Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Things To Know About Type K Thermocouple

By Tiffany Gill


Type K thermocouple is one of the most commonly manufactured and used thermocouple or temperature-sensing device in the current world. This device is composed of two terminals also called legs, that is, the positive and the negative. The two legs are the positive lead, which is made of Chromel and the negative lead which is made of Alumel. Chromel is made up of nickel as the main component and Chromium.

Nickel in Chromel takes up ninety percent of the total mass while chromium takes up only ten percent. The Alumel part is made up of nickel, manganese, aluminium, and silicon. Again, nickel makes up the most part, up to ninety five percent while the other substances make the remaining five percent. Manganese and Aluminium make two percent each while silicon makes the remaining one percent.

The negative lead is non-magnetic and normally colored yellow whereas the positive lead is magnetic and is red in color. Temperature range for this gadget is very wide, making it preferable for utilization in several settings. The temperature range runs from -200 to +1260 degrees Celsius. This make has the greatest temperature range than other major makes and temperature transdusing devices like thermistors.

Type K thermocouple functions in most environments since it is based on nickel. Nickel has a great ability to withstand corrosion and can work efficiently in hostile and rugged environments. Even in hostile environments, this make of thermocouples still maintains a great level of reliability and accuracy. The sensitivity is very high and is usually approximated at about 41 microvolt per degree Celsius.

It is a general practice to have some kind of protection around the device to avoid damage especially in reducing environments. Protection can be provided by appropriate metal or ceramic. Protection might not be a necessity when the device is being used in oxidizing atmospheres like electric furnaces with other conditions held constant. Cleanliness and periodic checking is necessary to ensure that proper functioning is maintained.

When choosing a sensing device there are a few things to consider first. The first thing is the error limit. Margins of error and the sensitivity are higher in model K of thermocouples than the other models, hence one of the reasons it is considered a lot. This is an important factor especially in application or processes that can malfunction due to small temperature changes.

Thermocouples can be placed to many different uses in various industries. They could be applied in atmospheres that have chemicals, gases, or water due to the nickel portion, which is utilized to make the terminals. Some of the areas they are used include heaters, engines, or electric furnaces. In the food sector and health amenities, they are utilized to measure temperature in form of thermometers.

Type K thermocouple is a very inexpensive device and can be purchased from any store that stocks related products. The benefit of the device is that it can be replaced in any system through simple steps. They come in a number of different probes giving a user a wide pool of options to pick from.




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