koudejunctiecompensatie

Koudejunctiecompensatie is a technique used in temperature measurement systems to correct for the voltage difference that arises at the junction of two different conductors, typically the junction between a thermocouple wire and the measuring instrument. This voltage difference, known as the Seebeck voltage, is dependent on the temperature of the junction itself. If the temperature of this junction is not the same as the reference temperature at the instrument's terminals, an error will be introduced into the temperature reading.

The principle behind koudejunctiecompensatie is to establish a known reference temperature for the junction and then electronically measure that temperature. By knowing the temperature at the cold junction and the Seebeck coefficient of the thermocouple material, the instrument can calculate the voltage that would be present at the cold junction if it were at a standard reference temperature (often 0 degrees Celsius). This calculated voltage is then subtracted from the measured voltage from the thermocouple.

This compensation process effectively simulates a junction at the standard reference temperature, thereby eliminating the error caused by the actual cold junction temperature varying. Common methods for measuring the cold junction temperature include using a thermistor, RTD, or semiconductor temperature sensor placed directly at the terminals where the thermocouple connects to the instrument. Without koudejunctiecompensatie, accurate temperature measurements with thermocouples would be highly unreliable, especially in environments where the ambient temperature fluctuates.