4/17/2017 ResistanceTemperatureDetectororRTD|ConstructionandWorkingPrinciple|Electrical4u

ResistanceTemperatureDetectororRTD|ConstructionandWorking
Principle

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AResistanceThermometerorResistanceTemperatureDetector is a device which

used to determine the temperature by measuring the resistance of pure electrical wire.
Thiswireisreferredtoasatemperaturesensor.Ifwewanttomeasuretemperaturewith
high accuracy, RTD is the only one solution in industries. It has good linear
characteristicsoverawiderangeoftemperature.
Thevariationofresistanceofthemetalwiththevariationofthetemperatureisgivenas,

Where,RtandR0aretheresistancevaluesattoCandt0oCtemperatures.andarethe
constantsdependsonthemetals.

This expression is for huge range of temperature. For small range of temperature, the
expressioncanbe,

InRTDdevicesCopper,NickelandPlatinumarewidelyusedmetals.Thesethreemetals
are having different resistance variations with respective to the temperature variations.
Thatiscalledresistancetemperaturecharacteristics.Platinumhasthetemperaturerange
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4/17/2017 ResistanceTemperatureDetectororRTD|ConstructionandWorkingPrinciple|Electrical4u

of 650oC, and then the Copper and Nickel have 120oC and 300oC respectively. The
figure1 shows the resistancetemperature characteristics curve of the three different
metals. For Platinum, its resistance changes by approximately 0.4 ohms per degree
Celsiusoftemperature.
The purity of the platinum is checked by measuring R100 / R0. Because, whatever the
materials actually we are using for making the RTD that should be pure. If it will not
pure, it will deviate from the conventional resistancetemperature graph. So, and
valueswillchangedependinguponthemetals.

ConstructionofResistanceTemperatureDetectororRTD
Theconstructionistypicallysuchthatthewireiswoundonaform(inacoil)onnotched
mica cross frame to achieve small size, improving the thermal conductivity to decrease
theresponsetimeandahighrateofheattransferisobtained.IntheindustrialRTDs,the
coilisprotectedbyastainlesssteelsheathoraprotectivetube.
So that, the physical strain is negligible as the wire expands and increase the length of
wirewiththetemperaturechange.Ifthestrainonthewireisincreasing,thenthetension
increases.Duetothat,theresistanceofthewirewillchangewhichisundesirable.So,we
dont want to change the resistance of wire by any other unwanted changes except the
temperaturechanges.
This is also useful to RTD maintenance while the plant is in operation. Mica is placed in
between the steel sheath and resistance wire for better electrical insulation. Due less
strain in resistance wire, it should be carefully wound over mica sheet. The fig.2 shows
thestructuralviewofanIndustrialResistanceTemperatureDetector.

SignalConditioningofRTD
WecangetthisRTDinmarket.Butwemustknowtheprocedurehowtouseitandhow
to make the signal conditioning circuitry. So that, the lead wire errors and other
calibration errors can be minimized. In this RTD, the change in resistance value is very
smallwithrespecttothetemperature.So,theRTDvalueismeasuredbyusingabridge

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4/17/2017 ResistanceTemperatureDetectororRTD|ConstructionandWorkingPrinciple|Electrical4u

circuit.Bysupplyingtheconstantelectriccurrenttothebridgecircuitandmeasuringthe
resultingvoltagedropacrosstheresistor,theRTDresistancecanbecalculated.Thereby,
the temperature can be also determined. This temperature is determined by converting
theRTDresistancevalueusingacalibrationexpression.ThedifferentmodulesofRTDare
showninbelowfigures.

IntwowiresRTDBridge,thedummywireisabsent.Theoutputtakenfromtheremaining
twoendsasshowninfig.3.Buttheextensionwireresistancesareveryimportanttobe
considered, because the impedance of the extension wires may affect the temperature
reading. This effect is minimizing in three wires RTD bridge circuit by connecting a
dummy wire C. If wires A and B are matched properly in terms of length and cross
section area, then their impedance effects will cancel because each wire is in opposite
position. So that, the dummy wire C acts as a sense lead to measure the voltage drop
acrosstheRTDresistanceanditcarriesnocurrent.Inthesecircuits,theoutputvoltage
isdirectlyproportionaltothetemperature.So,weneedonecalibrationequationtofind
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4/17/2017 ResistanceTemperatureDetectororRTD|ConstructionandWorkingPrinciple|Electrical4u

thetemperature.
ExpressionsforaThreeWiresRTDCircuit

IfweknowthevaluesofVSandVO,wecanfindRgandthenwecanfindthetemperature
valueusingcalibrationequation.Now,assumeR1=R2:

IfR3=RgthenVO=0andthebridgeisbalanced.Thiscanbedonemanually,butifwe
dont want to do a manual calculation, we can just solve the equation 3 to get the
expressionforRg.

Thisexpressionassumes,whentheleadresistanceRL=0.Suppose,ifRLispresentina
situation,thentheexpressionofRgbecomes,

So, there is an error in the RTD resistance value because of the RL resistance. That is

why we need to compensated the RL resistance as we discussed already by connecting
onedummylineCasshowninfig.4.
VideoPresentationonResistanceTemperatureDetectororRTD

Resistance Temperature Detector

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4/17/2017 ResistanceTemperatureDetectororRTD|ConstructionandWorkingPrinciple|Electrical4u

LimitationsofRTD
In the RTD resistance, there will be an I2R power dissipation by the device itself that
causesaslightheatingeffect.ThisiscalledasselfheatinginRTD.Thismayalsocause
an erroneous reading. Thus, the electric current through the RTD resistance must be
keptsufficientlylowandconstanttoavoidselfheating.
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