Dwyer Instruments, Inc. offers a wide variety of temperature sensors that use RTDs as the sensing element.
RTDs are based on the principal that the electrical resistance of the wire is a function of the temperature, with the resistance increasing as temperature increases. The resistance varies nearly linearly with temperature per the Callendar Van-Dusen equation. The wire used in RTDs as the sensing element is usually constructed of platinum, copper, or nickel. Platinum is the best material for this element, as it has the widest useful temperature range of these materials. It also has a very repeatable and linear temperature to resistance correlation. Continue reading “RTD Temperature Sensors”