PRESENTATION

REPORT

Unit 1

THEME : TEMPERATURE
SENSORS
Electrical Engineering Second
Year ENSET RABAT
2016/2017

by : Hajar Mobhid

INTRODUCTION

Temperature sensors are electronic devices used to measure temperature, they are wildly used
in many applications like pharmaceutical processes, power industry and food processing, in
this report , thermocouples and RTDs are presented because they are the most popular
temperature sensors .

I.

TEMPERATURE SENSORS
1. THERMOCOUPLES :

DEFINITION

A thermocouple is an electrical device consisting of two different conductors

forming electrical junctions at differing temperatures. A thermocouple produces a
temperature-dependent voltage as a result of the thermoelectric effect, and this voltage can be
interpreted to measure temperature. Thermocouples are a widely used type of temperature
sensor.

FIGURE1

Thermocouple Construction

 COMMENTARY ON FIGURE 1
Thermocouples are thermoelectric sensors that basically consists of two junctions of
dissimilar metals, such as copper and constantan that are welded or crimped together. One
junction is kept at a constant temperature called the reference (Cold) junction, while the other
the measuring (Hot) junction. When the two junctions are at different temperatures, a voltage
is developed across the junction which is used to measure the temperature.
If both the junctions are at the same temperature the potential difference across the two
junctions is zero in other words, no voltage output as V1 = V2. However, when the junctions
are connected within a circuit and are both at different temperatures a voltage output will be
detected relative to the difference in temperature between the two junctions, V1 V2. This
difference in voltage will increase with temperature until the junctions peak voltage level is
reached and this is determined by the characteristics of the two dissimilar metals used.

CHALENGES :

Thermocouples are popular due to its simplicity, ease of use and their speed of response to
changes in temperature, due mainly to their small size. Thermocouples also have the widest
temperature range of all the temperature sensors

APPLICATIONS :

Food processing equipment

Deicing
Semiconductor processing
Heat treating
Medical equipment
Industrial heat treating
Packaging equipment

2. Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTDs)

DEFINITION :

An RTD, also known as a resistance thermometer, measures temperature by correlating the

resistance of the RTD element with temperature. An RTD consists of a film or, for greater
accuracy, a wire wrapped around a ceramic or glass core. The most accurate RTDs are made
using platinum but lower cost RTDs can be made from nickel or copper. However, nickle and
copper are not as stable or repeatable. Platinum RTDs offer a fairly linear output that is
highly accurate (0.1 to 1 C) across -200 to 600 C. While providing the greatest accuracy,
RTDs also tend to be the most expensive of temperature sensors.

CARACTERISTCS OF RTDS :

RTDS Require an electrical current to produce a voltage drop across the

sensor and Measures temperature by correlating its resistance with
temperature.
Nearly linear over a wide range of temperatures ( figure 2 )
4

Figure 2
CHALANGES :
Most stable over time
Most accurate
Most repeatable temperature measurement

High cost
Slowest response time
Low sensitivity to small temperature changes
Sensitive to vibration (strains the platinum element wire)
Somewhat fragile

Disadvantages :

APPLICATIONS :
Air conditioning and refrigeration servicing
Furnace servicing
Foodservice processing
Medical research
Textile production

Conclusion

Doing English presentation in class had a positive impact on me, firstly I learnt many
technical terms and their use in electrical engineering ; secondly I learnt how to speak in
public spontaneously and share ideas with classmates; it was an occasion to improve my
English communication skills.