AVENDAÑO, Jay Russell A.

Written Report
PURUGGANAN, Stephanie Claire
SISON, Kelly

Heat and Temperature Sensors

I. Heat and Temperature

Heat and temperature are terms that are related to each other and often confused by
others. They are related in such a way that you cannot get the other without having the other
one. They come both in pair and cannot be separated from one another.

Heat is a kind of energy with a unit Joules (J) that is possessed by the molecules in a
certain matter. It can be transferred from one body to another that is why temperature
difference occurs. On the other hand, temperature is measure of hotness or coldness of an object
expressed in different scales such as Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F).

II. Overview of Heat and Temperature Sensors

Temperature sensors are vital to a variety of everyday products and applications. It is

the key component because heat is the governing process as it provides a feedback of
temperature which monitors and controls the process.

For example, household appliances such as ovens, refrigerator and thermostats all rely
on temperature maintenance and control to function properly. In chemical engineering
applications, maintaining the chemical reactor’s temperature is significant as it provides the
ideal design temperature of the reactor and also provides the safety for the workers. A process
requires a precise quantitative measure of hotness or coldness in order to accurately control the
process. It is achieved through the use of temperature sensors and regulators which process the
signals they receive from the sensors. In general, temperature sensors are designed to measure
a property which changes in response to time.

III. Measurement Instruments

A. Contact Sensors
Contact sensors measure the temperature of the object to which the sensor is in contact
by assuming or knowing that the sensor and the object are in thermal equilibrium, or in
other words, there is no heat flowing between them.

1. Thermocouples
The main principle of thermocouple function is based on the “Seebeck Effect”
wherein the temperature difference between the two junctions of two different
metals generates an electromotive force (EMF) in a closed loop. This effect converts
the thermal energy to electrical energy.

Figure 1.0 Thermocouple Setup

 Based from figure 1.0, the two junctions are called hot and cold junctions,
where electrons flow from the hot to cold junction, while current flows vice versa.
The formula governing the Seebeck effect is: V= k1(TH-TC) + k2((TH2-TC2), where V is
the electromotive force, k is the Seebeck constant and T H and TC are the absolute
temperature of the hot and cold junction respectively.

Most common types of thermocouples are J, K and T. J ranges from -346°F to

2193°F, K ranges from -454°F to 2501°F and lastly T ranges from -454°F to 752°F.
They have usually assigned colors easily determine the type. Refer on figure 2.0.

Figure 2.0 Thermocouple Types (From

left to right): J, K and T.
Thermocouples have also laws governing its principle:
i. Law of homogenous materials
It states that no EMF will be generated if homogenous metals or same
materials will be used since there will be no temperature difference due to its
conductivity.
ii. Law of intermediate materials
This law implies that the sum of all the thermoelectric forces in a circuit
with a number of dissimilar materials at a uniform temperature is zero. This
means that if a third metal is added at the same temperature, no net voltage is
generated by the new material.
iii. Law of successive/ intermediate temperatures
For the third law, If EMF 1 measures the junctions T1 and T2, and EMF2
measure the junctions T2 and T3, this means the EMF generated at junctions T 1
and T3 will be the sum of EMF1 and EMF2.

2. Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTDs)

Resistance temperature detectors are also called as “Resistance
thermometers” which are usually made from platinum, nickel or copper. It
provides an electrical means of temperature measurement, thus making it
more convenient for use with a computerized system. An RTD utilizes the
relationship between electrical resistance and temperature, which may either
be linear of non-linear. RTDs are known for its high accuracy and precision.
However at high temperatures above 700°C, they become very inaccurate due
to degradation of the outer sheath which contains the thermometer. Therefore,
RTD usage is preferred at lower temperature ranges where they are most
accurate.

Figure 3.0 Structure of RTD

 It works by correlating the resistance of the elements with the
temperature in °C and it is based on the principle of Callendar-Van Dusen
equation.

Figure 4.0 Callendar-Van Dusen

Equation
3. Semiconductor based sensors
4. Filled System Thermometers
5. Bimetallic Thermometers

B. Non-Contact Sensors
These temperature sensors measure the radiant power of the infrared or optical
radiation received from a known or calculated area on its surface or volume within it.

1. Pyrometer

IV. Applications
V. References
1. Heat vs Temperature. (n.d.). Retrieved September 9, 2018, from
https://www.diffen.com/difference/Heat_vs_Temperature

2. Lecture#04 temperature sensors - ppt download. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2018,
from https://slideplayer.com/slide/3499378/