What is the Advantage and Disadvantage of Coolant Temperature Control Devices

Sensors are one of the key drivers of Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT) in factories and workplaces. They help optimize product design, production, quality control, asset management, and maintenance in a factory setup, leading to greater efficiency and productivity gains.

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Among the top sensors used in smart manufacturing is a temperature sensor that measures temperature, one of the vital parameters to be measured and controlled in a wide variety of needs and applications that can directly affect material properties and product quality.

One of the commonly used sensors in industrial IoT systems, the temperature sensor, is a device that has the ability to collect temperature data from a resource and then changes it into information that can be understood by another device. It detects temperature changes, produces either an analog or digital output, and can measure the thermal characteristics of gases, liquids, and solids. Accuracy of the temperature reading is essential, as it enables manufacturers to push performance closer to safety limits.

There are a wide variety of temperature measurement systems in use today, depending on what you want to measure and how accurately you want to measure it. However, thermometers are the most common and oldest temperature sensors encountered in simple, everyday temperature measurements. Typically, they are used in heater systems, air conditioners, climatizing units, washing machines, overheating protection, and other appliances.

Several other temperature sensors have been developed in recent years, which can be used in electrically and chemically hostile environments. Temperature sensors are divided into two groups: (a) low-temperature sensors, with a range of '100 to +400 'C, using sensing materials such as phosphors, semiconductors, and liquid crystals; and (b) high-temperature sensors with a range of 500 to 'C, based on blackbody radiations.

They are also categorized into contact temperature sensors, which require direct contact with the system being sensed, and non-contact temperature sensors, which use convection and radiation to detect the temperature changes. These two sensors could further be classified into electro-mechanical, resistive, and electronic types.

Below is the list of different types of commonly-used temperature sensors, along with their key features.

1. Thermocouple

Thermocouples, a type of electronic sensor, are one of the most routinely used types of sensors due to their simple design, small size, ease of usage, and quick response to temperature changes.

Thermocouples are made of two dissimilar electrical conductors, forming electrical junctions at different temperatures. As a result of the thermoelectric Seebeck effect, temperature changes cause a temperature-dependent voltage, which is, in turn, converted into a temperature reading. Thermocouples can detect temperatures as high as 'C and as low as '250 'C.

Most widely used in industrial measurement due to its inexpensive, rugged, and reliable nature, it has a wide temperature range, high-temperature measurement; high resistance to shock and vibration; fast thermal response.

Pros:

• Simple
• Inexpensive
• Large variety
• Large temperature range
• Self-powered
• No self-heat
• Rugged

Cons:

• Cold-junction compensation
• Accuracy
• Stability
• TC extension leads
• Non-linear
• Low voltage
• Require reference
• Less stable

2. Thermistor

Also called thermally sensitive resistors, thermistors change their physical appearance with temperature changes. They are passive components, with a resistance much dependent upon temperature. Their effective operating range is '50 'C to 250 'C. Widely used in the automobile industry to detect the intake and coolant temperature, they have fast thermal response, and lead wire resistance results in a small error. The limitations of these temperature sensors are their limited temperature range and low resistance to shock.

Pros:

• Sensitivity
• Accuracy
• Cost
• Rugged
• Flexible Packages
• Hermetic Seal
• Surface Mount

Cons:

• Non-linearity
• Self-heating
• Moisture failures (non-glass only)

3. Resistance thermometer

Resistance thermometers have a fixed relationship with temperature and their resistance changes as temperature changes. They are made of pure material like platinum, nickel, or copper, with a highly predictable resistance/temperature relationship.

Known for accuracy and stability, these sensors detect temperature changes ranging from '50 'C to 500 'C for thin film and '200 'C to 850 'C for a wide film. They are widely used as HVAC, room, duct, refrigerant temperature, motors for overload protection, and automotive for air and oil temperature detection. Resistance thermometers have high precision and stability, strong output signal, high sensitivity, good stability (can maintain temperatures below 0.1 'C for a long time). But the limitations are that they are expensive; easily influenced by lead wire resistance, slow thermal response, low resistance to shock and vibration.

Pros:

• Accuracy
• Stability
• Linearity
• More Stable
• More accurate
• More linear

Cons:

• Lead resistance error
• Response time
• Vibration resistance
• Size
• Package limitations
• Expensive
• Small
• Self-heating
• Small base resistance

All sensors have specific advantages and disadvantages. To choose the best temperature sensors that suit your need, you should consider these criteria: cost, temperature range, interchangeability, long-term stability, accuracy, sensibility (output), response time, linearity, self-heating, extension cable effect, and sensor dimension (size).

Thermistors are known to be the resistors that change their resistance significantly with changes in temperature. These are widely used for temperature measurement and control and are appreciated mostly for their accuracy and sensitivity. However, like each and every device, thermistors also have their advantages and disadvantages. This article discusses thermistor advantages and disadvantages and introduces JR Sensors, a major company in the temperature sensor industry.

What are Thermistors?  

Thermistors are divided into two depending upon their characteristics of resistance-temperature:  

1. Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) thermistor: Resistance decreases while the temperature increases. Usually employed in temperature measurement and control.  
2. Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) thermistor: Resistance increases as the temperature increases. It is usually used in circuit protection and for current limiting purposes.

Explore: Different types of thermistors

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Advantages of Thermistors  

High Sensitivity

They are very sensitive to even the slightest change in temperature, and therefore they are highly preferred in applications that require extremely accurate measurements.

Miniaturization

Since thermistors are tiny, they also suit applications with space constraints, such as wearables and compact electronic circuits. 

Fast Response Time

They respond quickly to temperature changes; they are very effective for example for medical devices, HVAC systems, and others.

Low-Cost Economizer

Thermistors are quite low-cost compared to other temperature sensors but deliver optimal performance which makes them cost-efficient.

Broad Operating Range

They have a wide temperature operating range and hence can be effectively used in different industries, like automotive, health care, consumer electronics, etc.

Ruggedness

These thermistors can thrive in rough environments like high vibration and extreme temperature settings and will last a long time.

Disadvantages of Thermistors

Non-Linear Effects

The thermistor has a temperature resistance characteristic non-linearly related and, therefore, complicates the calibration process or requires added processing for movement to accurate results.  

Limited Temperature Range

Though thermistors perform well at moderate temperature ranges, they are not very effective at the temperature extremes that can be handled by thermocouples.  

Self-heating effects

Because heat is produced, by the flow of current through the thermistor, temperature-measuring errors occur if this is not corrected.  

Brittleness

Thermistors are fragile and can break under mechanical stress or extreme environmental conditions.  

More External Circuitry

So thermistors often need additional circuitry for linearization and signal conditioning. This makes their implementation more complicated.

Applications of Thermistors

They may be horrible, but they are still very popular in various applications. Some typical applications include:  

1. Automotive: Control of engine temperature and battery management systems.  
2. Consumer Electronics: Usually found in refrigerators, air conditioners, and thermostats.  
3. Medical Devices: Used in patient monitoring systems and diagnostic instruments.  
4. Industrial Automation: Temperature monitoring and control during processes.

About JR Sensors  

JR Sensors is among the most known names in temperature sensing technology. The company is specifically involved in the design and manufacture of highly efficient NTC thermistors and thermosensors, RTDs in addition to several other advanced sensing systems. These thermistors developed by JR Sensors are precision-engineered, robust, and adaptable in application for the healthcare, automotive, and industrial automation sectors. 

JR Sensors not only innovates but also offers customized solutions to address specific requirements. The thermistors are also designed to overcome certain limitations such as non-linearity and self-heating for the desired performance in different applications.  

Conclusion

These temperature sensors are thermistors, which are very cost-effective in their work, most high-performing, and fast in operation. However, while selecting thermistors for a specific application, the non-linearity and temperature range limits of thermistors should be taken into consideration.

Such continuous upgradation has been a realm of activity with manufacturers like JR Sensors to break these thermistor barriers and also provide newer innovative features in performance. Be it the automotive, healthcare domain, or even the industrial sector, thermistors are indeed a very much trusted name for accurate temperature measurement.

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