Measuring temperatures in an environment that humans aren't able to go in has always been a problem. With new technologies and new materials being produced other methods of measuring these temperatures was needed. This is where the thermocouple comes in. The most common of these is the Type K thermocouple.
The sensors have been specially developed to with stand extremely harsh environments. Whether it's probing a blob of lava or drilling a whole a mile under the ice, thermocouples are the work horse in the temperature measuring department. Developed using two different types of thermo conducting wire with two ends joined together to create a joint. They produce a voltage as the temperature rises or falls.
They require no external power to produce these voltages due to the thermal gradient the materials experience. Commercially they are not expensive and are easy produced. Accuracy of the measure meant is due to the materials being used to produce the couples and the instruments used to measure the changes in the voltages. The more expensive monitoring devices can compensate for the differences in that may occur.
A wide range of temperatures can be measured using these devices and some factors can influence the measurement. One of these is the environment they are to be used in. If it is a chemically harsh atmosphere the couple can erode and the life span of it can be drastically reduced. By shielding it by means of a sheath it can be protected and thus its life span extended.
They are built for reliability and due to the unique characteristics they can be used in high vibration environments and chemically harsh atmospheres. The couple itself is low cost but the instrument used to interpret the voltage variance can be costly. On the other hand they can be calibrated to the different types of couples used, thus they can improve the precision and accuracy of the measured voltage.
With such a variety of couples available, choosing which one to use for a specific task needs to be left to a company that understands the unique characteristics of each couple. This includes the durability, vibration resistance, chemical resistance and what operating temperatures it will need to withstand. There are there characteristics that need to be addressed for the accuracy of the couple.
The diameter of the wires influences the response time of the joint. The smaller the wire the quicker the temperature can be measured, but a trade off on this is the temperature range it can handle. The thicker it is the more temperature in can handle but is very slow to respond to the changes.
Thermocouples have made a large impact on the steel production industry. By adding various metals into a mixture at varying temperatures new alloys can be created. The only way to check if the correct temperature has been reached before adding the next metal is through the use of these couples. The thermocouple itself will be the most likely one to be used for this application.
The sensors have been specially developed to with stand extremely harsh environments. Whether it's probing a blob of lava or drilling a whole a mile under the ice, thermocouples are the work horse in the temperature measuring department. Developed using two different types of thermo conducting wire with two ends joined together to create a joint. They produce a voltage as the temperature rises or falls.
They require no external power to produce these voltages due to the thermal gradient the materials experience. Commercially they are not expensive and are easy produced. Accuracy of the measure meant is due to the materials being used to produce the couples and the instruments used to measure the changes in the voltages. The more expensive monitoring devices can compensate for the differences in that may occur.
A wide range of temperatures can be measured using these devices and some factors can influence the measurement. One of these is the environment they are to be used in. If it is a chemically harsh atmosphere the couple can erode and the life span of it can be drastically reduced. By shielding it by means of a sheath it can be protected and thus its life span extended.
They are built for reliability and due to the unique characteristics they can be used in high vibration environments and chemically harsh atmospheres. The couple itself is low cost but the instrument used to interpret the voltage variance can be costly. On the other hand they can be calibrated to the different types of couples used, thus they can improve the precision and accuracy of the measured voltage.
With such a variety of couples available, choosing which one to use for a specific task needs to be left to a company that understands the unique characteristics of each couple. This includes the durability, vibration resistance, chemical resistance and what operating temperatures it will need to withstand. There are there characteristics that need to be addressed for the accuracy of the couple.
The diameter of the wires influences the response time of the joint. The smaller the wire the quicker the temperature can be measured, but a trade off on this is the temperature range it can handle. The thicker it is the more temperature in can handle but is very slow to respond to the changes.
Thermocouples have made a large impact on the steel production industry. By adding various metals into a mixture at varying temperatures new alloys can be created. The only way to check if the correct temperature has been reached before adding the next metal is through the use of these couples. The thermocouple itself will be the most likely one to be used for this application.
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