Estimating uncertainty of temperature measurements for studies of flow boiling heat transfer in minichannels

Abstract

This paper presents the method of estimating the uncertainty of temperature measurements conducted using K-type thermocouples in the study of flow boiling heat transfer in minichannels. During heat transfer experiments. the fluid temperature at the inlet and outlet of the minichannel is measured with thermocouples connected to a DaqLab 2005 data acquisition station. The major part of the experimental setup for calibration of temperature measurement included a calibrator of thermocouples. The thermocouples were manufactured by Czaki Thermo-Product. Poland. The temperatures recorded with the thermocouples were compared statistically while measuring the temperature of demineralised water at several characteristic points at liquid phase change or using the reference temperature known from the calibrator. The experimental error of the temperature measurement method was determined according to the principles of statistical analysis. Estimates of the mean value and the experimental standard deviation of the experimental error as well as the confidence interval for a single experimental error and the measurement accuracy were presented. The uncertainty of the difference in temperature was also calculated