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TEMA
SENSORES DE TEMPERATURA

THE TEMPERATURE SENSORS

A temperature sensor is a device that gathers data concerning the temperature from a source and converts it to a form that can be understood either by an observer or another device. Temperature sensors come in many different forms and are used for a wide variety of purposes, from simple home use to extremely accurate and precisescientific use. They play a very important role almost everywhere that they are applied; knowing the temperature helps people to pick their clothing before a walk outside just as it helps chemists to understand the data collected from a complex chemical reaction.
The best known example of a temperature sensor is the mercury-in-glass thermometer. Mercury expands and contracts based on changes intemperature; when these volume changes are quantified, temperature can be measured with a fair degree of accuracy. The outside temperature is the source of the temperature measurements and the position of the mercury in the glass tube is the observable quantification of temperature that can be understood by observers. Typically, mercury-in-glass thermometers are only used for nonscientific purposesbecause they are not extremely accurate. In some cases, they can be used in high school or college chemistry labs when a very accurate measurement of temperature is not important.
A more complex temperature sensor will generally be computerized for more accurate results. These, too, are sometimes used in homes for nonscientific purposes; some people keep sensors outside that wirelessly send theoutside temperature to a digital display inside. In a lab, a digital temperature sensor will typically be calibrated to be far more accurate. A temperature sensor will typically exist in one of two forms; contact sensors measure their own temperatures after they have achieved thermal equilibrium with their environments and noncontact sensors measure heat radiation from their environments within a givenarea. All heat sensors tend to have some level of error in their readings, as temperature is quite difficult to measure accurately.
Many organisms, including humans and more, have biological temperature sensors. A biological temperature sensor serves essentially the same function as an artificial sensor: it collects data and transfers it into an understandable form. Human sensory nerves, forexample, send sensory information from the skin to the brain in the form of electrical impulses. The brain produces the sensations of hot and cold that people experience while standing in the sun or walking through the snow. While the electrical impulses themselves would make no sense if set in front of an individual, the general feelings of hot and cold make perfect sense.
Ambient temperaturesensors are devices that measure the air temperature around or near a machine, motor, or other piece of equipment that generates heat. Such sensors are intended to prevent machines from overheating and potentially sustaining damage. Equipment is often outfitted with alarms that are set to alert an employee if the temperature rises above the acceptable operating temperature. Some also automaticallytrigger air conditioning devices that lower the temperature around the machine.
Manufacturing facilities are one of the environments in which ambient temperature sensors are frequently found. These facilities often have numerous machines that use a lot of energy and put out a large amount of heat. This poses the danger of overheating, overloading circuits, and potentially of starting a fire. Sensorsare often recommended by the equipment manufacturer and are usually placed in close proximity to machinery so they can monitor the ambient heat. In some locations and conditions, ambient temperature sensors and temperature control devices are required by governmental or environmental codes.
Many automobiles also contain ambient temperature sensors that monitor the heat generated by the motor....