What is the role of temperature transducer?
Temperature sensors are used for a variety of practical purposes in many industries around the world. Essentially, these sensors provide input to the system to determine approximately or accurately the temperature of a particular object or environment.
From food processing to medical applications, to petrochemical processing and automotive monitoring, to biological research and geological research, to HVAC systems and other consumer electronics, temperature sensors are an important tool in countless fields. In fact, they're still in our own homes and offices, in the vehicles we ride, and even in the devices we use every day!
What are temperature sensors used to measure?
Although you might just assume that temperature sensors are only there to find out the temperature of an object or environment, they're actually much more nuanced than that. Although this is one of the things they are designed to measure, many temperature sensors are also used to check that a process is proceeding within a certain range. In particular, preventive reliability is a core application of temperature sensors, helping to ensure proper system operation and identifying hazards or potential failures.
Key Types of Temperature Sensors
There are two main types of temperature sensors in use today:
contact temperature sensor
These types require touching the object they're measuring the temperature of, whether it's a solid, liquid, or gas. They're actually just measuring their own temperature, but we infer that the temperature they're in contact with is in thermal equilibrium (ie, the same temperature).
Common types of contact temperature sensors include thermocouples, RTDs, thermistors, thermostats, and semiconductor temperature sensors. They should be used when you can maintain good thermal contact between the device and the thing under test. Continuous monitoring and data collection is also easier with contact thermometers.
non-contact temperature sensor
Temperature can be determined from a distance by measuring the thermal radiation emitted by an object or heat source. These applications are often in hot or hazardous environments where you need to maintain a safe distance from a specific body.
Thermal imaging and infrared sensors are common non-contact temperature sensors used in the following situations: when the target object is moving (such as on a conveyor belt or inside a moving machine), if the distance is long, if there are dangerous surroundings ( such as high pressure) or contact sensors will not function properly at extremely high temperatures.
Common Applications of Temperature Sensors
There are virtually endless practical applications for temperature sensors that meet both commercial and consumer needs. Here, we've rounded up some common uses for temperature sensors that you've probably heard of before, or even seen in action.
Temperature sensors are widely used in medicine. A common method of use is within a thermometer to measure an individual's temperature in a quick and accurate manner. However, they are also actually used in a variety of medical products, including MRI imaging equipment and portable ultrasound scanners.
In our homes temperature sensors are used in many appliances, including those in refrigerators and freezers to help regulate and maintain low temperatures, and in stoves and ovens to ensure they are warm enough to cook, air candy/heat level required by the device. Even our normal battery chargers use them to prevent overcharging or undercharging based on measuring the temperature of the battery.
Oil recovery may seem like a surprising field where temperature sensors are used, but in reality, their importance to ensuring safe and effective oil recovery practices cannot be overemphasized. The end of the oil rig has a built-in temperature sensor that quickly notifies workers when drilling is stopped because when it gets too hot (over the surface without a pause) it gets too hot and ruptures.
Vehicles use temperature sensors inside the radiator. This is important because they warn you when the water circulating through your car's engine is approaching dangerously high temperatures, which could cause damage to the engine, as well as the climate controls in your car, if it gets too hot. By automatically adjusting parameters based on temperature, this situation can be effectively avoided without causing danger to the driver.
HVAC systems need to measure temperature in order to provide a good temperature for a room or building. Air conditioners are used in almost every home and office, so the importance of temperature sensors for these devices and systems cannot be overemphasized. They can also detect leaks by spotting temperature anomalies.
Renewable energy sources rely on temperature sensors to efficiently generate energy. From solar heat pumps to wind turbines, to biomass burning applications and geothermal sources, the regulation and measurement of temperature cannot be overemphasized for these renewable resources.
Glass manufacturing relies on temperature measurement to regulate and optimize its production process. Quality requirements in the glass industry can be very stringent, so meeting them requires strict monitoring of the glass temperature as well as the machinery used.
The chemical industry is an industry where significant utility value is gained every day through the implementation and use of high quality, effective temperature sensors. They require measuring extremely high temperatures to monitor chemical reactions and are also used in gas chromatography. Sensors with a wide temperature range and durability tend to be the sensors used in this field. In particular, high-precision measuring tools are required to ensure the production of high-quality products.
Integrated circuits depend on integrated silicon temperature sensors in microcontrollers and other electronic devices. These are found in countless consumer products such as desktop computers, laptops and tablets, mobile phones and other electronic devices used and owned by individuals worldwide.
