Measured drift of irradiated and unirradiated W3 percent Re/W25 percent Re thermocouples at a nominal 2000 K
Neutron irradiated and unirradiated Ta sheathed BeO insulated grounded junction thermocouples drift measurement
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Neutron irradiated and unirradiated Ta sheathed BeO insulated grounded junction thermocouples drift measurement
Thermal emf changes for noble and refractory metal thermocouples, determining drift in high temperature air, Ar and vacuum environments for long time periods
Laboratory method assessing homogeneity and interchangeability of thermocouple wires, considering thermoelectric properties of widely separated wire from same spool
Thermode composed of two thin-walled stainless steel hypodermic needles and cooper-constantan thermocouple or small thermistor to indicate temperature at point of perfusion is used to measure brain temperature in animals. Because of relatively small size of thermode, structural damage to brain is minimized.
Bare 0.25 mm diameter W-Re alloy thermoelements (W, W-3% Re, W-5% Re and W-25%) and BeO-insulated W-3% Re and W-25% Re thermoelements were examined for metallurgical, chemical and thermal emf changes after testing for periods up to 1000 hours at temperatures principally in the range 2000 to 2400 K. Environments for the tests consisted of high purity argon, hydrogen, helium or nitrogen gases. Commercially obtained bare-wire thermoelements typically exhibited a shift in their emf-temperature relationship upon initial exposure. The shift was completed by thermally aging the W-3% Re thermoelement for 1 hour and the W-25% Re thermoelement for 2 minutes at 2400 K in argon or hydrogen. Aged thermoelements experienced no appreciable drift with subsequent exposure at 2400 K in the gaseous environments. The chemically doped W3% Re thermoelement retained a small-grained structure for exposure in excess of 50 hours at 2400 K. BeO-insulated thermoelement assemblies showed varied behavior that depended upon the method of exposure. However, when the assemblies were heated in a furnace, no serious material incompatibility problems were found if the materials were given prior thermal treatments. Thermocouples, assembled from aged W-3% Re and W-25% Re thermoelements and degassed sintered BeO insulators, exhibited a drift of only 2 to 3 K during exposure in argon at 2070 K for 1029 hours.
The design and development of a hybrid thermocouple, having a segmented SiGe-PbTe n-leg encapsulated within a hollow cylindrical p-SiGe leg, is described. Hybrid couple efficiency is calculated to be 10% to 15% better than that of a all-SiGe couple. A preliminary design of a planar RTG, employing hybrid couples and a water heat pipe radiator, is described as an example of a possible system application. Hybrid couples, fabricated initially, were characterized by higher than predicted resistance and, in some cases, bond separations. Couples made later in the program, using improved fabrication techniques, exhibited normal resistances, both as-fabricated and after 700 hours of testing. Two flat-plate sections of the reference design thermoelectric converter were fabricated and delivered to NASA Lewis for testing and evaluation.
A technique has been developed to dynamically calibrate fine wire thermocouples of 0.025 mm diam and smaller to 1625 K in less than 10 sec. In this method, the varying physical parameters present under typical dynamic heating conditions are simulated, and therefore, wire deterioration can be related to time, temperature, pressure, and atmosphere. A description of the equipment and procedures is given along with the preliminary results that correlate well with thermoelectric theory.
Standard thermoelectric data have been determined for four thermocouple combinations used below the ice point: commercial types E, K, and T and the special combination of KP vs Au-0.07 at.% Fe. Power series coefficients necessary to generate E = f(T) data for these combinations are given. In addition, extensive tests were carried out to ascertain the variability between materials from different manufacturers. Typical wires processed for low-temperature usage often have slightly thermoelectric properties (up to 1%) from those, nominally identical, wires made for high-temperature applications. Generally, type E is the most satisfactory standardized commercial combination. The Au-0.07 at.% Fe material has been examined in particular detail, because it is not yet an ISA standard material. It has excellent sensitivity in the liquid helium/liquid hydrogen temperature range and a nearly linear thermovoltage at higher temperatures.
Revision of the International Practical Temperature Scale requires that there be changes for all accurately tabulated thermophysical values. Revised reference data for thermocouples have been generated in a program carried out by the National Bureau of Standards. The new reference data reflect not only revisions in the temperature scale, but also slight changes in the materials themselves and improvements in data fitting methods. A new NBS monograph that contains tables, analytic expressions, various approximations, and explanatory text has been prepared. A general discussion of the project and some specific examples are given.
Investigation has revealed reasonably oxidation resistant thermocouple pairing suitable for use in combustor gas streams at temperatures above 1873 K and at pressures above 20 atmospheres.
The results are presented of supersonic heat transfer tests performed on the .006 scale space shuttle vehicle model (41-OTS) in the Langley Research Center Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel. These tests were conducted to parametrically investigate ascent heating of the integrated vehicle and its components. The tests were conducted at a nominal Mach number of 3.7 and Reynolds numbers per foot of 2 and 5 million. The model configurations investigated were the integrated vehicle and each component alone (i.e. orbiter, tank and SRB). All the configurations were run with and without transition strips and through an angle of attack range of 0 deg to minus 5 deg with the exception of the SRB which was tested through an angle of attack range of minus 5 deg to 90 deg. The heat transfer data were obtained from 223 iron constantan thermocouples attached to stainless steel thin-skin areas of the model.
An implicit numerical procedure was developed for predicting the transient heat flux to a material using a single embedded thermocouple. The accuracy of the method was demonstrated by comparisons with analytically generated test data.
Data obtained from a heat transfer test conducted on an 0.006-scale space shuttle orbiter and external tank in the NASA-Ames Research Center 3.5-foot Hypersonic Wind Tunnel are presented. The purpose of this test was to obtain data under simulated return-to-launch-site abort conditions. Configurations tested were integrated orbiter and external tank, orbiter alone, and external tank alone at angles of attack of 0, + or - 30, + or - 60, + or - 90, and + or - 120 degrees. Runs were conducted at Mach numbers of 5.2 and 5.3 for Reynolds numbers of 1.0 and 4.0 million per foot, respectively. Heat transfer data were obtained from 75 orbiter and 75 external tank iron-constantan thermocouples.
Temperature measurement with small thermocouples is improved by device. Each wire is sheathed separately which increases the interelement insulation by factor of 2 1/2. Each wire in its separate sheath can be brought to junction by independent paths.
Performance characteristics were experimentally determined for several sizes of a shielded and unshielded thermocouple probe design. The probes are of swaged construction and were made of type K wire with a stainless steel sheath and shield and MgO insulation. The wire sizes ranged from 0.03- to 1.02-mm diameter for the unshielded design and from 0.16- to 0.81-mm diameter for the shielded design. The probes were tested through a Mach number range of 0.2 to 0.9, through a temperature range of room ambient to 1420 K, and through a total-pressure range of 0.03 to 0.2.2 MPa (0.3 to 22 atm). Tables and graphs are presented to aid in selecting a particular type and size. Recovery corrections, radiation corrections, and time constants were determined.
Thermocouple enclosed in nonoxidizing thermally conductive metal provides temperature probe which is made for very hot, highly oxidizing environments. Approach makes temperature measurement in hot, oxidizing atmospheres much easier task.
Self-contained reference installed inside vacuum chamber include its own heater and power controlller. Setup is less costly than approach utilizing many thermocouples.
Compact, lightweight oven designed with geometric and heating symmetry holds many junctions at stable temperature. Oven has cylindrical wall with all points equidistant from heating coil. Thermocouple junctions are inserted in holes bored radially in wall. Sensor controls power supplied to heating coil, maintaining cylinder wall and junctions at constant temperature.