Isotech 983 Operating Manual

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MODEL 983

This manual is issued under the authority of

Mr. J.P. Tavener, Managing Director

Isothermal Technology Limited

Pine Grove, Southport

Merseyside PR9 9AG

England

Tel: [phone]/544611

Fax: [phone]

Web site: www.isotech.co.uk

E-mail [e-mail]

The company is always willing to give technical advice and assistance where appropriate.
Equally, because of the programme of continual development and improvement we reserve
the right to amend or alter characteristics and design without prior notice. This publication
is for information only.

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CONTENTS

PAGE NO:

EMC Information 3 - 4
Health and Safety Instructions 5
Guarantee 6
Foreword - Surface Temperature Measurement 7
Introduction 8
Features of the Instrument 9
Operating the Controller 10 -11
Using the PC Interface 12 - 13
Installing Cal Notepad 14
Technical Detail 15
Inspection on Receipt 16
Operation of the Instrument 17
Maintenance 18
Appendix 1 19 - 24

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EMC INFORMATION

This product meets the requirements of the European Directive on Electromagnetic
Compatibility (EMC) 89/336/EEC as amended by EC Directive 92/31/EEC and the European
Low Voltage Directive 73/25/EEC, amended by 93/68/EEC. To ensure emission
compliance please ensure that any serial communications connecting leads are fully
screened.

The product meets the susceptibility requirements of EN 50082-1, criterion B.
Symbol Identification Publication Description

ISO3864 Caution
(Refer to Handbook)

IEC 417 Caution, Hot Surface

ELECTRICAL SAFETY
This equipment must be correctly earthed.
This equipment is a Class 1 Appliance. A protective earth is used to ensure the conductive

parts can not become live in the event of a failure of the insulation.
The protective conductor of the flexible mains cable which is coloured green/yellow MUST

be connected to a suitable earth.
The blue conductor should be connected to Neutral and the Brown conductor to Live (Line).
Warning: Internal mains voltage hazard. Do not remove the panels.

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There are no user serviceable parts inside. Contact your nearest Isotech agent for repair.
Voltage transients on the supply must not exceed 2.5kV.
Conductive pollution, eg. Carbon dust, must be excluded from the apparatus. EN61010

pollution degree 2.

ENVIRONMENTAL RATINGS

Operating Temperature 5-50°C
Relative Humidity 5-95%, non condensing

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HEALTH AND SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Read all of this handbook before use.

2. Wear appropriate protective clothing.

3. Operators of this equipment should be adequately trained in the handling of hot and

cold items and liquids.

4. Do not use the apparatus for jobs other than those for which it was designed, ie. the

calibration of thermometers.

5. Do not handle the apparatus when it has hot (or cold), unless wearing the

appropriate protective clothing and having the necessary training.

6. Do not drill, modify or otherwise change the shape of the apparatus.

7. Do not dismantle the apparatus.

8. Do not use the apparatus outside its recommended temperature range.

9. If cased, do not return the apparatus to its carrying case until the unit has cooled.

10. There are no user serviceable parts inside. Contact your nearest Isotech agent for

repair.

11. Ensure materials, especially flammable materials are kept away from hot parts of the

apparatus, to prevent fire risk.

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GUARANTEE

This instrument has been manufactured to exacting standards and is guaranteed for twelve

months against electrical break-down or mechanical failure caused through defective

material or workmanship, provided the failure is not the result of misuse. In the event of

failure covered by this guarantee, the instrument must be returned, carriage paid, to the

supplier for examination and will be replaced or repaired at our option.

FRAGILE CERAMIC AND/OR GLASS PARTS ARE NOT COVERED BY THIS

GUARANTEE

INTERFERENCE WITH, OR FAILURE TO PROPERLY MAINTAIN THIS INSTRUMENT

MAY INVALIDATE THIS GUARANTEE

RECOMMENDATION

The life of your ISOTECH Instrument will be prolonged if regular maintenance and cleaning

to remove general dust and debris is carried out.

We recommend this instrument to be re-calibrated annually.

Serial No:.............................................

Date:.....................................................

ISOTHERMAL TECHNOLOGY LTD.

PINE GROVE,

SOUTHPORT, MERSEYSIDE

PR9 9AG

ENGLAND

TEL: [phone]/544611

FAX: [phone]

The company is always willing to give technical advice and assistance where appropriate.
Equally, because of the programme of continual development and improvement we reserve
the right to amend or alter characteristics and design without prior notice. This publication
is for information only.

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FOREWORD
CONTACT SURFACE TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT

A prime requisite for measurement of the temperature of a surface is, in all cases, good
thermal contact between sensor and surface (thermal modelling of imperfect contact is not
practicable), and, to accomplish this, it is common practice to use a thin layer of material of a
suitable constitution to provide thermal coupling, eg. grease.

If determination of the temperature of the surface is the ultimate aim, then good contact and
the use of a sensor in which the sensing element itself is in close proximity to the surface will
often provide an adequate basis for measurement.

There are many instances, however, in which the temperature of the surface is used to
derive the temperature at a point not normally accessible, eg. inside a pipe either by
modelling techniques or by infrequent comparisons with a specially contrived measurement
using a sensor in a superior location in order to establish consistency and relevance of the
surface temperature measurement. Modelling may simply consist of the assumption of
equality of temperature at the surface and at a desired, but inaccessible, point. In this case
it is appropriate to introduce (as far as is possible) thermal isolation of the sensor from any
heat sink or source other than the zone of interest. Normally, this involves some form of
thermal insulation, fitted over the sensor after attachment of the latter to the surface.

Inevitably invoked is the need for sensor calibration, in order that measurements be
rendered meaningful. This process is, in essence, the determination of the relationship
between a measured parameter and temperature; the latter belongs specifically to the
sensing element and it is a usual objective of calibration, to arrange conditions so that
temperature gradients and heat transmission are absent from the measuring zone, i.e. that
equality of temperature prevails for sensing elements and calibration environment. It is
sometimes feasible, and advantageous, to adopt a compromise arrangement for the case in
which intended subsequent use of the sensor necessarily involves a non-ideal condition with
respect to temperature uniformity. The potential advantage to be gained is in realising, for
calibration, an approximate simulation of the practical measurement set-up. To conform to
this guiding principle in the use of a surface temperature sensor calibration system, of the
type described in this handbook, implies the necessity to take into account the specific
conditions of each application. Consequently, no hard-and-fast rule can be formulated for
the manner of assembly of the sensor to be calibrated, on the heated surface of the
calibrator, except that of achieving good thermal contact. (Appendix 1)

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INTRODUCTION

Isotech Model 983 is a calibration facility for surface-mounted temperature sensors. It
consists of an electrically-heated aluminium disc into the (exposed) face of which has been
machined a shallow (2mm deep) cylindrical well. The latter is intended to contain a "smear"
of heat-transfer fluid to enable good thermal contact to be made between the hot surface
and the temperature sensor placed on it for calibration, provided that this is the way in which
the surface sensor will normally be used.

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FEATURES OF THE INSTRUMENT

1. Disc assembly

The underside of the "calibration" disc is recessed to accommodate a
spirally-disposed mineral-insulated ohmic heater, which is enclosed by fitting a
supplementary disc beneath it. The whole assembly is contained in a bed of
insulating material (Kaowool).

2. Heat input and control

The front panel holds the mains switch, which incorporates a neon indicator lamp,
and the fascia of the Eurotherm 2116 temperature controller used to operate the
heating system. The operating parameters of the controller include a pre-set upper
limit to the operating temperature.

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OPERATING THE CONTROLLER
FRONT PANEL LAYOUT

The Temperature Controller

The controller has a dual display, the upper display indicates the nominal block temperature,
and the lower display indicates the desired temperature or setpoint.

Altering the Setpoint
To change the setpoint of the controller simply use the UP and DOWN keys to raise and

lower the setpoint to the required value. The lower display changes to indicate the new
setpoint.

Advanced Controller Features
Setpoint Ramp Rate

By default the plates are configured to heat (and cool) as quickly as possible. There may be
some calibration applications where it is advantageous to limit the heating (or cooling rate).

The plate can have its heating rate limited with the Setpoint Ramp Rate feature. This
feature is accessed from the Scroll key. Depress the key until the display shows,

SPrr
On the Upper Display, the lower display will show the current value from OFF (default) to

999.9. The desired rate is set here with the UP and DOWN keys, the units are °C/min.

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When the SPrr is active the controller display will show "RUN", the lower setpoint display will
now automatically update with the current value, known as the working setpoint. The
setpoint can be seen by pressing either the UP and DOWN key.

The Setpoint ramp rate operates when the bath is heating and cooling.
Instrument Address
The controller has a configurable "address" which is used for PC communications. Each

instrument has an address, this allows several instruments to be connected in parallel on the
same communications bus. The default value is 1. This address would only need to be
changed if more than one plate (dry block) is connected to the same PC port.

To check the Address value press the scroll key until the top display indicates,
Addr
The lower display will show the current value that can be modified with the UP and DOWN

keys.
Monitoring the Controller Status
A row of beacons indicate the controllers status as follows,
OP1 Heat Output

OP2 Cool Output (Only for models which operate below 0°C)
REM This beacon indicates activity on the PC interface

Units
Momentary pressing the Scroll key will show the controller units °C or °F.

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Using the PC Interface

This model includes an RS422 PC interface and a special converter cable that allows use
with the a standard RS232 port. When using the bath with an RS232 port it is essential that
this converter cable is used. Replacement cables are available from Isotech, part number
ISO-232-432. A further lead is available as an option, Part Number ISO-422-422 lead
which permits up to 5 instruments to be daisy chained together.

The benefit of this approach is that a number of calibration baths may be connected together
in a "daisy chain" configuration - and then linked to a single RS232, see diagram.

Note: The RS 422 standard specifies a maximum lead length of 1200M (4000ft). A true
RS422 port will be required to realise such lead lengths. The Isotech conversion leads are
suitable for maximum combined lead lengths of 10M that is adequate for most applications.

Connections
For RS232 use simply connect the Isotech cable, a 9 to 25 pin converter is included to suit

PCs with a 25 pin serial converter.
RS422 Connections

Pin Connection
4 Tx+ A
5 Tx- B
8 Rx+ A
9 Rx- B
1 Common

Using the Interface
The models are supplied with Cal NotePad as standard. This easy to use package is

compatible with MS Windows 9x. A handbook for Cal NotePad can be found on the first
installation disk in Adobe PDF format. If required a free Adobe PDF reader can be
downloaded from, www.adobe.com.

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CAL NOTEPAD

Cal Notepad can be used to log and display values from the Dry Blocks and an optional
temperature indicator.

Minimum System Requirements
CNP requires Windows 95 / 98, a minimum of 5Mb of free hard drive space and free serial

ports for the instruments to be connected.
Development
CNP was developed by Isothermal Technology using LabVIEW from National Instruments.

License
Use of the Cal NotePad software program "CNP" is as granted in this license agreement. In using the

CNP
software the user "licensee" is agreeing to the terms of the license. You must read and understand
the terms of this license before using CNP.
1, This license permits licensee to use CNP software on a single computer. The user may make
copies for back up and archival purposes freely as long as the software is only ever in use on a single
computer at any one time. Please enquire about multi-user licenses.
2, CNP is protected by international copyright laws and treaties. CNP must not be distributed to third
parties.
3, CNP must not be reversed engineered, disassembled or de-compiled. Licensee may transfer the
software to a third party provided that no copies or upgrades of CNP are retained.
4, It is the responsibility of the user to ensure the validity of all stored results and printed certificates.
Isothermal Technology Ltd accept no responsibility for any errors caused by inappropriate use,
incorrect set up or any other cause; including defects in the software.
5, Limited Warranty. Isothermal Technology warrants that CNP will perform substantially as described
in this manual for a period of 90 days from receipt. Any distribution media will under normal used be
guaranteed for a period of 90 days.

NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EXCEPT AS STATED ABOVE. The software and documentation is
provided "as is" without warranty of any kind and no other warranties (either expressed or implied) are
made with regard to CNP. Isothermal Technology does not warrant, guarantee or make any
representations regarding the use or results of the use of the software or documentation and does not
warrant that the operation of CNP will be error free.

In no event will Isothermal Technology, its employees, agents or other associated people be liable for
direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages, expenses, lost profits, business interruption, lost
business information or other damages arising out the use or inability to use CNP. The license fee
reflects this allocation of risk.

CNP is not designed for situations where the results can threaten or cause injury to humans.

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Installing Cal NotePad

1 Insert CNP DISK 1 into the disk drive
2 Click on the START button on the task bar, select RUN, type A:\SETUP (Where A: is

your drive letter) then click OK

3 Follow the prompts which will install the application and necessary LabVIEW run time

support files.

4 Should you ever need to uninstall the software then use the Add/Remove Programs

option from the Control Panel.
Starting Cal NotePad
From a Standard Installation:
Click the START button
Highlight PROGRAMS
Select Isotech - Select Calpad

Protocol
The instruments use the "Eurotherm EI BiSynch Protocol"
If required, e.g. for writing custom software the technical details are available from our

website at, www.isotech.co.uk/refer.html

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TECHNICAL DETAIL

Operating temperature range: 50°C to 350°C
Power consumption: 180W (220/240V or 110/120V, 50/60Hz)

(mains lead attached)

Temperature controller: Eurotherm 2116, operated by N-type

thermocouple set 3mm below centre of upper
surface of disc.

Heated disc detail: Mineral-insulated heater internally mounted in

2-disc assembly.
Diameter of disc: 75mm
Diameter of well for heat transfer medium:
71mm
Depth of well: 2mm

Approximate time (from ambient)
to reach stability at maximum
set-point temperature: 30 minutes

Dimensions of outer casing: Width : 230mm

Height: : 115mm
Depth : 225mm

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INSPECTION ON RECEIPT

Carefully examine the instrument for any signs of damage that may have occurred during
transit.

In the event of damage, immediately inform the carrier and the supplier (Isotech or agent)
and retain the instrument and packaging material as nearly as possible in its as-received
condition, for possible inspection by an insurance assessor.

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OPERATION OF THE INSTRUMENT

When first switched on, the controller self-check procedure is initiated.
Thereafter, depressing either the up or down buttons will access the set-point value.

Adjustment (up to the pre-set operating limit) can then be effected by means of the up and
down buttons once again.

There is no facility incorporated for cooling, the control range being 50°C to 350°C means
naturally cooling is sufficient.

Stability of temperature at the selected set-point should be established within about 30
minutes of switching on at ambient temperature.

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MAINTENANCE

Each unit is fully tested before despatch from the facility and does not require the
specification of a regular servicing/maintenance routine.

In the unlikely event of failure or of the incidence of a fault condition, the unit should be
returned, carriage-paid, to Isotech (or its agent) for inspection and repair.

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APPENDIX 1

What others say about Surface Temperature Measurement

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SURFACE TEMPERATURES

A surface, because it is the interface between 2 systems, does not have a temperature as
such. A user who wants to know temperature should define his measurement problem
more exactly. For example:

Is he interested in the amount of heat dissipated by the surface?
How hot the surface feels to the touch - will it burn fingers?
The amount of radiation emitted by the surface?
The temperature of one of the systems near the surface?

Each of these measurement problems has a different answer and each would give a
different "surface" temperature for the same surface. In general there are 2 classes of
techniques used to measure surface temperature.

NON-CONTACT METHODS
Infrared and optical pyrometers measure the temperature by determining the amount of

energy radiated from the surface. Generally the emissivity of the surface needs to be
known, though the advent of "two colour" pyrometers allows the temperature to be found
without knowledge of the emissivity. (Pyrometers are discussed in more detail in Chapter

13).
Coloured paints or crayons which change colour at specified temperatures can be applied to

the surface as temperature indicators. For many the colour change is irreversible, and they
are, therefore, "once only" techniques. They may also change the temperature profile of the
surface due to the insulation effects and different emissivities.

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Several measurement techniques have been developed that establish a heat balance
between the thermometer and the surface. The thermometer is slowly heated to the same
temperature as that of the surface, with the only contact between the 2 being through the
intervening warm air. These thermometers have found application where large moving
surfaces are involved.

CONTACT METHODS
The problem of obtaining sufficient immersion depth, when surface temperatures are

measured, is by itself difficult. When combined with the large temperature gradients usually
found on one or both sides of the surface, accurate measurements of surface temperature
by contact methods become almost impossible.

Most surface thermometers are based on thermocouples, PRT's or thermistors.
Some of the common mounting techniques are shown in Fig. 8.14. To obtain a good

immersion depth, the thermometer should be "thermally tied" to the surface for several
centimetres. Another approach is to bed the thermometer under the surface, ie. approach
the surface from the side with the smallest temperature gradients.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. An older text, still in print, offers a comprehensive look at many industrial temperature

measurement problems. It is "Temperature measurement in engineering", by H.D.

Baker, E.A. Ryder, and N.H. Baker, Wiley, Vol. 1. 1953, Vol. II 1961.

2. Some more modern development in industrial temperature measurements can be

found in "Advances in instrumentation", Proceedings of the ISA Conference held

annually.

3. Thermometer applications are covered by articles in TMCSI.

4. British Standards Institute publishes a Code of Practice which is in several parts, not

all available, and some are currently in need of revision, but contains much useful

information. BS1041 "Code for Temperature Measurement".

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The most difficult immersion problems occur when making measurements of air and surface
temperatures. For air-temperature measurements the effective diameters of probes may be
as large as ten times the actual diameter of the probe; a probe requiring 10 diameters
immersion in the calibration bath may require more than 100 diameters immersion in air.

The fundamental problem with surface temperature measurements is that, since a surface is
an infinitely thin boundary, there is no `system' into which you can immerse the thermometer.
With surface-temperature measurements, the answer to the measurement problem often lies
in analysing the reason for making the temperature measurement in the first place. For
example, if we need to know how much energy the surface is radiating we should use a
radiation thermometer; if we want to know the likelihood of the surface posing a human burn
risk then we should use a standard finger as specified by a safety standard; and if we require
a non-intrusive measurement of the temperature of the object behind the surface, then a
measurement using one of the techniques in Figure 4.6 may be the answer. Assessment of
the uncertainties in surface measurements is also difficult because of the number of sources
of error present.

In all cases where immersion errors are suspected it is a very simple matter to vary the
immersion length by one or two diameters to see if the reading changes. As a crude
approximation about 60% of the total error is eliminated each time the immersion is
increased by one effective diameter. In some cases it may be practical to estimate the true
temperature
from a sequence of measurements at different immersions.

Two solutions to the problem of surface temperature measurement: (a) attaching a length of
the probe to the surface can approximate immersion. In some cases insulation may be
helpful in reducing the losses by radiation or convection, although it can cause the surface to
become hotter; (b) approaching the surface from the side which has the least temperature
gradient will give the least error.

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RADIATION ERRORS AND SHIELDING

Heat can be transferred by any of three mechanisms:

• Conduction - for example, heat is conducted along a metal bar;

• Convection - for example, heat is transferred by the movement of air or other fluids;

• Radiation - for example, heat is radiated by lamps, radiant heaters, and the sun.

Radiation is one of the most insidious sources of error in thermometry. We often fail to
recognise the physical connection between the radiant source and the thermometer and
overlook it as a source of error. Radiation errors are a particular problem in air and surface
thermometry where there is nothing to obscure or shield the source, and where the thermal
contact with the object of interest is already weak. Examples of troublesome radiant
sources include lamps, boilers, furnaces, flames, electrical heaters and the Sun.

A particularly common problem to watch for is the use of incandescent lamps when reading
thermometers. If you must use a lamp, then use a low-power fluorescent lamp which will
radiate very little in the infra-red portion of the spectrum.

With more difficult measurements, such as air and surface temperatures, anything at a
different temperature which has a line-of-sight to the thermometer is a source of error. This
includes cold objects such as freezers which act as radiation sinks and absorb radiation
emitted by the thermometer. To put things in perspective, remember that at room
temperature anything radiates (and absorbs from its neighbours) about 500 watts per square
metre of surface area, so the radiative contact between objects is far greater than we would
expect intuitively. In a room near a large boiler a mercury-in-glass thermometer may exhibit
an error of several degrees.

There are two basic strategies when you are faced with a measurement that may be affected
by radiation. Firstly, remove the source; and secondly, shield the source. Removing the
source is obviously the most effective strategy if this is possible. However, the thermometry
is very often required in association with the source, particularly in temperature-control
applications. In these cases it may be possible to change the source in a way which will
give an indication of the magnitude of the error.

If you are unable to remove the radiation source then shielding is the only resort. A typical
radiation shield is a highly reflective, usually polished, metal tube which is placed over the
thermometer. The shield reflects most of the radiation away from the thermometer and
itself. An example is shown in Figure 4.10. The shield will usually reduce the error by a
factor of about 3 to 5. The change in the thermometer reading when the shield is deployed
will give a good indication of the magnitude of the error and whether more effort is required.
Successive shields will help but will not be as effective as the first. Suitable trial shields are
clean, shiny metal cans and aluminium foil.

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The disadvantage of using a radiation shield in air-temperature measurements is that the
movement of air around the thermometer is greatly restricted, further weakening the thermal
contact between the air and the thermometer. The problem is compounded if the shield is
warmed by the radiation and conducts the heat to the stagnant air inside the shield.
Therefore, to be effective the shield must allow free movement of air as much as possible.
In some cases a fan may be needed to improve thermal contact by drawing air over the
sensor, and to keep the shields cool. Note that the fan should not be used to push the air
as the air will be heated by the fan motor and friction from the blades.