Temperature Measurement

Class 6
 Introduction
Instruments to measure temperature can be divided into separate classes according to the physical principle on which they operate.

The main principles used are:

 Varying Resistance Devices

 Sensitivity of semiconductor device

 The thermoelectric effect

 Radiative heat emission

 Thermography

 Thermal expansion

 Resonant frequency change

 Sensitivity of fibre optic devices

 Acoustic thermometry

 Color change

 Change of state of material.

 Varying Resistance Devices
 Varying resistance devices rely on the

physical principle of the variation of

resistance with temperature.

 The devices are known as either resistance

thermometers or thermistors according to

whether the material used for their

construction is a metal or a semiconductor,

and both are common measuring devices.

 Varying Resistance Devices
 The normal method of measuring resistance is to

use a d.c. bridge.

 The excitation voltage of the bridge has to be

chosen very carefully because, although a high

value is desirable for achieving high measurement

sensitivity, the self-heating effect of high currents

flowing in the temperature transducer creates an

error by increasing the temperature of the device

and so changing the resistance value.

 Varying Resistance Devices
 Resistance thermometers, which are alternatively known as resistance

temperature devices (or RTDs), rely on the principle that the resistance of a

metal varies with temperature according to the relationship:


R  Ro 1  a1T  a2T 2    anT n 
 If the square and higher order terms are neglected, the equation

becomes:

R  Ro 1 a1T 
 This equation is approximately true over a limited temperature range for

some metals, notably platinum, copper and nickel

 Varying Resistance Devices
 Platinum has the most linear resistance–temperature characteristic, and it also has good

chemical inertness, making it the preferred type of resistance thermometer in most

applications. Its resistance–temperature relationship is linear within ±0.4% over the

temperature range between -200°C and +40°C.

 Platinum thermometers are made in two forms, as a coil wound on a mandrel and as a

film deposited on a ceramic substrate. The nominal resistance at 0°C is typically 100Ω or

1000 Ω. Sensitivity is 0.385 Ω /°C (100Ω type) or 3.85Ω/°C (1000 Ωtype). A high nominal

resistance is advantageous in terms of higher measurement sensitivity, and the

resistance of connecting leads has less effect on measurement accuracy. However, cost

goes up as the nominal resistance increases.

 Thermistors
 Thermistors are manufactured from beads of semiconductor material prepared from

oxides of the iron group of metals such as chromium, cobalt, iron, manganese and

nickel. Normally, thermistors have a negative temperature coefficient, i.e. the resistance

decreases as the temperature increases.

 The major advantages of thermistors are their relatively low cost and their small size.

This size advantage means that the time constant of thermistors 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.

 Semiconductor devices
 Integrated circuit transistors produce an output proportional to the absolute temperature. Different types are configured to give an output

in the form of either a varying current (typically 1 μA/K) or varying voltage (typically 10 mV/K). Current forms are normally used with a digital

voltmeter that detects the current output in terms of the voltage drop across a 10 kΩ resistor. In diodes, the forward voltage across the

device varies with temperature. Output from a typical diode package is in the microamp range. Diodes have a small size, with good output

linearity and typical inaccuracy of only ±0.5

 Semiconductor devices, consisting of either diodes or integrated circuit transistors have the advantage of being relatively inexpensive, but

one difficulty that affects their use is the need to provide an external power supply to the sensor. Although the devices have a very low cost

and linearity, they only have a limited measurement range from -50°C to +150°C. Their inaccuracy is typically ±3%, which limits their range of

application. However, they are widely used to monitor pipes and cables, where their low cost means that it is feasible to mount multiple

sensors along the length of the pipe/cable to detect hot spots.

 Thermoelectric effect sensors
(thermocouples)
 A thermocouple is a device consisting of two different conductors (usually metal alloys) that produce a voltage proportional to a

temperature difference between either end of the pair of conductors.

 Thermocouples are a widely used type of temperature sensor for measurement and control and can also be used to convert a heat

gradient into electricity. They are inexpensive, interchangeable, are supplied with standard connectors, and can measure a wide range

of temperatures. In contrast to most other methods of temperature measurement, thermocouples are self powered and require no

external form of excitation. The main limitation with thermocouples is accuracy and system errors of less than one degree Celsius (C)

can be difficult to achieve.

Metal A

T T 0 10
H r

Metal B
 Thermoelectric effect sensors
(thermocouples)
 Thermocouples are manufactured from various combinations of

the base metals copper and iron, the base-metal alloys of alumel

(Ni/Mn/Al/Si), chromel (Ni/Cr), constantan (Cu/Ni). Each

standard combination is known by an internationally recognized

type letter, for instance type K is chromel–alumel.

 The e.m.f.– temperature characteristics for some of these

standard thermocouples show reasonable linearity over at least

part of their temperature-measuring ranges.

 Thermoelectric effect sensors
(thermocouples)
 Thermocouples measure the temperature difference between two points, not absolute temperature. To measure a single

temperature one of the junctions—normally the cold junction—is maintained at a known reference temperature, and the other

junction is at the temperature to be sensed.

 Having a junction of known temperature, while useful for laboratory calibration, is not convenient for most measurement and

control applications. Instead, they incorporate an artificial cold junction using a thermally sensitive device such as a thermistor or

diode to measure the temperature of the input connections at the instrument, with special care being taken to minimize any

temperature gradient between terminals. Hence, the voltage from a known cold junction can be simulated, and the appropriate

correction applied. This is known as cold junction compensation. Some integrated circuits are designed to output a compensated

voltage based on thermocouple type and cold junction temperature.

 Thermoelectric effect sensors
(thermocouples)
 Tables for a range of standard thermocouples are available. In these tables, a range of temperatures is given in the left-hand column and

the e.m.f. output for each standard type of thermocouple is given in the columns to the right. The tables are given with reference to a

base temperature of zero °C

 Thermoelectric effect sensors
(thermocouples)
 Tables for a range of standard thermocouples are available. In these tables, a range of temperatures is given in the left-hand column and

the e.m.f. output for each standard type of thermocouple is given in the columns to the right.
 Thermoelectric effect sensors
(thermocouples)
 For analysis purposes, it is useful to represent the thermocouple by its

equivalent electrical circuit. The e.m.f. generated at the point where the

different wires are connected together is represented by a voltage source,

E1, and the point is known as the hot junction. The temperature of the hot

junction is customarily shown as T on the diagram.

h

 The e.m.f. generated at the hot junction is measured at the open ends of the

thermocouple, which is known as the reference junction.

T
r
 Thermoelectric effect sensors
(thermocouples)
 In practice, extension leads up to several metres long are connected between the thermocouple and the

measuring instrument. This modifies the equivalent circuit There are now three junctions in the system and

consequently three voltage sources, E1, E2 and E3, with the point of measurement of the e.m.f.

 The measuring system is completed by connecting the extension leads to the voltage measuring instrument,

this introduces two further e.m.f.-generating junctions E4 and E5 into the system The net output e.m.f. T
r
measured (Em) is then given by:
 Thermoelectric effect sensors
(thermocouples)
 It is usual to choose materials for the extension lead wires such that the

magnitudes of E2 and E3 are approximately zero, irrespective of the

junction temperature. In this form, the extension leads are usually

known as compensating leads.

 typical example of this is the use of nickel/copper–copper extension

leads connected to a platinum/rhodium–platinum thermocouple.

T
r
 Thermoelectric effect sensors
(thermocouples)
 Copper compensating leads are also sometimes used with some types of base metal

thermocouples. To analyse the effect of connecting the extension leads to the voltage-

measuring instrument, a thermoelectric law known as the law of intermediate metals can

be used.

 This states that the e.m.f. generated at the junction between two metals or alloys A and C

is equal to the sum of the e.m.f. generated at the junction between metals or alloys A and
T
B and the e.m.f. generated at the junction between metals or alloys B and C, where all r
junctions are at the same temperature. This can be expressed more simply as:
 Thermoelectric effect sensors
(thermocouples)
 Suppose we have an iron–constantan thermocouple connected to a meter with copper

leads. We can express E4 and E5 as:

 Thus, the effect of connecting the thermocouple extension wires to the copper leads to

the meter is cancelled out, and the actual e.m.f. at the reference junction is equivalent to

that arising from an iron–constantan connection at the reference junction temperature.

 Thermoelectric effect sensors
(thermocouples)
 The equivalent circuit becomes simplified to that shown.The e.m.f. Em measured by the voltage-

measuring instrument is the sum of only two e.m.f.s, consisting of the e.m.f. generated at the hot

junction temperature E1 and the e.m.f. generated at the reference junction temperature Eref. The

e.m.f. generated at the hot junction can then be calculated as:

 Eref can be calculated if the temperature of the reference junction is known. In practice, this is often

achieved by immersing the reference junction in an ice bath to maintain it at a reference

temperature of 0°C. The data in the tables are valid when the reference junction is exactly at this

temperature.
 Example
 If the e.m.f. output measured from a chromel–constantan (Type E ) thermocouple is 13.419mV

with the reference junction at 0°C, what is the temperature at the hot junction?
 Example 1: Solution
 If the e.m.f. output measured from a chromel–constantan (Type E ) thermocouple is 13.419mV

with the reference junction at 0°C, what is the temperature at the hot junction?

 The appropriate column in the tables shows that this corresponds to a hot junction temperature

of 200°C.
 Example 1: Solution
 If the e.m.f. output measured from a chromel–constantan (Type E )hermocouple is 13.419mV

with the reference junction at 0°C, what is the temperature at the hot junction?

 The appropriate column in the tables shows that this corresponds to a hot junction temperature

of 200°C.
 Example 2
 If the measured output e.m.f. for a chromel–constantan thermocouple (reference junction at

0°C) was 10.65 mV, what is the temperature at the hot junction?
 Example 2. Solution
 If the measured output e.m.f. for a chromel–constantan thermocouple (reference junction at 0°C) was 10.65 mV, what is the temperature at

the hot junction?

 It is necessary to carry out linear interpolation between the temperature of 160°C corresponding to an e.m.f. of 10.501mV shown in the tables

and he temperature of 170°C corresponding to an e.m.f. of 11.222 mV. This interpolation procedure gives an indicated hot junction

temperature of 162°C.
Non-zero reference junction temperature
 Maintaining the reference junction at 0°C is not a straightforward matter, particularly if the environmental temperature around the

measurement system is relatively hot. In consequence, it is common practice in many practical applications of thermocouples to maintain the

reference junction at a non-zero temperature by putting it into a controlled environment maintained by an electrical heating element.

 In order to still be able to apply thermocouple tables, correction then has to be made for this non-zero reference junction temperature using

a second thermoelectric law known as the law of intermediate temperatures. This states that:

where: E(Th, T0) is the e.m.f. with the junctions at temperatures Th and T0, E(Th,Tr) is the e.m.f. with the junctions at temperatures Th and Tr,

and E(Tr,T0) is the e.m.f. with the junctions at temperatures Tr and T0, Th is the hot junction measured temperature, T0 is 0°C and Tr is the

non-zero reference junction temperature that is somewhere between T0 and Th.

 Example 3
 Suppose that the reference junction of a chromel–constantan

thermocouple is maintained at a temperature of 80°C and the

output e.m.f. measured is 40.102mV when the hot junction is

immersed in a fluid. What is the temperature of the hot fluid?

 Example 3. Solution
 Suppose that the reference junction of a chromel–constantan

thermocouple is maintained at a temperature of 80°C and the output

e.m.f. measured is 40.102mV when the hot junction is immersed in a

fluid. What is the temperature of the hot fluid?

Tr = 80°C and E(Th,Tr) = 40.102mV

 From the tables, E(Tr,T0) = 4.983mV. Now applying the equation above:

E(Th,T0) = 40.102 + 4.983 = 45.085mV

Again referring to the tables, this indicates a fluid temperature of 600°C.

 Example 4
 In a particular industrial situation, a chromel–alumel thermocouple with chromel–alumel extension wires is used to measure the

temperature of a fluid. In connecting up this measurement system, the instrumentation engineer has inadvertently interchanged

the extension wires from the thermocouple. The ends of the extension wires are held at a reference temperature of 0°C and the

output e.m.f. measured is 12.1mV. If the junction between the thermocouple and extension wires is at a temperature of 40°C,

what temperature of fluid is indicated and what is the true fluid temperature?

Metal C

Metal A Alumel

0 °C
T T
H L 40 °C

Metal B
15 Chromel
15

0 10
0 10
 Example 4. Solution
 Chromel–alumel thermocouple with chromel–alumel extension wires

Reference temperature: 0°C

Measured output e.m.f.: 12.1mV.

Junction temperature of the thermocouple and extension wires : 40°C

what temperature of fluid is indicated and what is the true fluid

temperature?

By interpolation, the temperature giving an e.m.f. output of 12.1mV for a K type

thermocouple is 297.4°C. This is the indicated temperature.

Alumel

0 °C

40 °C

T =?
H 15
Chromel

0 10
 Example 4. Solution
Summing e.m.f.s around the loop:

Interpolating from the thermocouple tables, this indicates that the true fluid temperature is 374.5°C.

E Alumel
3
Chromel
0 °C
E
1 40 °C

T =?
H Alumel 15 Chromel

E
0 10
2
 Radiation thermometers
 All objects emit electromagnetic radiation as a function

of their temperature when it is above absolute zero, and

radiation thermometers (also known as radiation

pyrometers) measure this radiation in order to calculate

the temperature of the object. The total rate of radiation

Infra Red
emission per second is given by: Ultra Violet Visible Light

E  kT 4
 Radiation thermometers
 The power spectral density of this emission varies with

temperature in the manner shown. The major part of the

frequency spectrum lies within the band of wavelengths

between 0.3 μm and 40 μm, which corresponds to the visible

(0.3–0.72 μm) and infrared (0.72–1000 μm) ranges.

Infra Red

 As the magnitude of the radiation varies with temperature, Ultra Violet Visible Light

measurement of the emission from a body allows the

temperature of the body to be calculated

 Radiation thermometers
 Choice of the best method of measuring the emitted

radiation depends on the temperature of the body. At

low temperatures, the peak of the power spectral

density function lies in the infrared region, whereas at

higher temperatures it moves towards the visible part

Infra Red
of the spectrum.
Ultra Violet Visible Light

 This phenomenon is observed as the red glow that a

body begins to emit as its temperature is increased

beyond 600°C
Radiation thermometers

Infra Red

Ultra Violet Visible Light

 Radiation thermometers
 Different versions of radiation thermometers are capable of measuring

temperatures between -100°C and +10000°C with measurement

inaccuracy as low as ±0.05%.

 Portable, battery-powered, hand-held versions are also available, and

Infra Red
these are particularly easy to use. The important advantage that
Ultra Violet Visible Light
radiation thermometers have over other types of temperature-measuring

instrument is that there is no contact with the hot body while its

temperature is being measured.

 Radiation thermometers
 The radiation from a body varies with the composition and surface

condition of the body as well as with temperature. This dependence on

surface condition is quantified by the emissivity of the body. The use of

radiation thermometers is further complicated by absorption and scattering

of the energy between the emitting body and the radiation detector. Energy Infra Red

Ultra Violet Visible Light

is scattered by atmospheric dust and water droplets and absorbed by

carbon dioxide, ozone and water vapour molecules.

 Therefore, all radiation thermometers have to be carefully calibrated for

each particular body whose temperature they are required to monitor.

 Optical pyrometers
 The optical pyrometer contains a heated tungsten filament within an optical system. The current in the filament is

increased until its color is the same as the hot body: under these conditions the filament apparently disappears when

viewed against the background of the hot body.

 Optical pyrometers
 The optical pyrometer, is designed to measure temperatures where the peak radiation emission is in the red part of the

visible spectrum, i.e. where the measured body glows a certain shade of red according to the temperature. This limits the

instrument to measuring temperatures above 600°C.

 Optical pyrometers
 The inherent measurement inaccuracy of an optical pyrometer is ±5°C. However, in addition to this error, there can be a further operator-

induced error of ± 10°C arising out of the difficulty in judging the moment when the filament ‘just’ disappears. Measurement accuracy can be

improved somewhat by employing an optical filter within the instrument that passes a narrow band of frequencies of wavelength around 0.65

μm corresponding to the red part of the visible spectrum. This also extends the upper temperature measurable from 5000°C in unfiltered

instruments up to 10 000°C.
 Thermography (thermal imaging)
 Thermography, or thermal imaging, involves

scanning an infrared radiation detector across

an object. The information gathered is then

processed and an output in the form of the

temperature distribution across the object is

Infra Red
produced. Ultra Violet Visible Light

 Temperature measurement over the range from

-20°C up to +1500°C is possible.

 Thermography (thermal imaging)
 The radiation detector infers the temperature of the point that the

instrument is focused on from a measurement of the incoming

infrared radiation. The detector is scanned across a body or scene,

and thus provides information about temperature distributions.

 Because of the scanning mode of operation of the instrument,

radiation detectors with a very fast response are required, and only

photoconductive or photovoltaic sensors are suitable. These are

sensitive to the portion of the infrared spectrum between

wavelengths of 2 μm and 14 μm.

 Thermography (thermal imaging)
 It is a non-destructive test method that shows a

visual picture of the targets in real time and in

dark area

 It is able to find deteriorating, i.e., higher

temperature components prior to their failure.

 It can be used to measure or observe in areas

inaccessible or hazardous for other methods

Thermal expansion
methods
 Thermal expansion methods
 Thermal expansion methods make use of the

fact that the dimensions of all substances,

whether solids, liquids or gases, change with

temperature.

 Instruments operating on this physical principle

include the liquid-in-glass thermometer, the

bimetallic thermometer and the pressure

thermometer
 Liquid-in-glass thermometers
 The liquid-in-glass thermometer is a well-known temperature-measuring instrument that is used in a wide

range of applications. The fluid used is usually either mercury or colored alcohol, and this is contained within

a bulb and capillary tube.

 As the temperature rises, the fluid expands along the capillary tube and the meniscus level is read against a

calibrated scale etched on the tube. The process of estimating the position of the curved meniscus of the

fluid against the scale introduces some error into the measurement process and a measurement inaccuracy

less than ±1% of full-scale reading is hard to achieve.

 Industrial versions of the liquid-in-glass thermometer are normally used to measure temperature in the range

between -200°C up to 1500°C.

 Bimetallic thermometer
 The bimetallic principle is based on the fact that different metals have different coefficient of thermal expansion.

 If two strips of different metals are bonded together, any temperature change will cause the strip to bend, as this is the only way in which the

differing rates of change of length of each metal in the bonded strip can be accommodated.
 Bimetallic thermometer
 If the magnitude of bending is measured, the bimetallic device becomes a thermometer. For

such purposes, the strip is often arranged in a spiral or helical configuration, as this gives a

relatively large displacement of the free end for any given temperature change.

 The measurement sensitivity is increased further by choosing the pair of materials carefully

such that the degree of bending is maximized, with Invar (a nickel–steel alloy) or brass being

commonly used.

 The system used to measure the displacement of the strip must be carefully designed. Very

little resistance must be offered to the end of the strip, otherwise the spiral or helix will

distort and cause a false reading in the measurement of the displacement.

 Bimetallic thermometer
 Bimetallic thermometers are used to measure temperatures

between -75°C and +1500°C. The inaccuracy of the best instruments

can be as low as ±0.5% but such devices are quite expensive.

 Many instrument applications do not require this degree of accuracy

in temperature measurements, and in such cases much cheaper

bimetallic thermometers with substantially inferior accuracy

specifications are used.

 Bimetallic thermometer
 The mechanical action from the bimetallic strip can be used to activate a switching mechanism for getting electrical output. In the bimetallic

thermostat, this is used as a switch in control applications

 Pressure thermometers
 The sensing element in a pressure thermometer consists of a stainless steel bulb containing a liquid or gas. Because of the fluid is constrained,

temperature rise cause a rise in the pressure of the fluid. The change in pressure of the fluid is measured by a suitable pressure transducer such as

the Bourdon tube. This transducer is located remotely from the bulb and connected to it by a capillary tube.
 Pressure thermometers
 The need to protect the pressure-measuring instrument from the environment

where the temperature is being measured can require the use of capillary tubes

up to 5m long, and the temperature gradient, and hence pressure gradient, along

the tube acts as a modifying input that can introduce a significant measurement

error.

 Pressure thermometers can be used to measure temperatures in the range

between -250°C and +2000°C and their typical inaccuracy is ±0.5% of full-scale

reading. However, the instrument response has a particularly long time constant.