Measurements in Fluid Mechanics

058:180:001 (ME:5180:0001)
Time & Location: 2:30P - 3:20P MWF 218 MLH
Office Hours:

4:00P 5:00P MWF 223B-5 HL

Instructor: Lichuan Gui

lichuan-gui@uiowa.edu
http://lcgui.net

Lecture 21. Temperature measurement

emperature measurement
Temperature
scales
- three temperature scales in use today, Fahrenheit (F), Celsius
(C) and Kelvin (K)

Fahrenheit temperature scale

- 32 for the freezing point of water
- 212 for the boiling point of water
- interval divided into 180 parts

Celsius, or centigrade, scale

- 0 for the freezing point of water
- 100 for the boiling point of water
- conversion formula: F = 9/5C +
32

Kelvin temperature scale

- base unit in International System (SI) of
measurement
- zero
point at absolute zero
- difference between the freezing and
boiling points
of water is 100 degrees
- conversion formula: K = C + 273
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emperature measurement
Thermometers
Thermal expansion
thermometers

- liquid-in-glass
thermometers
- bimetallic thermometers

Thermocouples
- based on the thermoelectric effect

Resistance thermometers
- based on the relationship between temperature and
electric
- includeresistance
metallic resistance sensors (RTDs), and semiconductor
resistance sensors

Coil elements
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emperature measurement
Liquid-in-glass
thermometers
a bulb, a reservoir in which the working liquid can expand or
contract in volume
a stem, a glass tube containing a tiny capillary
connected to the bulb and enlarged at the bottom into a bulb
that is partially filled with a working liquid. The tube's bore is
small - less scale
than 0.5
mm in
- extremely
a temperature
is fixed
or diameter
engraved on the

stem supporting the capillary tube to indicate the range

and the value of the temperature.
The liquid-in-glass thermometers is usually calibrated
against a standard thermometer and at the melting point of
a reference point, a calibration point, the most
water
common being the ice point
a working liquid, usually mercury or alcohol
-

an inert gas is used for mercury intended to high

temperature. The thermometer is filled with an inert gas such
as argon or nitrogen above the mercury to reduce its
volatilization.
- constriction may be used to measure maximal or minimal
temperature

emperature measurement
Liquid-in-glass
thermometers
Typical resolution:

0.05-1 K
Immersion types:
partial Immersion (inserted in fluid up to marked
line)

total immersion (inserted in fluid up to liquid

column)
immersion
(entirely
immersed
fluid)
- complete
total immersion
required
to avoid
errors in
due
to
temperature
difference between immersed and non-immersed
sections
- stem correction necessary with partial immersion thermometers
e.g. for mercury-in-glass thermometers:

- number of degrees (K) of the non-immersed

- portion
temperature of the immersed portion
- temperature of the non-immersed portion

disadvantage: poor spatial and temporal

resolutions
advantage: excellent laboratory standards for calibration
of other instruments
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emperature measurement
Bimetallic
thermometers
- two thin plates of different
- materials
vastly different thermal expansion
- coefficient
bonded together tightly with one end fixed &
free
- another
curvature
of the assembly changed due to
variation
- temperature
helically or spiral
coiled assembly used to amplify motion resulting from
temperature change

Bimetallic thermometer (flat, spiral strip)

- bimetallic assemblies also used in

thermostatic controls

- typical resolution about 1% of full scale, and maximal operation temperature

around 500C

emperature measurement
Thermocouples
Seebeck effect
-

Any electrical conductor will develop a

potential difference (thermoelectric voltage)
between two of its points that have a
temperature difference.

Thermocouple
configuration
two dissimilar metallic wires (e.g. A and B) joined firmly at
- two junctions
one junction exposed to the temperature of
(e.g.
1)
- interest
the other
oneT(reference
junction) kept at known constant
(e.g. Tconventionally
2)
- temperature
reference junction
immersed in an ice bath for reference
of 0C temperature also provided with an electronically
- temperature
constant reference
heated
- controlled
common types
of block
thermocouples and their properties

- typical resolution in the order of 1C

- highest temperature of 2930C by tungstenrhenium type

emperature measurement
Thermocouples
Sensor & measuring
circuit

emperature measurement
Resistance thermometers
Resistance temperature detectors
(RTDs)
- pure metal thermometers of platinum (most popular and accurate), nickel,
or copper
- typical resolution of 0.1 K, possible high resolution of
0.0001 K
- non-linear response fitted with low-order polynomials
e.g. resistance Rpt of platinum RTD in the range 0f 100-700C described by Callendar-Van
Dusen equation
Rpt0 resistance at
0C

Coldwires
- similar construction to
HW
- high frequency response in temperature
measurement

Thermistors
- semiconductor elements whose
resistance is a very
strong function
of temperature.
- extremely
high sensitivity
to temperature
- non-linear
response
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scussion on homework assignment

- Questions and Problems: 8 on page 286

11

Homework
- Read textbook 12.1-12.2 on page 290 - 296
- Questions and Problems: 6 on page 305

- Due on 10/14

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