Multipurpose cable with an integral thermocouple circuit measures strain, vibration, pressure, throughout a wide temperature range. This cable reduces bulky and complex circuitry by eliminating separate thermocouples for each transducer

Zellner, G.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

Insulation
Multipurpose 
Instrumentation 
Cable ..
March 1967	 Brief 67-10046 
AEC-NASA TECH BRIEF 
YES
AEC-NASA Tech Briefs describe innovations resulting from the research and development program 
of the U.S. AEC or from AEC-NASA interagency efforts. They are issued to encourage commercial 
application. Tech Briefs are published by NASA and may be purchased, at 15 cents each, from 
the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information, Springfield, Virginia 22151. 
Multipurpose Instrumentation Cable Provides Integral Thermocouple Circuit 
Constantan Lead 1
Thermocouple 
IlCu-1	 J 
Constantan Lead 
Cu-2 
Metal Sheath	 Cu-i 
Typical Half-Bridge 
Strain Gage 
The problem: 
Using transducers to measure strain, vibration, 
pressure, etc., throughout a wide temperature range 
requires close monitoring of transducer operating 
temperatures. Standard methods use two transducer 
lead wires and a separate thermocouple for each trans-
ducer, resulting in bulky and complex circuitry. 
The solution: 
A multipurpose cable with an integral thermo-
couple circuit that shares one of the transducer 
conductors. 
How it's done: 
In a typical strain gage configuration, the sheathed 
cable contains three copper conductors Cu-I, Cu-2, 
and Cu-3 for gage excitation and output plus a con-
stantan conductor. The constantan conductor forms
the negative leg of a copper/constantan thermo-
couple and uses one of the copper leads as the other 
leg. This permits measurement of the strain gage 
(transducer) temperature without increasing the 
overall size of the device by inclusion of a separate 
two-wire thermocouple. 
Note: 
Inquiries concerning this innovation may be di-
rected to:
Technology Utilization Officer 
AEC-NASA Space Nuclear Propulsion 
Office 
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission 
Washington, D.C. 20545 
Reference: B67-10046
(continued overleaf) 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the Atomic 
Energy Commission and/or the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration. Neither the United States Government nor any per-
son acting on behalf of the United States Government assumes any
liability resulting from the use of the information contained in this 
document, or warrants that the use of any information, apparatus, 
method, or process disclosed in this document may not infringe pri-
vately owned rights.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19670000046 2020-03-11T20:22:54+00:00Z
Patent status: 
No patent action is contemplated by AEC or 
NASA.
Source: G. Zeilner 
of Westinghouse Astronuclear Laboratory 
under contract to
Space Nuclear Propulsion Office
(NU-0108)
Category 01 
Brief 67-10046


Multipurpose instrumentation cable provides integral thermocouple circuit

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

NASA Technical Reports Server