CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

DYNAMIC LOAD COMPENSATION

INCREASING PERFORMANCE OF DRY-BLOCK TEMPERATURE

CALIBRATORS
Keith Hadley
April 2015

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 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Learning Objectives
• Identify inherent sources of
measurement errors when using
dry-block calibrators
• Understand technologies
employed to address errors
• Explain Dynamic Load
Compensation
– Technology
– Advantages
– Results
 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Dry-Block Temperature Calibrators

• In the early 1980’s JOFRA
developed the first dry-block
temperature calibrator
– The early dry-block calibrators
performed as expected and offered
a good calibration solution for
industrial applications
» When compared to a bath the
blocks provided
– Faster heat up and cool down
– Wider temperature ranges
– Smaller size equipment for
portability
– No hot or hazardous fluids
 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Dry-Block Temperature Calibrators

• Components
1. Sensor-under-test
2. Solid metal block
3. Interchangeable insert
4. Internal RTD reference
sensor
5. Heating/Cooling elements
6. Cooling fan

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 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Dry-Block Temperature Calibrators

• As the technology progressed
models with more capabilities
and better performance were
developed
– The dry-block was now viewed as a
solution for lab applications and not
only for industrial use
» Other factors came into play
– Stability
– Well homogeneity
» Axial and radial
– Loading effect
» Basically comparing it to a bath
 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Power Supply Stability

• Variable power supplies
cause variable temperatures
– When current through the
heating elements or Peltier Mains Voltage
elements fluctuates,
Temperature without MVI
temperature fluctuates
» Mains Variance Immunity Temperature with MVI
– Compensates for power
fluctuations
– Maintains steady energy
flow
 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Radial Homogeneity
• The bore-to-bore difference
– This effect is minimized
through
» Efficient well design
– Air flow
– Element location
– Reference location
» Well control
» Efficient insert design and
proper materials
– Consistent heat transfer
 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Axial Homogeneity
• The top-to-bottom difference
– This effect is minimized
through
» Use of well zone control
– Single zone
– Passive dual zone
– Active dual zone
» Dynamic Load Compensation
– DLC
 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Single Zone Control

• Traditional technology
– Good accuracy in the bottom
– No temperature gradient
control
» Several factors determine
gradient ?

IMMERSION DEPTH
– Load sensitive
– Requires proper insulation of
SUT Not Loaded
Loaded
TEMPERATURE

Internal Reference
 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Passive Dual Zone Control

SUT
• Proportional technology
– Main zone for optimum heat

Upper Zone
dissipation through block
– Upper zone for compensation
of heat losses
– No need for insulation on SUT

Main Zone
Set
Fixed Temperature
– Good lower zone energy
ratio

homogeneity
– Calibration of multiple SUT
– Small vertical gradient
Internal Reference
 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Active Dual Zone Control

• Active technology SUT
– Intelligent energy distribution
– Temperature change based

Upper Zone
Slave
on loading and dissipation
– Continuous axial
measurement Temperature Difference

– Calibration of short SUT Set

Main Zone
Temperature

– Minimal vertical gradient Master

External / Internal Reference

 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Dynamic Load Compensation

• The next step SUT DLC
– Dual zone works in the block
» Coarse adjust

Upper Zone
Slave
– DLC works in the insert
» Fine adjust
» Measures within the insert Temperature Difference

and adjusts temperature Set

Main Zone
Temperature

Master

External / Internal Reference

 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

What is DLC SUT

External Reference

• Accomplished with
– Extra sensor in the insert
» High accuracy TC
» Sensing element at bottom of
the insert
» Sensing element at 60 mm
DLC
from the bottom – covering
the thermo sensitive length
(TSL) of nearly all sensors
– Reads the difference of the
two levels
» Input to adjust temperature
difference to zero
 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

DLC Operation

100

90
Distance from bottom of insert in mm

80
DLC function Off
DLC function On
70

60

50

40
TSL Thermo Sensitive Length
30

20

10

0
0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30
Axial temperature homogeinity in °C
DLC Sensor
Dynamic Load Compensation sensor
CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

DLC Operation

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 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Scenario – Load Compensation

RTC-156, S/N 574360-00037: Axial homogeneity @ 155°C.

0.1

0.05

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
-0.05

-0.1

-0.15

-0.2

-0.25

-0.3

Load: DLC+Ext. Ref.+3mm SUT. DLC on

Load: DLC+Ext. Ref.+3mm SUT + 10mm SUT. DLC off
Load: DLC+Ext. Ref.+3mm SUT + 10mm SUT. DLC on

• Performance loaded nears a straight line with DLC active

• The maximum deviation is improved by a factor of 6 by activating the
DLC
 Improvement factor = ratio 0.160 : 0.025 > 6
 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Scenario – Bath Cal Comparison

Deviation
SUT1 from bath
Test setup: SET TRUE SUT1 deviation calibration
Bath calibration 155.000 154.973 154.923 -0.050 0.000
RTC-156 DLC=off, SUT1 + SUT2 155.000 155.000 154.974 -0.026 0.024
RTC-156 DLC=on, SUT1 + SUT2 155.000 155.000 154.958 -0.042 0.008

• Uncertainty due to thermal loading is reduced with the DLC active

• With the DLC active optimum accuracy is achievable
 Uncertainty reduction factor = ratio 0.024 : 0.008 = 3
 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Scenario – Uncertainty Budget

Calibrator loaded with 10 mm SUT – DLC not active
1 Temperature of reference thermometer 155.002

2 Uncertainty of reference thermometer (k=2) 0.015 Normal 0.0075

3 Resolution of calibrator indicator 0.001 RMS 0.0003

4 Hysteresis effect 0.008 RMS 0.0046

5 Axial temperature homogeneity 0.159 RMS 0.0918

6 Radial temperature homogeneity 0.004 RMS 0.0023

7 Loading effect 0.004 RMS 0.0023

8 Stability in time 0.003 RMS 0.0017

155.002 k=1 0.092

Geometric sum – square root of the sum of k=2 0.185

the squares
 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Scenario – Uncertainty Budget

Calibrator loaded with 10 mm SUT – DLC active
1 Temperature of reference thermometer 155.002

2 Uncertainty of reference thermometer (k=2) 0.015 Normal 0.0075

3 Resolution of calibrator indicator 0.001 RMS 0.0003

4 Hysteresis effect 0.008 RMS 0.0046

5 Axial temperature homogeneity 0.024 RMS 0.0139

6 Radial temperature homogeneity 0.004 RMS 0.0023

7 Loading effect 0.004 RMS 0.0023

8 Stability in time 0.003 RMS 0.0017

155.002 k=1 0.017

Geometric sum – square root of the sum of k=2 0.034

the squares
 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Scenario – Uncertainty Budget

Calibrator loaded with 10 mm SUT – DLC not active
155.002 k=1 0.092

Geometric sum – square root of the sum of k=2 0.185

the squares

Calibrator loaded with 10 mm SUT – DLC active

155.002 k=1 0.017

Geometric sum – square root of the sum of k=2 0.034

the squares

• Active DLC reduces the axial gradient by 85%

• The calibrator is performing within all specifications even while heavily
loaded
• The total uncertainty is reduced by a factor of 5 with the DLC active
 Uncertainty reduction factor = ratio 0.185 : 0.034 > 5
 CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Advantages and Benefits of DLC

• Calibrate multiple sensors simultaneously
– Save time and money
• Calibration of large sensors
– No insulation or resulting errors
• Minimal concern over TSL of SUT
– Confidence
• Positive indication of DLC
– Operation – active and working
– Magnitude – driving to zero
– Stability – green when zero and stable
CLEAR VISION SOUND STRATEGIES SOLID PERFORMANCE

Questions