The Temperature Sensor Specialists

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Tag Archives: Sensor Type

Element and Assembly Resistance Thermometer Accuracy

Resistance Thermometer, Pt 100, RTD, whatever you call them, are devices that change resistance with temperature. They are available in a number of defined accuracy bands.

European Resistance Thermometers are usually available as 100Ω at 0°C and 138.5Ω at 100°C according to BS EN 60751 with a linear resistance change within and beyond these temperatures. Resistance Thermometers can be set to 500 or 1000 Ω

Elements can be rated to -200°C and up to +600°C.

RTD’s can be more accurate than Thermocouples, however the expected accuracy of an assembly can easily be misunderstood.

Common Resistance Thermometer Element Types

The Pt 100 sensing element is available in a number of forms:

Thin Film elements are the volume leader inexpensive device.… Read more

TC Temperature Sensors

TC is a common abbreviation for Thermocouple. A TC is made from two different wires joined in a loop. When the temperatures of the joins (Hot Junction and Cold Junction) are different a very small current flows. It the cold junction is split, and a voltmeter is placed there, it detects an EMF. When the dissimilar wire alloys are defined alloy pairs, the EMF can be used to determine the temperature difference, and thus the temperature of the hot junction.

 

Common TC Pairs

 

K Type is the most common. (NiCr v NiMgAlSi) This TC operates from -200 to + 1300°C.… 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

Identifying Temperature Sensor Type

We often receive phone calls from potential customers who have a temperature sensor in their hands, but little other information about it. This presents us with a number of problems. The first issue is identifying exactly what type of sensor it is.

 

Most industrial plant contact temperature sensors are thermocouples, resistance thermometers or thermistors. To identify the type of sensor, our advice goes along the lines of:

 

  1. Is there any visible information on the instrument that displays the temperature?
  2. What temperatures are usually recorded?
  3. How many and what colour are any wires on the sensor or subsequent cabling?
  4. Disconnect the sensor from the system and take a resistance measurement across any terminals on the sensor with a multimeter.

    5. … Read more