CHE184-1P Process Dynamics and Control Lab.

Exercise 1
2nd Quarter SY 2016-2017

Response Time of Mercury-in-glass Thermometer

Guillermo, Jollana Dianne A. 1
1
Student, CHE184-1P/C21, School of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Mapua Institute of Technology

ABSTRACT

In analyzing process dynamics and in designing control systems, it is important to know how the process outputs will
respond to changes in process inputs. By determining the time constant of a thermometer, this experiment is able to show
the trend of response time and its factors. The experiment has been divided into two parts, for a) a step function system and
b) pulse function system. Materials used in this experiment were mercury-in-glass thermometer, beaker, hot plate with
magnetic stirrer, liquid water and ice. Thus, it was found out that mercury-in-glass thermometers respond faster in pulse
function systems and under conditions of lower than room temperature.

Keywords: step
INTRODUCTION

Before considering a complete control system, it is

necessary to consider the responses of some basic where, h is the coefficient of convective heat transfer, A is
systems that are often building blocks of a control system. the surface area of the solid, m is the mass of the solid, and
The response time of a measuring instrument is often C is its specific heat. Collecting the constants and making
ignored because it is generally much less than that of the substitution,
system under investigation. Of course, this is not
necessarily a good assumption for all. The basic =mC / hA
thermodynamic measuring instrument, the thermometer, then, ( Tf T ) dt = dT
provides an interesting example. Not only can the response or, dT /dt=(Tf T )/
time be important, but, unlike other measuring instruments,
this time is critically dependent upon the nature and state of Thus, the solution of this first-order linear differential
the system (fluid) being measured. The response time of a equation by separation of variables given the boundary
thermometer is governed by Newtons law of cooling. The condition that
experiment shows the importance of the characteristics of T = Tf at t = 0, is
the measuring instrument in the experimental process. It
also provides an interesting application of the first law of Tf
thermodynamics together with Newtons law of cooling.
T =T f () et /
Considering a solid, initially at a temperature To, is
immersed in a liquid at a temperature Tf, the heat transfer where is the time constant and a measure of the
occurs primarily by convection, and Newtons law of response time of the system.
cooling, Q = hA(Tf T), is applicable. Note that the heat METHODOLOGY
transfer coefficient, h, is sometimes called the film
conductance because of its relation to the conduction The experiment was divided into two parts, verifying the
process in the thin stationary layer of fluid at the wall response time of the mercury-in-glass thermometer at a)
surface. step function and b) pulse function. The following are the
materials used:
Applying the first law in the often convenient form Heat Mercury-in-glass thermometer
Lost = Heat Gained, amount of heat transferred by 500-mL beaker
convection from the fluid in a time interval dt can be Hotplate with magnetic stirrer
equated to the thermal energy gained by the solid: Liquid water and Ice
hA (Tf T )dt =mC dT

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 CHE184-1P Process Dynamics and Control Lab. Exercise 1
2nd Quarter SY 2016-2017

For the first part, the initial ambient temperature of liquid
water was measured by the thermometer and was allowed
to be heated up to its boiling point. In which, temperatures
of the liquid water were being recorded at an interval of 10
seconds.
surface area, A, are constants for a particular thermometer,
the coefficient of convective heat transfer is not. This places
the thermometer in a rather unique position as a measuring
instrument. All other instruments have a response time that
is solely a function of the instrument itself. Thus, this
experiment able to determine the time constant of the
thermometer.

In this analysis, all resistance to heat transfer resides in the

film surrounding the bulb of the thermometer, all the thermal
capacity is in the mercury, assuming at any instant the
mercury is at uniform temperature throughout, and the
glass wall containing the mercury does not expand or
contract during the transient process.

Figure 1. Step Function Set-up For a step function system, response is given as

On the second part of the experiment, initial temperature of t

the liquid water with ice was being measured by the (
Y ( t )= A 1e ); t 0
thermometer. Immediately, the thermometer was soaked
into a boiling water to record the temperature for quite
interval of time, then was soaked back at liquid water with
ice to determine the lowering temperatures at an interval of
80
10 seconds.
60
40
Y(t)=T-Tambient
20
0

time, (s)

Figure 2. Pulse Function Set-up

It was clearly observed in the graph that the function is
somewhat linear. Thus, time constant was computed for
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Y (t)
1
A
every instantaneous temperature as ln . Upon
It is interesting and instructive to note that the response t
=
time of thermometer is critically dependent upon the
calculation, an average of 120.48 s time constant was
medium in which the measurement takes place. While the
attained.
mass of mercury, m, its specific heat capacity, C, and the

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 CHE184-1P Process Dynamics and Control Lab. Exercise 1
2nd Quarter SY 2016-2017

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

For a pulse function system, response is given as Determined time constants of the mercury-in-glass
thermometer can be a rough guide in selection of proper
Y ( t ) =et / thermometer for the measurement of transient
temperatures. In this experiment, it was found out that the
thermometer responds faster in pulse function systems than
that of step function. At low temperatures, thermometers
seem to respond faster than room temperatures. Thus,
100 other effects (like the construction materials of the
90 thermometer) can also contribute to the response times.
80
70
60 A better appreciation of the role of the response time of a
measuring instrument in the experimental process may be
Y(t)=T-To 50
40 gained by considering the other cases of the function
30 systems. Moreover, thermometer requires low thermal
20 resistance as characterized by the coefficient of heat
10 transfer of the fluid for the fastest response time and least
0 effect on the system being measured. This particular
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
relationship between response time and input impedance is
time, (s) another interesting feature of the thermometer as a
measuring instrument and is recommended for further
study.

REFERENCES
It was shown in the graph how clearly the thermometer
behaves in the disturbance in a pulse. It can be related as a Coughanowr, D.R. 1991. Process Systems Analysis and
piecewise function of a step function and a reverse step Control. 2nd Edition.
function. Thus, same formula in determining the time
constant, it gives an average of 134.27 s. Seborg, D. E. Et. Al. 2004. Process Dynamics and Control.
2nd Edition.

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