- Author
- Mountain, R. D. | Mulholland, G. W.
- Title
- Calibration of Time Response of Thermometers: Concepts and Model Calculations. Final Report.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
- NBS TN 959, January 1978, 34 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- calibrating | response time | temperature | thermometers | response time
- Abstract
- Some of the conceptual problems associated with the calibration of the time response of a temperature sensor are examined in this report. The discussion is in terms of a time response function which characterizes the way a given sensor responds to changes in the temperature of its surroundings. A series of model calculations of the response function for idealized sensors are used to investigate the general features of the response functions. Important features are the sensitivity of these functions to (i) material properties of the sensor, (ii) the type of thermal coupling of the sensor with the environment and (iii) the geometry of the sensor. These features must be considered in the design of procedures for calibrating the time response of thermometers.