CHEMICAL PROCESS

INSTRUMENTATION
Temperature Measurement
(WEEK – 8: LECTURE - 38)
Dr. Debasis Sarkar
Department of Chemical Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

1
 Temperature Measuring Instruments:
Classification
Various temperature dependent effect of materials can be used for temperature measurement

Temperature Measurement

Electrical-
Thermal Expansion Methods Resistance Radiation
•Solid Expansion: Bimetallic
Sensors: Methods:
Thermometer Thermoelectric
Resistance Total Radiation
• Liquid Expansion: Liquid-in-glass Sensors:
thermometer, Pressure thermometer Temperature Pyrometer,
Thermocouples
• Gas Expansion: Gas thermometer, Detectors (RTD), Optical
Vapor Pressure Thermometer Pyrometer
Thermistors

2
 Temperature Measurement

Today’s Topic:
 Electrical-Resistance Sensors:
Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTD)

3
Temperature Measurement: Electrical-
Resistance Sensors

RTD Thermistor
RTD

4
 Electrical Resistance Sensors: Basic
Sensor
The electrical resistance of many materials changes
with temperature in a reproducible manner. The
change in resistance can be measured easily by a
bridge circuit and thus can be related to temperature

Two types of materials are commonly used:

1.Conductors (metals):
 RTD
2.Semiconductors :
 Thermistor
Typical Temperature – Resistance
Characteristics of Some Metals

5
 Resistance Temperature Detectors: RTD
The resistance of a metallic resistance element changes with temperature in a
specific manner. Therefore, the temperature can be measured by measuring the
change in resistance of the element. The resistance measurement may be
performed by a bridge circuit.
R = Resistance at T, Ω R0 = Resistance at ref T0, Ω
R = R0 (1 + a1T + a 2T + ... + a nT )
2 n
α = experimentally determined constants,
In a narrow range of operation,
R = R0 (1 + aT ) or R = R0 (1 + a T + b T 2 )
Where α = temperature coefficient of resistance, Ω/Ω °C.
α is positive for metallic resistance.

6
 Resistance Temperature Detectors: RTD
These devices have high accuracy and can be used
to measure temperatures from −200 to 1000
(commonly 700) °C.
The resistance temperature devices
(RTD) which may be a metal film
deposited on a former or a wire-
wound resistors is sealed in a glass-
ceramic composite material. The
electrical resistance of pure metals is
positive, increasing linearly with
temperature. Change in resistance
can be easily measured by a
Wheastone Bridge.
7
Resistance Temperature Detectors: RTD
By measuring the resistance of the
RTD element one can determine the
process temperature if the change in
total resistance measured is affected
ONLY by the process temperature.
But in actual practice, the RTD
element is connected by wires to the
readout instrument (volt meter) and
the resistance of the leads introduces
error in measurement.

8
 RTD: Lead Wire Resistance Error
The length of the wire from
Supply current
the RTD to the Wheatstone
bridge circuit can be
significant.
Since the device has
relatively low resistance, the
lead resistance of RTD
assembly can add a
significant error to the
measured resistance.

9
 RTD: Lead Wire Error: Three Wire
Connection
Two leads to the sensor are
Supply current
on the adjoining arms.
If wires A and B are of equal
length (have same
resistance), their impedance
effects will cancel each
other. The third wire, C, acts
as a sense lead and also has
same resistance as A, B.

10
 RTD: Lead Wire Error: Four Wire
Connection
The four wire technique does not
use the Wheatstone bridge
method of measuring the
resistance of an RTD. Four wire
V technique uses a current source
along with a remotely located
Digital Volt Meter (DVM). The
output voltage read by the DVM
The three bridge resistors are replaced by one RTD. The is directly proportional to RTD
digital voltmeter measures only the voltage dropped resistance.
across the RTD and is insensitive to the length of the lead
wires.

11
 Construction of RTD
Two common methods:
 Winding of platinum wire on a glass or ceramic bobbin followed by sealing with
molten glass
 Depositing a platinum or metal-glass slurry on a ceramic substrate. The film is then
etched and sealed to form the resistance element. This is called thin film sensor.

12
Construction of RTD

13
Construction of RTD

Platinum Wire Thin Film

14
 A Very Common RTD: Pt 100
Platinum thermometers are made in two forms, as a coil
wound on a ceramic bobbin and as a film deposited on a
ceramic substrate. The nominal resistance at 0°C is
typically 100. Such RTDs are called Pt 100. (1000 versions
are also available).

Ice Sensitivity is 0.385 /°C (100 type) or 3.85 /°C (1000 type).

A high resistance gives higher measurement sensitivity,

and the resistance of connecting leads has less effect on
The resistance should be measurement accuracy. However,
approximately 100 Ω cost goes up as the nominal resistance increases.

15
 Selection of RTD Materials
Choice of materials is governed by:

 High temperature coefficient – for larger sensitivity

 High resistivity of the material – for larger output
 Linearity of resistance-temperature relationship – convenient calibration
 Stability of electrical characteristics – for repeatability
 Good mechanical strength
 Resistance to contamination

16
Selection of RTD Materials:
Temperature Range
Material Range (°C) Temp-Resistance
Coefficients (Ω/Ω°C)

Copper -200 to 250 0.0043

Nickel -100 to 350 0.0068
Platinum -250 to 700 0.00385
Tungsten -270 to 1100 0.0045

17
 RTD: Self Heating
To measure an RTD, you have to feed a current through it, and that
causes I2R heating in the device.

With a change of current, the reading may change. In still air, the
error due to self-heating is about 0.5°C per milliwatt.

One possibility to minimize the error is to immerse the resistance in

a high thermal conductivity fluid.

18
Thank You

19