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Lab 4 RTD Bridge

The document describes using Wheatstone bridge circuits for temperature measurements with RTDs. It details the objective, introduces voltage dividers and Wheatstone bridges, provides the experimental setup and components, describes LabVIEW setups to read and process RTD voltages, outlines the procedure to calibrate and test an RTD, and includes appendices on 2-wire and 3-wire sensor configurations and comparing RTDs and thermocouples.

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Hani Mann
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21 views7 pages

Lab 4 RTD Bridge

The document describes using Wheatstone bridge circuits for temperature measurements with RTDs. It details the objective, introduces voltage dividers and Wheatstone bridges, provides the experimental setup and components, describes LabVIEW setups to read and process RTD voltages, outlines the procedure to calibrate and test an RTD, and includes appendices on 2-wire and 3-wire sensor configurations and comparing RTDs and thermocouples.

Uploaded by

Hani Mann
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Experiment 4: Sensor Bridge Circuits

(tbc 1/11/2007, revised 2/20/2007, 2/28/2007, 2/3/2009,2/15/2009, 2/9/2011)

Objective: To implement Wheatstone bridge circuits for temperature measurements


using RTD (Resistance Temperature Detectors).

I. Introduction. From Voltage Dividers to Wheatstone Bridges


A. Voltage Dividers

- Using resistors R1 and RT, the voltage can be split depending on the
ratio between the two resistors.

Figure 1. Voltage divider circuit.


  
  
(1)

- Application: if RT is the resistance of a “resistance sensor”, e.g. an


RTD (resistance temperature detector), a thermistor or a strain gauge,
one can measure changes in RT by measuring Vbc (with Vs and R1
fixed).

B. Wheatstone Bridge

- Main idea: by adding another (comparator) voltage divider in parallel


to that shown in Figure 1, one could use differential voltage
measurements that could improve the sensitivity in sensor
applications, while at the same time reducing current flow through
component RT. (High electrical currents increase heat in resistors and
may introduce significant measurement errors).

1
Figure 2. Wheatstone bridge. ( M is the meter or DAQ device).

- Assuming negligible current flows through the voltmeter, the circuit paths

and  can be assumed parallel and we can apply (1) to obtain

 
   and   
     
(2)

- Now we can measure the voltage difference between nodes  and  to be

 
        
     
(3)

The bridge is “balanced” when   0, i.e. voltage reading in meter M is


zero. This occurs when  /   / . If R2 is a variable resistor, the
meter can be zeroed around the nominal value of the variable being
sensed. For instance, if the component is an RTD, then the bridge can be
balanced around a nominal operating temperature  .

The sensor being connected to the Wheatstone-bridge can either be 2-wire,


3-wire or 4 wire systems, with the 3-wire being the more popular
configuration, specially for RTDs (see Appendix A for more details about
2-wire and 3-wire configurations).

2
II. Experimental Setup

Figure 3

Components:

R1 1 Ω
R2 100 Ω + 10 Ω
R3 1 Ω
RTD ~110 Ω @ 25oC
.

3
III. Labview Setups

Conversion formula for


temperature
(to be modified later)

Figure 4. RTD VI

4
Notes:

1. For DAQ Assistant blocks, select Functions  Express  Input  DAQ


Assistant:

- Choose analog input  voltage  ai0


- Input max=1, min=0, acquisition mode=continuous,
samples to read=10, rate=100 Hz.

2. For the averaging function, go to [Mathematics] [Mean.vi].


[Prob & Stat]

3. There are two data conversion blocks obtained from [Express]


[Signal
Manipulation] icon subdirectory:

a. The one between the [DAQ Assistant] block and the [Mean.vi] block is
the [From DDT] block and choose the “1D array of scalars - single
channel”.

b. The block between the [Formula Node] block and the [Chart] block is
the [To DDT] block and choose “single scalar”.

5
III. Procedure

1. Prepare the setup shown in Figure 3 and the RTD VI in Figure 4.

Note: for the voltage readings in step 2 and 3, you can temporarily input the
formula: “ T=V; “ inside the formula box and change the scale of the chart to
be maximum of +0.1 and minimum of 0.0, then run the VI to read the
voltage.

2. Calibrate the your RTD by using the ice-water point and the boiling water
points.

Table 2.
Temperature (oC) Voltage (volts)
0°"
100°"

3. Obtain a linear fit of temperature as a function of voltage, i.e. determine the


slope # and intercept such that
  #   ;

4. Modify the entry in the “Formula Node” block shown in Figure 4, using the
conversion formula obtained in step 3, and change the chart scale back to
minimum of -1°" and maximum of 100 °".

5. Test the obtained RTD VI.

6
Appendix A. 2-wire and 3-wire Resistance-Sensor
Configurations.

Field Sensor

Figure A1. 2-wire sensor configuration.

Field Sensor
R1 R3

VS M

R2 RT

Figure A1. 3-wire sensor configuration.

The main advantage of the 3-wire configuration is that it allows the resistance in
all the three leads that are included with the sensor to be surrounded at the same
temperature environment. Temperature affects the resistance of the lead wires,
and these effects become more significant when the sensor is located far away
from the Wheatstone-bridge. By letting the resistance in three lead wires change
to the same degree, the bridge will be able measure the ratio of R3 to RT more
accurately (although still not exact).

Appendix B. RTDs vs. Thermocouples

RTDs Thermocouples
Temperature 200 °" &  & 600 °" Some can go beyond
Time constant Seconds Fractions of second
Accuracy Tolerance & 2°" Tolerance ( 2°"
Drift Very stable Can drift after few hours
Size Sheath size ) 1/8" to 1/4" Dia Can be smaller

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