How to Get Good Thermal Response Times?

2019-08-27

To improve the thermal response time of a sensor, there are a number of design considerations that must be taken into account during sensor manufacture.

Response times can be improved by following simple tips during the design stage as detailed below:

• Choose a small sensor – It may not be as robust as much larger sensors but smaller, slender sensors will produce quicker signal changes. In this case you just have to make a technical compromise whether you need a small fast sensor or a larger more robust probe.

• Ensure the manufacturer fills all air voids – An air void is an insulator, which will significantly lengthen the response time of a probe. Quality sensor manufacturers should automatically do this for you.

• Only use a protection sheath if absolutely necessary – The material of the protection sheath will reduce the response given.

• Choose your thermocouple junction style wisely – When choosing a junction style, consider that grounded junctions have better response rates than insulated junctions. In some environments an exposed junction can be used to further improve speed if a protection sheath is not essential to the design.

• Carefully consider which sensor you require – When it comes to thermal response, careful thought must be given as to which sensor should be used. Thermocouples display faster results than resistance thermometers. This is because thermocouples comprise of only 2 wires, whereas RT’s are a discrete element with a thermal mass. A basic element with no sheath is the most preferable design, in more aggressive environments a mineral insulated thermocouple is most popular.

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