The current equipment, automation and automotive industry are unlikely to do without any kind of controllers. Thermal sensors can also be attributed to this type of device, the scope of which is unlimited.
Device
A thermal sensor is a mechanism that records the temperature of the environment in which it is located and transmits it to the dashboard or to the control unit. Most often, such devices are paired with a control unit, because besides the fact that the sensor reports indicators, they still need to be processed and the necessary manipulations performed. Most modern temperature sensors have electronic filling, their principle of operation is based on the transmission of electrical impulses from the sensor to the fixing device. Sensors can be structurally divided into several types.
1. Thermal resistance sensor. Such devices work on the principle of changing the electrical resistance of a conductor when temperature fluctuations occur. These sensors are easy to use, they are very reliable, sensitive, more accurate.
2. Semiconductor temperature sensors are designed according to the principle of responding to the transformation of the characteristics of the (pn) transition under the influence of temperature. The sensor series is very simple in design and has an excellent price / durability ratio.
3. Thermoelectric sensors, or as they are also called thermocouples. This type of sensor works on the effect of the temperature difference between a pair of conductors that are in different environments. Due to this, a pulse arises in the closed circuit of this pair of conductors, the sensors signal a change in temperature relative to each other. These devices do not provide the same accuracy as their counterparts described above, and are structurally more cumbersome.
4. Pyrometers. These are non-contact sensors, they record the temperature near an object. This type of devices has a big plus in that they can work at a distance from the mechanism, in which it is necessary to fix the temperature readings.
5. Acoustic sensors. The principle of operation is based on the change in the speed of sound in the atmosphere when the temperature of the environment in which the sensor is located changes. Such devices are used in environments where contact temperature sensors cannot be used.
6. Piezoelectric sensors. The meaning of the device is as follows: a certain series of pulses is applied to the quartz base, of which the sensor itself is composed, thus, with a change in temperature, this material has a different expansion frequency.
Application
All types of thermal sensors can be found in everyday life. Elevators of multi-storey buildings are equipped with sensors so as not to overheat the elevator engine in the event of a load. Used in cars to control the operating temperature of the engine and prevent it from boiling. In home refrigerators, the sensor works in tandem with a control unit, which gives the command to turn on and off the refrigerator unit, depending on the temperature recorded by the sensor. And there are many more examples where a similar mechanism is involved in the operation of an equipment or device. These devices make life much easier for a person, only few people think about it. It's nice when the machine does some kind of operation without human intervention.
