C. J. Elliott

Investigation of Pd–C cells to improve thermocouple calibration

An intercomparison of the melting temperatures of four Pd–C eutectic fixed-point cells was performed using four Pt/Pd thermocouples. The cells are designed for the calibration of thermocouples and were constructed in the participating laboratories of NPL, LNE, NMIJ and PTB. The measurements were performed in four different high-temperature furnaces but by applying the same measurement procedure. In spite of slightly different cell designs and different material sources, the melting temperatures of three of the four Pd–C cells (NPL, LNE and NMIJ) agreed very well within their expanded uncertainties of k = 2.

Fe?C eutectic fixed-point cells for contact thermometry: an investigation and comparison

Five iron?carbon (Fe?C) eutectic fixed-point cells have been constructed between NPL and LNE-Cnam to investigate the robustness and to measure the agreement of their melting temperatures. Each cell was constructed with a different selection of materials sourced by NPL and LNE-Cnam. The measured emfs at the Fe?C fixed-point temperature (~1153??C), compared between cells, agree within around 1.98??V (~90?mK), where the most important contribution to the uncertainty of each measurement is the inhomogeneity associated with the measuring Pt/Pd thermocouple. This demonstrates that these cells are suitable for use as secondary fixed-point cells in contact thermometry but the robustness of the presented cells is not found to be sufficient for maintaining their integrity during repeated cycling procedures.

High temperature exposure of in-situ thermocouple fixed-point cells: stability with up to three months of continuous use

To categorise thermocouples in batches, manufacturers state an expected operating tolerance for when the thermocouples are as-new. In use, thermocouple behaviour can rapidly change and the tolerance becomes invalid, especially when used at high temperatures (i.e. above 1000 °C) as the processes leading to de-calibration, such as oxidation and contamination, can be very fast and lead to erroneous readings. In-situ thermocouple self-validation provides a method to track the drift and correct the thermocouple reading in real-time, but it must be shown to be reliable. Two miniature temperature fixed-point cells designed at NPL for in-situ thermocouple self-validation, the first containing a Pt-C eutectic alloy and the second containing a Ru-C eutectic alloy, have been exposed to temperatures close to their melting point for 2200 h and 1570 h, respectively, and continuously, for up to three months. Recalibration after this long-term high-temperature exposure, where a tantalum-sheathed thermocouple was always in place, is used to show that no significant change of the temperature reference point (the melting temperature) has occurred in either the Pt-C ingot or the Ru-C ingot, over timescales far longer than previously demonstrated and approaching that required by industry for practical use of the device.

New temperature references and sensors for the next generation of nuclear power plants

In preparation for the new challenges posed by the higher temperature environments which are likely to be encountered in the next generation of nuclear power plants, to maintain the safety and to ensure the long-term reliability of such plants, it is crucial that new temperature sensors and methods for in-situ measurement are investigated and developed. This is the general objective of the first workpackage of the joint research project, ENG08 MetroFission, funded in the framework of the European metrology research program. This paper will review the results obtained in developing and testing new temperature sensors and references during the course of the project. The possible continuation of these activities in the future is discussed.