ME2122-1 : TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

Faculty of Engineering
Department of Mechanical & Production Engineering

Formal Report

for

ME 2122 - 1

TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS

Prepared By : LEE AIK SOON

Matrix Number : 94-5337A-11
Group Number : ME 2D1
Date of Experiment : 110396
 ME2122-1 : TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS

Contents

1. Title ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1

2. Objectives ------------------------------------------------------------------ 1

3. Results --------------------------------------------------------- 1

4. Discussion ------------------------------------------------------------------ 4

5. Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------ 7

1. Title
 ME2122-1 : TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS

ME 2122-1 : TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS

2. Objectives

1. Calibration of different types of temperature sensors ( thermocouples, resistance

thermometers and thermistors )
2. The use of a sensor to obtain the temperature at a desired point on a rod.

3. Results

3.1 Specifications of Temperature Profile Measurement Unit :

Diameter of Perspex rod : 48 mm
Length of Perspex rod : 40 mm
Pitch of thermocouples embedded in the Perspex rod : 10 mm
Thermocouple wire material : Copper-constantan
Gauge 30
Maximum permissible oil bath temperature : 100 °C

3.2 Experimental Datas :

Table 1:
Distance Calibrated Temperature ( °C )
From Hot Channel Vout (mV) Thermocouple RTD Thermistor
End (mm) ( Ice Point )
0 1 3.285 78.50 -- --
10 2 2.728 65.75 -- --
20 3 2.215 54.00 -- --
30 4 1.822 45.0 -- --
40 5 1.499 37.75 -- --
50 6 1.297 33.25 -- --
50 7 1.238 32.00 -- --
50 8 32.080 -- 32.50 --
50 9 90.273 -- -- 31.50
NB : Calibrated Temperature are extrapolated from respective Calibration Curve.

(1)
Table 2: Percentage error of sensors with respect to TE
 ME2122-1 : TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS

Embedded Surface Mounted

Sensors Thermocoupl Thermocoupl RTD Thermistor
e e
Calibrated Temp. 33.25 32.00 32.50 31.50
(°C )
Percentage Error (%) 5.556 1.587 3.175 0.000
NB : TE =31.50°C is the extrapolated temperature from T (°C) against X (mm) graph.

Sample Calculation
Sample : Thermocouples
T  TE
Percentage Error (%) = 100%
TE
32.00  3150
.
= 100%
3150
.
= 1.587 %

3.3 Seebeck coefficient(thermocouples) and

Temperature coefficient of resistance(resistance thermometers/thermistors)

Thermocouple :
E
Seebeck coefficient,  
T
= Graph of Calibration Curve of Thermocouple
Ice Point :
E
Seebeck coefficient,  
T
 2.911  1.000 10 3
= V/°C
 70.00  26.50
= 0.0439 mV/°C

Ambient :
E
Seebeck coefficient,  
T
 1.992  1.000 10 3
= V/°C
 70.00  47.00
= 0.0431 mV/°C

(2)
RTD (Resistance thermometer):
 ME2122-1 : TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS

Given i = 2.1 mA, Ro = 100 W

1 E
Temperature Coefficent of resistance,  
iRo T
1 (69.655  30.000) x10 3
=
2.1x10 3 x100 70.00  30.05
= 4.727 x 10-3 /°C
where DE / DT is the gradient of calibration curve for RTD.

Thermister :

Figure 1 : Circuit Diagram

From Figure 1,
1 R
 
Rt T
 Rt  R3 
2
E Equation 1
  
E o R3 Rt T

 30000  7599 2 (675  100) x10 3

 
. x 7599 x 30000 75.00  3150
15 .
= - 54.65 x 10 /°C
-3

where DE / DT is the gradient of calibration curve for thermistor.

(3)
Proof (Equation 1) :
Knowing E = ECA = ECD - EAD
 ME2122-1 : TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS

 Rt R1 
E  Eo   
 Rt R2 R1  R3 
i.e.  R R RR  (Balance Brigde)
E  Eo  3 t 1 2

  R2  Rt  R1  R3  

Considering Rt change to Rt - DRt ,

Define DRt tends to zero,
R1 = Rt and R2 = R3
  R3 Rt 
E  E o  2 
 ( Rt  R2 ) 
( Rt  R3 ) 2
Rt   E
E o R3

Subst. into a,
1 R
 
Rt T
 R t  R3 
2
E
 
E o R3 Rt T

4. Discussion

Table 2 displayed the percentage errors for temperatures obtained by different

sensors when compared to the extrapolated temperature. This different between the
temperature readings are consider to be very small. As these temperature readings are
obtained base on experiment. Therefore there tend to be experimental errors and some
approximations causing some inaccurate in the recorded temperatures. Hence it is
difficult to comment on which sensors is most accurate basic on the recorded
temperatures. For calibrated temperature for the surface thermocouple, the value is
obtained from calibration curve for embedded thermocouple. Therefore the calibrated
temperature for surface thermocouple is not very accurate. But according to the Table 2,
it can be comment that all three sensors are quite accurate with a
maximum errors of about 5.0%.
Theoretical, below are some of the merit of the three different sensors. Below
also state how some of this property of these sensors will affect the temperature readings.
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Temperature Range :
Thermocouples can measure temperature up to more than 3000°C.
RTD normally have temperature ranging from -180°C to 300°C.
 ME2122-1 : TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS

Thermistors have temperature range from a few degree above “absolute zero” to
about 300°C.
In this experiment, the temperature used were between 0°C to 80°C. Therefore
all three sensors can be used quite accurately.

Accuracy :
Thermocouples are less accurate compared to RTD and thermistors. This can be
observe from the calibrated curve showing that thermocouple has a lowest seebeck
coefficient. This imply that a relatively small change in temperature cannot be pick up
easily by thermocouples.
RTD has a temperature coefficient of resistance of 4.727 x 10-3 /°C. Hence is can
be stated that RTD can measure small temperature change quite accurately. The
disadvantage of RTD is that the resistance change tend to be non-linear.
Thermistors are the most accurate sensors among the three sensors. This is so as
thermistors have a very high temperature coefficient of resistance. This imply that it can
be use to measure small temperature change most accurately. Thermistors are accurate
however is quite unstable compared to the other two sensors.
According to accuracy, temperature readings by thermistors should provide the
most accuate result compared to the other two sensors.

Response and size of sensors :

Thermocouples are sensor with very small size. It has extremely high response. It
can response to temperature changes in the shortest time compared with RTD and
thermistors. The small in size enable the temperature to be districted equally and quickly
in the sensors making thermocouples a high response sensors.
RTD is a very large size sensors. Therefore RTD will take quite some time to
obtained a uniform temperature districted in the large mass whenever there is a
temperature changes. This make RTD a slow response sensors.
Thermistors have relative large size compared to thermocouples. This make it a
sensors with moderate response.
Normally, a low response sensor will take a longer time to obtained the actual
temperature of the rod. Due to time constrain, readings for every steps of this
experiment were taken instantly when the required temperatures are reached. Hence the
results for RTD and thermistors will be less accurate.

(5)
Mounting arrangement :
For surface measurement, one of the thermocouples is glues to the surface, the
RTD is film or stud to the surface while thermistor is stud to the surface. All three cases
 ME2122-1 : TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS

causing a layer of insulation to be formed between the surface of the rod and the sensors.
This will take a longer time for the sensors to reach it steady state.
It also to be noted that temperature changed radically. All the sensors are not
mounted on the same location of the surface. Hence there will be some different in the
temperature obtained by different sensors.
For the embedded thermocouple, it is mounted at the end point of the rod. It
surface area exposed to the surrounding air is also lesser than the other sensors mounted
on the surface. Hence the heat loss to convection is also lesser and it should measure a
more accurate temperature.

Distance from the hot end :

Knowing that all the three sensors for surface measurements are mounted on the
surface, it should obtained the same temperature(neglecting the other factors). Whereas
for the embedded thermocouple, it will gives a higher temperature when compared to the
others sensors.

Overall, the embedded thermocouple will give a more accurate readings. This is
because there is not insulation between the thermocouple and the rod, it is place at the
end point of the rod and it has a minimum area exposed to the surrounding air. But from
table 2, the error is the greatest for the embedded thermouple. This can be due to the
source of errors arise during the experiment.

Sources of Errors :

1. Instability -- As state above, the sensors need some time to reach it

steady state But due to time constrained, the results are noted before the sensors reached
it steady state. This error is especially bad in the second section of the experiment. For
the second part of the experiment, the system will take roughly two hours to reach it
steady state and so will the sensors. But readings were taken after the system is set up for
less than an hour. These indeed causes inaccuracy in the results.

2. Insulation of system -- The system suppose to be insulated along the radial

surface to ensure that the heat loss only through the end surface. It can be due to wear
and tear, the rod radial surface is not fully insulated. Hence causing some heat loss from
the side. This can be observe during the experiment when the readings fluctuate.

3. Approximation of readings -- During experiments, the readings on the

voltmeter fluctuate. Therefore the readings recorded were only approximate value. In
the graphs, they were drawn by estimating the best straight line. Theoretically, all these
approximation and estimation will cause a greater error.

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5. Conclusion
 ME2122-1 : TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS

In this experiment, thermocouple, RTD (resistance thermometer) and thermistor

are introduced. Calibration curves are plotted for each sensor. It has been proved
experimentally that the calibration curve is linear. It also show that thermistor is the
most sensitive and thermocouple is the least sensitivity. Some other merits of these
sensor have also been introduced. It has been shown that there is some different between
readings of each sensors but basically, there are quite accurate. Hence objectives of this
experiment are achieve.

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