(#109) Solving Thermocouple Drift and Phantom Pressure

Mechanical Engineering Made Simple · Mar 9, 2026 · 44m · transcript

This episode digs into two of the most frustrating instrumentation problems in industrial systems: thermocouple drift and phantom pressure readings.

We start with thermocouple drift. Over time, high temperature exposure, oxidation, contamination, and metallurgical changes in the thermocouple wires alter the Seebeck voltage that the sensor produces. The result is temperature readings that slowly shift away from reality. We break down how junction degradation, wire inhomogeneity, and poor cold junction compensation create measurement errors, and how calibration intervals, shielding, proper…