The Temperature Sensor Specialists

Constantly improving temperature measurement.

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Tag Archives: engineer

POX Temperature Sensor for Chemical Plants

Peak Sensors supplies temperature sensors to many specialised applications. POX, Partial Oxidation is a chemical plant process which uses fuel / air mixture to partially oxidise the gases into other useful products. Carbon Monoxide is the common product. The POX temperature sensor requires some novel design detail to survive the plant and to be safe should failure occur.

POX Process

This process occurs at temperatures around 1200 deg C. It is a very aggressive environment for temperature sensors. Heat, Pressure, Oxygen and Combustion products are present. A number of Probes are typically situated almost within the insulation to give them some protection. As insulation deteriates over the plant life the probes get an even tougher life.… Read more

High Voltage Temperature Sensor Design

Temperature sensors regularly go into some very unpleasant environments. Usually this involves chemicals, pressure, temperature extremes or high vibration. Recently we had an enquiry for Resistance Thermometers (Pt 100) to go into high voltage transformers. The probe specification included a test at 3600V AC for 1 minute.  Peak Sensors had very little experience of a high voltage temperature sensor.

The best designs come from collaborative efforts. Peak Sensors knew all the details about making and protecting the probe. The customer was familar with high voltages.

Insulation

The usual insulating polymers (PVC, PTFE, PFA Silicon Rubber) used with temperature sensors were not good enough insulators.… Read more

Conduction Error in Temperature Sensors

Conduction error is a common problem for small application contact temperature sensors.

Temperature sensors can be very accurate devices, however poor probe design or bad installation can easily give a system significant temperature reading errors. Conduction error is primarily caused by inadequate immersion. Heavy Industrial applications usually have good immersions, but designers of small pieces of equipment must address the problem.

Sensors usually need protection sheaths and always use signal cables. Both items will conduct heat away from a system. Probe leads and sheath will pass through a thermal gradient at some point. If the thermal gradient is close to the measuring point, then the sensor will be influenced to some degree by ambient conditions.… Read more

1 Wire Sensor, Digital thermometer

Peak Sensors now supplies assemblies that are based on Maxim IC 1 Wire Sensors.

Direct to Digital Signals

Volume OEM Applications within the temperature range -55 to + 125 deg C now can use the Maxim High Precision 1-wire Digital thermometer. A digital signal directly from the sensor can give significant advantages over competing technologies.

No standard ready built instrumentation is available, however when volumes are sufficiently high, specialist instrument and software can be designed into equipment control systems.

1 Wire sensor attributes

The accuracy is only +/- 0.5 deg over the range -10 to + 85 deg. 9 bit (0.5 degC) resolution and conversions in 750 ms are adequate for many applications.… Read more

Aerospace Heat Treatment Thermocouples to AMS 2750D

Aerospace Heat Treatment applications require AMS 2750D thermocouples. The key point of this standard, for sensor makers, demands that Thermocouples are calibrated by approved means and shown to be within defined limits. Individual sensors or batches of Thermocouple material can be tested. The maximum acceptable error depends on sensor use. There are strict limits on the number of uses before recalibration or replacement is required.

 

Peak Sensors often supplies Mineral Insulated Thermocouples, Rare Metal Thermocouples or Thermocouple wire batch certified. Thermocouple type R, type S and type N are the most common aerospace sensors.

 

Cost Reduction for AMS 2750D

 

To minimise Mineral Insulated Thermocouple sensor costs, Peak Sensors will have batches of wire calibrated and then from it, build sensors according to a customers requirement.… Read more

Original Equipment Temperature Sensors

Many equipment designers require temperature measurement inputs in Original Equipment they are creating. Demands for thermal control, overheat protection, temperature compensation, heater and cooler switching all require system signals.

 

Working with Original Equipment Designers.

 

Peak Sensor staff are never happier than when we are talking to a design engineer about a new application. Engineers know their product well. Peak Sensors staff know about sensors. Put the two together and great solutions can emerge.

 

Good sensor design identifies the balance between a number of conflicting parameters

 

  • Probe Cost
  • System cost
  • Robustness
  • Protection from ambient conditions
  • Speed of response
  • Process connection
  • Accuracy
  • Sensor lifetime
  • Subsequent assembly
  • Replacement

 

Peak Sensors has a long history of working with designers to create optimal solutions for original equipment.… Read more