MOOLJI JAITHA COLLEGE JALGAON DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS F.Y.B.

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Thermocouple a a Thermome!er
Theor"# In electronics thermocouples are widely used as temperature sensor and are used as a means to convert thermal potential difference into electric potential difference. They are cheap and interchangeable, have standard connectors, and can measure a wide range of temperature. The main limitation is precision; system errors of less than one degree centigrade can be difficult to achieve. Pr$%c$ple o& Opera!$o%# In 1821, Thomas Johann eebec! a "erman physicist discovered that when any conductor #such as metal$ is sub%ected to a thermal gradient, it will generate a voltage. This is now !nown as the &thermo electric effect& or & eebec! effect&. 'ny attempt to measure this voltage necessarily involves connecting another conductor to the &hot& end. This additional conductor will then also e(perience the gradient, and develop a voltage of its own which will oppose the original. )ortunately the magnitude of the effect depends on the metal in use. *sing a dissimilar metal, to complete the circuit will have a different voltage generated, leaving a small difference voltage available for measurement, which increases with temperature. +ertain combinations have became popular as industry standards, driven by cost, availability, convenience, melting point, chemical properties, stability and output. 'ol!a(e)Tempera!ure Rela!$o% h$p# The relationship between temperature difference and voltage of a thermocouple is nonlinear.

T$!le# Thermocouple as Thermometer A$m# +alibration and use of thermocouple as thermometer. App# Type,,,.Thermocouple, -ultimeter, .ong 'l rod, /eater, millivoltmeter, thermometer. D$a(ram#
m'

Thermometer

Thermocouple 61 62

'l rod

/eater

Proce*ure# 1$ 0ut the thermometer and thermocouple together in the hole made in the given rod. 2$ +onnect the thermocouple to the millivoltmeter. 1$ /eat the rod with heater upto ,,,.2+. 3$ witch off the heater. 4ow ta!e the thermometer readings and measure e.m.f. of thermocouple simultaneously for an interval of ,,,,..min. till the rod cools down to room temperature. 5$ /eat the rod again and note thermocouple readings at positions mar! 61 and 62. 7$ 0lot a graph of e.m.f. of thermocouple vs temperature of thermocouple. 8$ )ind the temperatures at position 61 and 62 from graph. O+ er,a!$o% Ta+le# Sr. No. Temp. -.C/ Thermocouple Rea*$%( -m'/

0%1%o2% !emp. mea ure* a! *$&&ere%! po$%! . A! Po $!$o% 34 !hermocouple rea*$%( m' A! Po $!$o% 35 !hermocouple rea*$%( m'

Graph#

Thermocouple m9

Temp. 2+

Re ul!# 1$ *n!nown Temp at position 61: ,,,2+ 2$ *n!nown Temp at position 62: ,,,2+