Spring-loaded temperature sensor is ideal for inaccessible gearboxes and equipment

Citation

(2002), "Spring-loaded temperature sensor is ideal for inaccessible gearboxes and equipment", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 54 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilt.2002.01854dad.001

Spring-loaded temperature sensor is ideal for inaccessible gearboxes and equipment

Spring-loaded temperature sensor is ideal for inaccessible gearboxes and equipmentKeywords: Temperature sensors, Gearboxes

A new temperature sensor is a powerful addition to the armoury of maintenance engineers, where equipment is in difficult to access locations.

The Buhler TF-M-PT100-VAL spring-loaded temperature sensor (Plate 1), available from AC Fluid Technology, provides accurate monitoring of housing temperature under all conditions.

"The sensor is becoming widely used across Europe in applications such as the gearhead at the top of wind turbines," says AC Fluid Technology director Mike Coleman. "But there are thousands of other applications across industry, wherever bearing or gear failure carries a high maintenance cost, particularly because of inaccessibility."

Plate 1 The Buhler TF-M-PT100-VAL spring-loaded temperature sensor

The Buhler temperature sensor eliminates the problems associated with lack of sensor contact with the bearing housing (and invalid readings), due to thermal expansion. This sensor features a spring-loaded design with a 12mm stroke that ensures that the sensor maintains contact on the bearing housing. The sensor itself is based on a PT100 resistor, whose value changes proportionally to the temperature, producing a continuous signal. The unit comprises two modules – a "wet" part that remains in the reservoir and a "dry" part, that can be inspected if necessary, eliminating the need to drain the reservoir for maintenance.

The unit covers the range from –40 to +100°C, is suitable for an operating pressure up to 1 bar and is manufactured in anodised aluminium with an elastomer seal fitted as standard.

The sensor is provided with either a DIN connector, for 230 VDC, that allows adjustment of the cable in four quadrants, or an M12 socket for 24 VDC operation.

For further details contact: Mike Coleman, AC Fluid Technology, 2 Batemans Lane, Wythall, Birmingham B47 6NG, UK. Tel: +44 1564 825 145; Fax: +44 1564 821 105; E-mail: instatest@lineone.net