB to draw the relation temperature with the resistance for
the RTD and the thermistor and the temperatures with the ΔV for the
thermocouple.
- Work out the equations for each curve.
- From the curves find the sensitivity for each sensor.
- Use the table on the Appendix A to calculate the error for each sensor and
comment on the accuracy of each sensor.
- Draw the disruption of the values you got from 5 for each sensor. What do you
conclude?
- Compare between sensors regard their specifications.

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School of Engineering Technology
Department of Electrical Engineering
Instrumentation and Control Systems
Lab Experiment # 3

- Appendix (Data Sheet)

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School of Engineering Technology
Department of Electrical Engineering
Instrumentation and Control Systems
Lab Experiment # 3

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School of Engineering Technology
Department of Electrical Engineering
Instrumentation and Control Systems
Lab Experiment # 3

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