How Does A Thermocouple Work
Thermocouples
Thermocouples are a very useful and widely used temperature measurement tool, commonly used in scientific, industrial, and engineering environments. With advantages such as small size and short response times, they can be used in a variety of hazardous or challenging environments, and can also measure extreme temperatures quickly and accurately.
Principles of operation
When the temperature at the hot end changes relative to the temperature at the cold end, a closed circuit of dissimilar metal wires produces a voltage change.
When the temperature at the hot end changes relative to the temperature at the cold end, a closed circuit of dissimilar metal wires produces a voltage change. Because of the difference in temperature between the two endpoints on the circuit, a current is formed when the temperature difference between the endpoints creates an electromotive force, and the thermocouple uses an accompanying voltmeter to measure the current. If the thermocouple is known to have a stable starting temperature at the low temperature end, it can use these voltage readings to calculate the exact temperature reading at the hot end.
