1/26/2018 Manually Interpreting Thermocouple Voltages Instrumentation Tools

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TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT

Manually Interpreting Thermocouple Voltages

 S Bharadwaj Reddy  Leave a comment

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The amount of voltage indicated by a voltmeter connected to a thermocouple is the di erence between the voltage produced by
the measurement junction (the point where the two dissimilar metals join at the location we desire to sense temperature at) and
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the voltage produced by the reference junction (the point where the thermocouple wires join to the voltmeter wires):
It Inter

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1/26/2018 Manually Interpreting Thermocouple Voltages Instrumentation Tools
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Vmeter = VJ1 − VJ2
It Inter
This makes thermocouples inherently di erential sensing devices: they generate a measurable voltage in proportion to the
Tem
di erence in temperature between two locations. This inescapable fact of thermocouple circuits complicates the task of
interpreting any voltage measurement obtained from a thermocouple. In order to translate a voltage measurement produced by a I
voltmeter connected to a thermocouple, we must add the voltage produced by the measurement junction (VJ2) to the voltage
indicated by the voltmeter to nd the voltage being produced by the measurement junction (VJ1). In other words, we manipulate
the previous equation into the following form:

VJ1 = VJ2 + Vmeter

Like our
We may ascertain the reference junction voltage by placing a thermometer near that junction (where the thermocouple wire
attaches to the voltmeter test leads) and referencing a thermocouple table showing temperatures and corresponding voltages for
that thermocouple type. Then, we may take the voltage sum for VJ1 and re-reference that same table, nding the temperature
value corresponding to the calculated measurement junction voltage. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in
the United States publishes tables showing junction voltages and temperatures for standardized thermocouple types. While it is
possible to mathematically model a thermocouple junction’s voltage in the same way we may model an RTD’s resistance, the Like P
functions for thermocouples are less linear than for RTDs, and so tables are greatly preferred for practical use.

Also Check : Thermocouple Tables Latest C

To illustrate, suppose we connected a voltmeter to a type K thermocouple and measured 14.30 millivolts. A thermometer situated smita
so,much u
near the thermocouple wire / voltmeter junction point shows an ambient temperature of 73 degrees Fahrenheit. Referencing a
table of voltages for type K thermocouples (in this case, the NIST “ITS-90” reference standard), we see that a type K junction at 73 Iliyas
Conductiv
degrees Fahrenheit corresponds to 0.910 millivolts. Adding this gure to our meter measurement of 14.30 millivolts, we arrive at a
sum of 15.21 millivolts for the measurement (“hot”) junction. Going back to the same table of values, we see 15.21 millivolts falls Satheesh
between 701 and 702 degrees Fahrenheit. Linearly interpolating between the table values (15.203 mV at 701 oF and 15.226 mV at Very usefu

702 oF), we may more precisely determine the measurement junction to be 701.3 degrees Fahrenheit. Instrume
Sir, This w
getting kn
The process of manually taking voltage measurements, referencing a table of millivoltage values, performing addition, then re-
referencing the same table is rather tedious. Compensation for the reference junction’s inevitable presence in the thermocouple m.k
circuit is something we must do, but it is not something that must always be done by a human being. The next subsection dear sir it
your e or
discusses ways to automatically compensate for the e ect of the reference junction, which is the only practical alternative for
continuous thermocouple-based temperature instruments. S Bharadw
Please ch
category..
Also Check : Thermocouple Calculator
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no any da
Credits : Tony R. Kuphaldt – Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License transmitte

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