RTD Temperature Sensor: Working Principles & Applications
As aspiring engineers, understanding the fundamental principles behind various sensing technologies is crucial for designing and implementing robust systems. Among the myriad of temperature sensors, the Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD) stands out for its exceptional accuracy, stability, and repeatability. This blog post will delve into what an RTD is, its working principles, detailed construction, lead wire configurations, common specifications, and real-world applications, providing you with a comprehensive understanding for your engineering journey. What is an RTD? An RTD (Resistance Temperature Detector) is a temperature sensor that operates on the fundamental principle that the electrical resistance of certain pure metals changes predictably and linearly with temperature. Specifically, as the temperature of the metallic element increases, the increased thermal vibration of its atoms impedes the flow of electrons, leading to an increase in its electrical resistance. This p...