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Temperature Sensors

  • Chapter
Handbook of Modern Sensors

Abstract

From prehistoric times people are aware of heat and trying to assess its intensity by measuring temperature. Perhaps the simplest, and certainly the most widely used, physical phenomenon for temperature sensing is thermal expansion. This forms the basis of the liquid-in-glass thermometers. For the electrical transduction, different methods of sensing are employed. Among them are: the resistive, thermoelectric, semiconductive, optical, acoustic, and piezoelectric detectors. For measuring temperature, the sensor shall be thermally coupled to the object. The coupling may be physical (contact) or remote (non-contact), but a thermal coupling always must be established for the sensor to produce a measurable electrical response.

When a scientist thinks of something, he asks, –‘Why?’

When an engineer thinks of something, he asks, –‘Why not?’

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Kirchhoff’s law was originally conceived not for the electrical circuits but for plumbing.

  2. 2.

    The International Temperature Scale of 1990 was adopted by the International Committee of Weights and Measures at its meeting in 1989. This scale supersedes the International Practical Temperature Scale of 1968 (amended edition of 1975) and the 1976 Provisional Temperature Scale.

  3. 3.

    Actually, water is not used with the unprotected thermistors. Mineral oil or Fluorinert® electronic fluid are more practical liquids.

  4. 4.

    Note that β and T are in Kelvin. When temperature is indicated as t, the scale is in Celsius.

  5. 5.

    A hard voltage source means any voltage source having a near zero output resistance and capable of delivering unlimited current without change in voltage.

  6. 6.

    This mechanism is different for the cryogenic temperatures.

  7. 7.

    Trademark of the Driver-Harris Company.

  8. 8.

    Trademark of the International Nickel Company.

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  1. Fraden Corp., San Diego, CA, USA

    Jacob Fraden

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  1. Jacob Fraden
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Fraden, J. (2016). Temperature Sensors. In: Handbook of Modern Sensors. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19303-8_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19303-8_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-19302-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-19303-8

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