Understanding Temperature Sensor Technology: RTDs, Thermocouples, and Thermistors

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⌚Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:19 - RTDs
01:31 - RTDs in industrial applications
02:15 - Thermocouples
03:48 - Thermocouples in action
05:26 - Thermistors
06:15 - Thermistor applications

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Today, we'll take you on a journey through the exciting world of temperature sensor technology, specifically RTDs, thermocouples, and thermistors.

1) RTDs or Resistance Temperature Detectors: An RTD is a little device that measures temperature by looking at how much electricity can flow through a wire.

Imagine a wire made of platinum, which is a special kind of metal. As the wire heats up, the metal atoms start to vibrate more and get in the way of the flow of electricity.

An RTD takes advantage of this fact by measuring the wire's resistance to electricity and using that to figure out the temperature.

RTDs are super accurate, too - they can measure temperature with an accuracy of 0.1% or better!

One typical industrial application of RTDs is to measure temperature in food processing plants.

2) Thermocouples: They're pretty cool because they work based on something called the Seebeck effect.

Imagine you have a piece of copper wire and a piece of iron wire, and you stick them together.

When you heat up one end of the wires, a little bit of electricity is created! This happens because the difference in temperature between the hot end and the cold end creates a flow of electricity.

This flow of electricity is called an electromotive force. Thermocouples measure this EMF and use it to figure out the temperature difference between the hot and cold ends of the wires.

Thermocouples come in all different shapes and sizes, and each type is made with different combinations of metals.

One common type is called Type K, and it's made with a wire of nickel and chromium. Another type is called Type J, and it's made with a wire of iron and constantan.

Thermocouples can measure temperature over a really wide range, from really cold temperatures like negative 200 degrees Celsius all the way up to super hot temperatures like 2000 degrees Celsius!

Imagine you're working in a factory where they make things like ceramics, bricks, or glass. By using a thermocouple to monitor the temperature inside a furnace or kiln, the workers can make sure that the temperature stays within a certain range.

Boilers also need to be monitored to make sure they don't get too hot and cause damage. Thermocouples are also used in science labs to measure the temperature of things like chemicals or materials.

3) Thermistors: These are sensors that can measure temperature based on how their resistance changes when the temperature changes.

There are two main types of thermistors - NTC and PTC.

- NTC stands for negative temperature coefficient, which means that as the temperature goes up, the resistance of the thermistor goes down.

- PTC, on the other hand, stands for positive temperature coefficient, so as the temperature goes up, the resistance of the thermistor goes up too. It's like they're playing different games altogether!

One common use of thermistors is in HVAC systems. Inside the air conditioning system, there's a little thermistor that measures the temperature of the air that's coming out of the vents.

If the temperature is too warm, the thermistor sends a signal to the air conditioner to tell it to kick into high gear and start cooling the air down more quickly.

Thermistors are also used in medical thermometers to measure body temperature, and in automotive engines to monitor the temperature of the engine and make sure it doesn't overheat.

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