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17 views

Mel705 23

Uploaded by

nagendra kumar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Practical Aspects of

Thermo-couples

P M V Subbarao
Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department

Correct Use of Themocouples ….


Standard Calibration Setup

Tj
Ice-point E AB   AB T dT
Tt

The result of the calibration is a table of EMF versus T values.


The integral is never directly evaluated.
Instead a polynomial curve fit to the calibration data gives:

E0 j F T j  b0  b1T j  b2T j2  .....  bnT jn


From the same calibration data a curve fit of the form

T j G E0 j  c0  c1 E0 j  c2 E02 j  ..... cn E0n j

This equation is directly useful for temperature measurements


with thermocouples.

The coefficients of the calibration equations for type J


thermocouples are given in Tables
Practical Thermocouple Circuits
• The equations given below are now applied to develop
thermocouple circuits that can be used in a laboratory.
• The following ideas are important.
• Compensation with a reference junction in an ice bath;
• Compensation with a reference junction at an arbitrary
temperature;
• Use of zone boxes for large numbers of thermocouples.

E0 j F T j  b0  b1T j  b2T j2  .....  bnT jn

T j G E0 j  c0  c1 E0 j  c2 E02 j  ..... cn E0n j


Practical Precautions

• The polynomial curve fit relies upon the thermocouple


wire being perfect.
• It must not become decalibrated during the act of making a
temperature measurement.
• Most measurement errors may be traced to one of these
seven primary sources:
Primary Sources of Errors

1. Poor junction connection


2. Decalibration of thermocouple wire
3. Shunt impedance and galvanic action
4. Thermal shunting
5. Noise and leakage currents
6. Thermocouple specifications
7. Documentation
Poor junction connection
• To reach a higher measurement temperature, the joint must
be welded.
• But welding is not a process to be taken lightly.
• Overheating can degrade the wire.
• The welding gas and the atmosphere in which the wire is
welded can both diffuse into the thermocouple metal,
changing its characteristics.
• The difficulty is compounded by the very different nature
of the two metals being joined.
• Commercial thermocouples are welded on expensive
machinery using a capacitive-discharge technique to insure
uniformity.
Decalibration
Leakage Resistance
Laws of Thermocouples
Law of Intermediate Metals
Insertion of an intermediate metal
into a thermocouple circuit will not
affect the emf voltage output so long
as the two junctions are at the same
temperature and the material is
homogeneous.
– Permits soldered and welded joints.
A Demonstration of the Law of Intermediate Metals

1 2 4 5

3
6
4
Fe (+) C
C (-) Measured 5
Emf
emf

3
P (+)
Fe 2
Signs of the 1
materials used T ref T 2 and 4 T measured Tcandle
Temperature
Law of Intermediate Temperatures

If a thermocouple circuit develops a net


emf1-2 for measuring junction
T2 T1 temperatures T1 and T2,
and a net emf2-3 for temperatures T2 and T3,
then it will develop a net voltage of emf1-3 =
T3 T2 emf1-2 + emf2-3 when the junctions are at
temperatures T1 and T3.

T3 T1 emf1-2+ emf2-3= emf1-3


A Demonstration of the Law of Intermediate
Temperatures

emf1-2+ emf2-3= emf1-3

C
emf13 emf23
emf

emf12 Fe

T1 T2 T3
The integrity of a thermocouple system

• The integrity of a thermocouple system can be improved


by following these precautions:
• Use the largest wire possible that will not shunt heat away
from the measurement area.
• If small wire is required, use it only in the region of the
measurement and use extension wire for the region with no
temperature gradient.
• Avoid mechanical stress and vibration which could strain
the wires.
• When using long thermocouple wires, connect the wire
shield to the dvm guard terminal and use twisted pair
extension wire.
• Avoid steep temperature gradients.
• Try to use the thermocouple wire well within its
temperature rating.
• Use a guarded integrating A/D converter.
• Use the proper sheathing material in hostile environments
to protect the thermocouple wire.
• Use extension wire only at low temperatures and only in
regions of small gradients.
• Keep an event log and a continuous record of
thermocouple resistance.
Single and multiplexing
Use of a Zone Box for Multiple Thermocouples
A zone box with a thermistor to measure Tr.
Effect of Non-uniform Zone Box Temperature
• A zone box is designed to hold the temperature of all reference
junctions at a uniform and easily measured value.
• For convenience only a limited number of sensors (typically one)
are used to measure the temperature of the reference junctions.
• A special model is to be developed to assess the measurement
error introduced by non-uniformities in zone box temperature.
Common sheathed thermocouple probe
Thermopile
Temperature Measurement Errors

• Conduction
• Convection
• Radiation
• Response Time
• Noise
• Grounding issues and shorts, especially on metal surfaces

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