Thermocouples, widely utilized in various industrial settings, serve as diligent temperature sensors. Understanding their functionality, purpose, and popularity is essential. In this blog post, Discover the principles behind thermocouples, their operational mechanism, and the reasons for their widespread adoption.
Thermocouples are electrical components specifically designed for temperature measurement. They have gained significant popularity due to their exceptional accuracy, swift response time, and robustness to endure intense vibrations, high pressures, and extreme temperature conditions. But what makes thermocouples effective in measuring temperature? Lets find it out.
What is a Thermocouple device?
A thermocouple is a temperature measurement device that consists of two dissimilar metal wires or conductors joined together at one end. It operates based on the principle of the Seebeck effect, which states that when two different metals are joined together and exposed to a temperature gradient, a voltage is generated across the junction. This voltage is directly proportional to the temperature difference between the junction and the other end of the wires.
How Do Thermocouples Work?- Thermocouples Working Principle
The principle of operation for a thermocouple is based on the Seebeck effect, also known as the thermoelectric effect. This effect involves the conversion of thermal energy into electrical energy. It occurs when two different conductors are connected, resulting in the generation of an electrical voltage that varies with temperature.
A thermocouple consists of two metal wires with different electrical properties at different temperatures. These wires are in contact with each other at one end, known as the measuring point. At the other end is the connection point, which is connected to a voltage reader. When the temperature changes at the measuring point, the electron density of each metal wire also changes. This variation in electron density produces a voltage, which is measured at the connection point.
It is important to note that thermocouples do not directly measure the absolute temperature. Instead, they measure the temperature difference between the measuring point and the connection point. To ensure accurate readings, thermocouples require cold junction compensation. This compensation prevents the ambient temperature at the connection terminals from affecting the measurement results.
Metal Pairings in Thermocouples
To ensure optimal performance, it is important for a thermocouple to have two wires with significantly different electronegativities. This contrast allows the voltage reader to detect the highest thermoelectric voltage difference.
There are different types of thermocouples, such as:
- J- Type,
- T- Type,
- K- Type,
- E- Type, and
- N- Type.
These are made of base metals. These types generate higher thermoelectric voltages compared to the more expensive noble metal thermocouples, namely R, S, and B. However, the noble metal thermocouples can withstand extremely high temperatures, up to 3,092°F (1,700°C) or even higher.
Common metal pairings for base metal thermocouples include
- Iron and copper-nickel (type J),
- Copper and copper-nickel (type T), and
- Nickel-chromium and nickel-aluminum (type K).
On the other hand, noble metal thermocouples, such as types S, R, and B, are typically made of platinum and rhodium.