FACULTY OF ELECTRONC & COMPUTER ENGINEERING

UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA

BENE 4153 PROCESS INSTRUMENTATION TUTORIAL 2

1) Table 1 and Figure 1 show the characteristic of a metal resistance versus temperature device.

Table Q1

T (F) R ()
60 106
65 107.6
70 109.1
75 110.2
80 111.1
85 111.7
90 112.2

Figure Q1

(a) Find the linear approximation of resistance versus temperature between 60 and 90 F.

(b) Find the quadratic approximation of resistance versus temperature of the device.

(c) By what percentage do the predictions of the linear and quadratic approximation vary
from the actual values at 60 F and 85 F?

2) A given platinum resistance thermometer, which is a common RTD, has 100. The dissipation
constant, PD = 6 mW/K when immersed in air at 25 C and PD = 100 mW/K when immersed in
still water. Its temperature coefficient of resistance,  = 0.00389 (/)/K at 0 C.

(a) Calculate the maximal current through the sensor to keep the self-heating error below
0.1 C.

(b) Calculate its sensitivity and temperature coefficient at 25 C and 50 C.

(c) Design a balanced bridge circuit at 25 C, if given a supply of 5 V with two of the resistors
are 200  and another is a variable resistor to null the bridge.

Dr. Kok Swee Leong (March 2015) Page 1 of 3

FACULTY OF ELECTRONC & COMPUTER ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA

3) The thermistor with the characteristic as shown in Figure Q3a is used in Figure Q3b to convert
temperature into voltage. Plot Vout versus temperature from 0 to 80C. Is the result linear?
What is the maximum self-heating if PD = 5 mW/C?

6 k

RTH
-1V
Vout

Figure Q3b
Figure Q3a

4) Figure Q4 shows an industrial process. Vapor flows through a chamber containing a liquid at
100C. A control system will regulate the vapor temperature, so a measurement must be
provided to convert 50 to 80C into 0 to 2.0 V. The error should not exceed ± 1C. If the
liquid level rises to the tip of the transducer, its temperature will rise suddenly to 100C. This
event should cause an alarm comparator output to go high.

Temperature Transducer

Vapor In Vapor Out

100 C
Figure Q4

Heater

Dr. Kok Swee Leong (March 2015) Page 2 of 3

FACULTY OF ELECTRONC & COMPUTER ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA

a) Use an RTD for this industrial process, where at 65 C the resistance of the RTD is 150,
the temperature coefficient,  is 0.004/C and power dissipation is 30 mW/C.

b) If a type J thermocouple is to be used to replace the RTD. Using the similar circuit
discuss the changes need to be made.

Table Q4

5) You have been commissioned to design a thermistor-based digital temperature measurement

system. The ADC has a 5.00-V reference and is 8 bits. The thermistor specifications are
R = 5.00 k at 90F, PD = 5 mW/C, and a slope between 90F and 110F of -8 /C. The
design should be made so that 90F gives an ADC output of 5AH (9010) and 110F gives
6EH (11010).

Dr. Kok Swee Leong (March 2015) Page 3 of 3