Isotech 983 Operating Manual

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HANDBOOK

ISSUE 05 04/01

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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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HANDBOOK

ISSUE 05 04/01

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.