Temperature

Measurement
Group Members:
1) Denesh
2) Thavamalar
3) Sangidha
4) Yogendran
 Contents
• Wheatstone bridge
• Conventional types of temperature sensing,
• Response of thermometer
• Glass thermometer
• Bimetallic thermometer
• Filled system thermometer like pressure spring thermometer
 Wheatstone Bridge
• Originally developed by Charles Wheatstone to measure unknown
resistance values and as a means of calibrating measuring instruments,
voltmeters, ammeters, etc.
• Consists of four resistors that are connected in the shape of a diamond with
the supply source.
• Used to find the unknown resistance very precisely by comparing with a
known value of resistances, by balancing two legs of a bridge circuit, one
leg of which includes the unknown component. Its operation is similar to
the original potentiometer.
• Used in two ways:
o to measure the value of an unknown resistor by comparison to standard
resistors
o to detect small changes in a resistance transducer (e.g. thermistor)
 How Does Wheatstone
Bridge works
• Firstly, determine the type of thermistor used in the experiment.
Measure the resistance of thermistor at room temperature, then heat a
little bit and observe the resistance change as increasing or
decreasing.

• Then, built a Wheatstone bridge including thermistor and pot.

*Rx is thermistor and R2 is pot.

• After that adjust the pot until the voltage between bridge is zero at
room temperature. This is done for calibration and going on the
procedure from a reference value.
• Later, heat the thermistor and get at least 6 voltage values.
• Use thermocouple and record voltages according to
temperature.
 Applications of
Wheatstone Bridge
• Used for measuring the very low resistance values precisely.
• Wheatstone bridge along with operational amplifier is used to
measure the physical parameters like temperature, strain, light,
etc.
• Measure the quantities capacitance, inductance and impedance
using the variations on the Wheatstone bridge.
 Advantages and
Disadvantages
• Advantages
o It operates on null deflection
o measurement can be extremely precise for, or extremely sensitive to, a given change in
the thermistor's resistance.
• Disadvantages
o not applicable for high resistances
 CONVENTIONAL
TYPES
OF
TEMPERATURE SENSING
 Thermocouples
• Voltage devices that indicate temperature by measuring
a change in voltage.
• In the thermocouple, the sensing junction - produces a
voltage that depends upon temperature.
• Where the thermocouple connects to instrumentation -
copper wires? - you have two more junctions and they
also produce a temperature dependent voltage.
• Applications include temperature measurement for gas
turbine exhaust, diesel engines, other industrial
processes and fog machines. 
 Thermocouples
• Working principle
- Thermocouples are based on the principle that two wires
made of dissimilar materials connected at either end will
generate a potential between the two ends that is a function of
the materials and temperature difference between two ends.

Advantages
• Temperature range
• Self – Powered

Disadvantages
• Accuracy
• Stability
Resistant Temperature Detector(RTD)

• Rather than using a voltage as the thermocouple

does, they take advantage of another
characteristic of matter which changes with
temperature - its resistance.
• Applications of RTD: Air conditioning and
refrigeration servicing, food processing, stoves
and grills
Resistant Temperature Detector(RTD)
• Working Principle
- temperature sensor that operates on the measurement principle that a
material’s electrical resistance changes with temperature. The relationship
between an RTD’s resistance and the surrounding temperature is highly
predictable, allowing for accurate and consistent temperature measurement

Advantages
• Linear over wide operating range
• Wide temperature operating range
• High temperature operating range

Disadvantages
• Low sensitivity
• Higher cost than thermocouples
• No point sensing
 Infrared Sensors
• Infrared sensors are non-contacting sensors.
• As an example, if you hold up a typical infrared sensor
to the front of your desk without contact, the sensor will
tell you the temperature of the desk by virtue of its
radiation - probably 68°F at normal room temperature.
• Application: Detecting clouds for remote telescope
operation, Checking mechanical or electrical equipment
for temperature and hot spots, Measuring the
temperature of patients in a hospital without touching
them
 Infrared Sensors
Working Principle
- consists of a lens to focus the infrared thermal radiation on to a detector,
which converts the radiant power to an electrical signal that can be
displayed in units of temperature after being compensated for ambient
temperature.

Advantages
• It facilitates measurement of moving targets (conveyor processes).
• Measurements can be taken of hazardous or physically inaccessible objects

Disadvantages
• Infrared thermometers cannot take measurements of gas or liquids
• The environment needs to be clean, without dust, high humidity, or similar
 Bimetallic Devices
• Bimetallic devices take advantage of the expansion of
metals when they are heated.
• In these devices, two metals are bonded together and
mechanically linked to a pointer.
• Application: For various household appliances such as
oven, Thermostat switches, wall thermometers
 Bimetallic Devices
Working Principle
- When heated, one side of the bimetallic strip will expand more than the other.
And when geared properly to a pointer, the temperature is
indicated.

Advantages
• Easy Construction
• Fully mechanical devices, thus no need of power source.

Disadvantages
• Not accurate
• Not suitable for measuring lower temperature
 Thermometer
• A thermometer is a device that measures
temperature or a temperature gradient.
• A thermometer has two important elements: a
temperature sensor  mercury-in-glass
thermometer) in which some physical change
occurs with temperature,
• Some means of converting this physical change
into a numerical value
 Silicon Diode
• The silicon diode sensor is a device that has been
developed specifically for the cryogenic temperature
range.
• Essentially, they are linear devices where the
conductivity of the diode increases linearly in the low
cryogenic regions.
• Application : a heat engine which converts a heat
difference directly into electric power, a heat engine
working backwards as a refrigerator, such as a Stirling
engine
 Silicon Diode
Working Principle
- The forward voltage of a silicon diode, which may be the base-emitter
junction of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), is temperature-dependent

Advantages
• Low cost
• Accurate and reliable
• Highly consistent measurements

Disadvantages
• Self-heating
• No resistance standards
• Requirement of additional circuitry to control application loads
 DYNAMIC RESPONSE
 •First order system
Input – Output = Rate of Accumulation
hA(x-y) – 0 = mC
Where
h = Convection coefficient of heat transfer (J/m2.h.0C)
A = Surface Area of the sensor(m2)
m = mass of thermocouple(g)
C = heat capacity (J/g.oC)
t = time(h)
 
Deviation Variables
hA [X-Y] = mC()
• 𝑚𝐶/ℎ𝐴= 𝜏
Taking Laplace Transform
X(s) – Y(s) = τsY(s) – Y(0) ;Y(0)=0
GLASS THERMOMETER
 Definition

   Glass capillary tube with a

liquid-filled bulb at one end

 Use the variation in volume of a

liquid in temperature

 The fluid is contained in sealed

glass bulb and its expansion is
measure by using scale attached
to the stem of the thermometer
As the temperature
increases, the fluid
expands and rises up the
capillary

As the temperature
decreases the fluid
contracts and goes down
in the capillary
 Two major types of liquid-in – glass
thermometer

Alcohol Thermometer
• Uses alcohol (ethanol )as
Mercury Thermometer

• Uses mercury as the liquid

to measure the the liquid to measure
temperature
temperature • Alcohol expands when
• It remains liquid in  range  absorbs temperature and
from –38°C to 356°C contract in colder
• The mercury is in glass temperatures
tube and when the heat is • Alcohol is non toxic and are
applied the mercury rises much safer to use
• Mercury is toxic and it • Alcohol thermometers can
should be handled with be used to measure very
care low temperatures.(-115°C –
70 ° C )
 Construction
• The thin glass Bulb: Thin glass reservoir that holds
the liquid. Allows conduction of heat quickly
through glass the liquid

• The Stem: The glass tube having a tiny capillary

along which the liquid expand or contract with
changes in temperature

• The Scale: A narrow temperature scale for reading a

reference temperature

•  Inert Gas is used for mercury intended to high

temperature. The thermometer is filled with an
inert gas such as argon or nitrogen above the
mercury to reduce its volatilization.
 Contraction Chamber: The purpose of this chamber is to
shorten the total stem length needed to reach the main
scale. 

 Expansion Chamber : To prevent the build-up of pressure

if the temperature of the liquid rises past the top of the
scale. 
 How does glass thermometer operate
Alcohol thermometers work by enclosing a narrow capillary attached to a
bulb of reserve fluid.

As the temperature heats up, the alcohol expands, rising up the

capillary.

As the temperature goes down, the fluid contracts, dropping down

the capillary.

Markers along the capillary indicate the temperature, with people

reading the temperature by finding the marker which corresponds to
the meniscus of the fluid inside the capillary

This can be tricky to do with a narrow capillary, as the thin thread

of alcohol may appear almost invisible even with dye.
 Mercury thermometer

~It is easy to see, have a ~Very expensive

shining colour (silver)
~ It has regular expansion ~It is a poisonous substance
~ Does not stick to the side
of the glass capillary tube
of a thermometer ~Unsuitable for measuring a
very low temperature because it
~ Measure the temperature has high freezing point
quickly and accurately
• Suitable for measuring high boiling point 357 oC
• Not recommended for cold climates and should be brought
indoors when the temperature starts dipping below -30oC
• Applications :
 Cooking kettles
Pipe lines for fluid flow
Open tanks containing liquids
Meteorology
Alcohol Thermometer

~ It can measure at low ~Cannot measure at high

temperature because its temperature because its
freezing point is low (- boiling point is low
115°C) ~It is colourless so must add
~ It has regular expansion with dyestuff in order to
visible
~ Can measure the
temperature accurately
because it has large
expansion coefficient
• Alcohol has a very low freezing point of about −115 oC
suitable in thermometers to record very low temperatures.

• Used in cold atmospheres such as freezers.

• Not suitable in vey hot atmospheres due to the low boiling

point (78 ͦC).
Differences between Mercury and Alcohol
thermometer
 FILLED
SYSTEM
THERMOMETER
 Definition
• That work on pressure or volume of a gas or
changes in vapor pressure of a liquid

• Depends on 3 well known physical phenomena:

The thermal expansion of a The temperature dependence of

liquid the pressure of a gas

The temperature dependence of the

saturated vapor pressure of a liquid
 Measurements
• Measurements are listed as below:

1) Mercury in glass thermometer

2) Bimetallic thermometer
3) Pressure Spring thermometer ( √ )
WORKING PRINCIPLE
Bimetallic Thermometer

• Two metals whose coefficient of linear expansion

is different are welded and rolled together to the
desire thickness

• The actual movement of a bimetal is its flexivity

with one end fixed, a straight bimetal strip deflects
in proportion to its temperature, to the square of
its length and inversely with its thickens
 Advantages Disadvantages
• They are cheap to buy • They are not extremely
accurate
• Easy to install
• Are slow to react to a
temperature change.
Pressure Spring Thermometer

Liquid filled – Class 1

Vapor pressure – Class 2
Gas filled – Class 3
Mercury filled – Class 4
Types Class Working Principle Advantages Disadvantages
Liquid 1 - thermal expansion - Cheap and - slow response
filled - indicating, recording widely time
or controlling - sometimes
mechanisms are inconvenient
attached to pressure dimensions.
spring
Types Class Working Principle Advantages Disadvantages
Vapor 2 - Is a thermometer that - free from - Small
pressure is used to measure errors due capillaries
vapor pressure of the to bulb may lead to
liquid expansion heat
- The pressure of the leakage
gas is converted to
temperature by means
of a bourdon gauge
Types Class Working Principle Advantages Disadvantages
Gas 3 - The system is filled - It is very - Expensive to
filled under high pressure accurate manufacture
- As the temperature - In fact its and keep
rises, the pressure of accuracy allows - It is not easy
the gas inside the tube it to be utilized to handle
increases to calibrate and read
proportionally, other
causing the spring to thermometers
unwind. - Ideal for
- This rotary movement distance
amplified by a reading
mechanism, action the
pointer of the
thermometer.
Types Class Working Principle Advantages Disadvantages
Mercury 4 - Works the same - Mercury is a - Mercury
filled as the liquid naturally poses a
filled type opaque liquid potential
(Silver) toxic hazard
- This means if the glass
that it can be container is
directly ruptured
utilized in its
pure form
 Applications

Bimetallic
Thermometer

Circuit breakers
Thermostat Wall
Grills for electrical
switches thermometers
heating devices
 Pressure Spring
Thermometer
Application

Liquid Filled Vapor Pressure Gas Filled Mercury Filled

Thermometer Thermometer Thermometer Thermometer

Meteorological
Pharmaceutical,
and Piping, boilers, Common Measure body
Chemical,
Oceanographic pipeline household uses temperature
Petrochemical
applications
 References
• Gardner, Robert. Temperature and Heat. Simon &
Schuster, 1993.

• McGee, Thomas D. Principles and Methods of

Temperature Measurement. John Wiley & Sons,
1988.

• Pavese, F., ed. Modern Gas-Based Temperature and

Pressure Measurements.Plenum Publishing, 1992.
Q & A SESSION