RECON, Reyven R.

BSME – 3111

In today's industrial world, temperature measuring instrument / devices serves a wide

range of needs and applications. For most mechanical engineers and other special fields, these
devices are a critical and widely measured characteristic. Industry have advanced these
technological instruments and created mechanical thermometers. Mechanical thermometers
serves as a temperature-sensitive material which can be constructed by the use of solid, liquid or
even gases as the temperature-sensitive material.
Some examples of temperature measuring instruments can be seen below:

Temperature Measuring Instruments / Devices

Instrument Illustration Definition Principle of Operation
Pressure A temperature These thermometers
thermometer measuring device operate on the basis of
which is used through thermal expansion of the
measuring pressure fluid in response to a
exerted by a given
change in temperature.
volume of gas or
These thermometers,
liquid. This type of
device is one of the which rely on pressure
most economical, measurement to
versatile and widely determine temperature
used devices in change, can be used to do
industrial when it so.
comes to temperature
measurement.

Bimetallic A bimetallic strip is Bimetal Thermometers

Thermometers used to convert a functions on various metals
temperature change which expand at different
into mechanical rates as they are heated.
displacement. In these kind of
thermometer, the
movement of two strips of
different metals
corresponds to
temperature and can be
shown along a scale. This
is a simple, long-lasting,
and low-cost method of
measuring temperature.
 Liquid-in-glass A glass capillary tube The principle of thermal
thermometer with a liquid-filled expansion of substances is
bulb at one end is used in liquid-in-glass
known as a liquid-in- thermometers. When a
glass thermometer.
liquid in a capillary is
Because of its
heated, it expands and
precision and the fact
that it does not contracts. After that, a
require any other calibrated scale can be
equipment save the used to determine the
human eye, this temperature that caused
gadget is used to the thermal expansion.
measure temperature. Capillary thermometers
are another name for
these types of
thermometers.

Sealed Bellows Sealed bellows are Sealed bellows are filled with
accordion-like metal gas, vapor, or liquid
tube attached to the depending on the needs and
valve stem and availability. It shows how the
temperature changes as the
bonnet that forms a
volume and pressure change
leak-proof seal with
as a result of expansion or
minimal friction. It is contraction.
another important
equipment for
measuring the
temperature of fuel
and air.

Bulb and Capillary Where temperatures Depending on the

Sensor must be measured in temperature range
ducts, pipelines, tanks, necessary, the bulb is
or other sites far from filled with liquid, gas, or
the controller, bulb
refrigerant. The pressure
and capillary elements
exerted by the expanded
are used.
fluid in the heated bulb is
conveyed by the capillary
to the diaphragm, where it
is translated into
movement.
 Electrical Resistance A resistance element and
Resistance thermometers, often insulated copper wires make
Thermometer known as resistance up an RTD. The underlying
temperature premise of an RTD is that as
detectors, are the temperature of a metal
temperature sensors. rises, so does the resistance
A length of thin wire to the flow of electricity. A
wrapped around a current is passed through
ceramic or glass core the sensor, and the
is employed in many resistance element is utilized
RTD elements, but to determine how much
different structures current is being passed
are also used. through it. The electrical
resistance increases as the
temperature of the
resistance element rises.

Infrared The term "thermal Infrared thermometers rely

Thermometers radiation thermometers" on a phenomena known as
refers to a subgroup of black body radiation to
infrared thermometers. function. Anything that is
Infrared thermometers,
above absolute zero has
also known as
pyrometers or radiation
molecules moving around
thermometers, are non- inside of it. The molecules
contact thermometers move quicker as the
that use a body's temperature rises. The
emitted thermal molecules emit infrared
radiation to determine radiation as they travel,
its temperature. Infrared which is a form of
thermometers are also electromagnetic radiation
useful for assessing that lies below the visible
surface temperatures,
spectrum of light. They
but they cannot
determine an object's
produce more infrared as
interior temperature. they heat up, and they may
even start to emit visible
light.
Mercury-in-steel A mercury-in-steel The liquid-in-glass
Thermometer thermometer is a thermometer works on
type of liquid-in- the same concept as this
metal thermometer mercury-in-steel
that contains thermometer. A steel bulb
mercury within a replaces the glass bulb,
steel envelope. It and a stainless steel
may be utilized at capillary tube replaces the
temperatures glass capillary tube.
ranging from 25 to Because the mercury in
550 degrees Celsius. the system is not visible,
the volume change is
measured using a Bourdon
tube.
Constant Volume A constant volume The Law of Gay-Lussac is
Gas Thermometer gas thermometer is used to operate this
typically made up of thermometer. The law
a bulb filled with a asserts that as the
predetermined temperature of an ideal
amount of dilute gas gas rises, so does the
and a mercury pressure. In addition, as
manometer. the temperature drops,
the pressure drops as well.

Constant Pressure Constant Pressure A bigger, opentube

Gas Thermometer Gas Thermometer is surrounds the tube, air, and
an apparatus based mercury, allowing liquid or
on Charles law in gas to easily travel through.
The air expands or contracts
which a rigid vessel
as the temperature of the
is filled with a low-
inner tube changes,
pressure gas, transporting the mercury
commonly hydrogen along the tube.
or helium. The amount of movement of
the mercury can be used to
calculate how much it has
expanded at different
temperatures, and its
volume is measured as the
temperature rises while the
pressure remains constant.
At two fixed positions, such
as the ice and steam points,
the equipment must be
calibrated.
Silicon Diode As the name implies, This device was created
it is a sort of silicon- with the sole purpose of
based diode. Low- measuring cryogenic
temperature temperatures. This little
measurements are instrument also measures
taken with this the temperature of the
diode. It's built cryogenic engine and the
similarly to a diode. fuel utilized. The
It's used to monitor conductivity of a silicon
extremely cold diode is proportional to its
temperatures in cryogenic temperature,
cryogenic region. and it grows linearly in low
cryogenic temperatures.
Thermocouples A thermocouple is a When the two metals'
type of temperature junction is heated or
sensor. It is made up cooled, a voltage is
of two distinct produced that can be
metals that are linked to the temperature.
linked at one end. A thermocouple is a basic,
Temperature is reliable, and low-cost
measured as a temperature sensor that
function of voltage can be utilized in a variety
variation. Because of temperature measuring
temperature and applications. This
voltage are closely equipment is commonly
linked, when the found and used in
temperature rises, laboratories.
the voltage rises as
well.
Probe A probe Probe thermometers are
Thermometer thermometer made out of a thin metal
features a sharp rod (a probe) that is
metal stem that can connected to a digital
be placed into food. display by a wire. The
When you cook, probe is inserted into the
reheat, cool, thaw, meat and remains there
or keep meals hot or during the cooking
cold, use a probe process; the display device
thermometer to is placed outside the oven
check internal and sounds an alarm when
temperatures. the temperature is
attained.