Thermocouples, which have key advantages when compared with other temperature sensors – such as wide temperature ranges, fast response times, and robust versatility, are commonly relied upon for a wide variety of applications.
However, thermocouples do have their limitations. For applications operating at punishing temperatures, for example, issues – be it thermal drift, loss of mechanical integrity, or changes in electrical properties – are a major threat, especially if particular care is not taken when selecting a thermocouple suitable for such an environment. When these issues compound, the thermocouple can fail, and changing out failed thermocouples costs money, slows or cuts production, and can cause inconsistent product quality.
While the temptation to go with cheaper, off-brand thermocouple brands may be strong, the difference in quality between those alternatives and DwyerOmega’s high-accuracy Super OmegaClad XL or Inconel probes will come back to haunt you.
But we’re not just all talk. We’re DwyerOmega – we do the hard work.
So, we did what comes natural to us: we ran tests. We put our Super OmegaClad XL™ and our standard Inconel probes up against some of our competitors’ similarly spec’d probes in a battery of long-term product testing – and the results speak for themselves.
Competitive Testing
Baseline Accuracy
Baseline accuracy tests were conducted at eight distinct temperature points, ranging from 100 degrees Celsius to 1149 degrees Celsius, during which the performance of DwyerOmega thermocouples and several competitor’s thermocouples were evaluated.
While all of the competitors’ probes failed to stay within tolerance for all tested temperatures, DwyerOmega’s industrial thermocouples – which feature Special Limits of Error as a standard – all stayed solidly within tolerance at every tested temperature stage.
Baseline Insulation Resistance
Baseline insulation resistance is a baseline measurement that can assist in assessing the health of the device’s insulation before it undergoes any stress.
For the insulation resistance test we checked the insulation resistance of each probe at ambient temperature with 500V DC, and our probes came out on top with zero insulation failures.
Thermal Shock
Thermal shock refers to the stress and potential damage that occurs in materials, including thermocouples, when they experience rapid temperature changes. For a thermocouple, thermal shock can lead to mechanical stress that may cause cracking or failure of the sensing elements. When a thermocouple is exposed to sudden temperature fluctuations, the differing expansion and contraction rates of its materials can compromise its structural integrity, leading to inaccurate readings or complete malfunction. This phenomenon is particularly critical in environments with extreme or rapid temperature changes, necessitating careful selection of materials and designs to mitigate the risks associated with thermal shock.
We performed a test in which we cycled the temperature for each probe with a 20 second heat up time from 29°C up to 1090°C and then a 40 Second cool down from 1090°C back to 29°C – and after 3 punishing rounds of 2000 cycles the DwyerOmega probes performed best in accuracy, durability and consistency.
Omega’s Super OMEGACLAD™ XL Thermocouple Probe
- Crafted with cutting-edge, innovative technology for Mineral-Insulated (MI) Cables and complete probe assemblies
- Designed to withstand harsh environments
- Delivers optimal performance even at very small diameters
- Proven to be capable of carburization, oxidation, and chlorination
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