University of Cambridge
The new technology supports higher accuracy in measuring temperatures, longer life and improved drift characteristics. The licensee, TE Wire & Cable LLC, a leading thermocouple and specialty wire and cable manufacturer based in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, describes it as the greatest thermocouple wire innovation in 50 years.

The agreement covers a ground-breaking mineral insulated thermocouple cable technology developed by Dr Michele Scervini and Professor Cathie Rae in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge. This dual wall, low-drift type K and type N mineral insulated (MI) thermocouple cable design was developed to improve temperature measurement accuracy, extend thermocouple life and significantly enhance drift characteristics.

The new thermocouple cable design was developed for high temperature thermocouple applications and thermocouple installations that require longer use at higher temperatures. The technology will be of particular interest to those involved in aerospace/aircraft manufacturing for measuring jet engine temperatures and for metallurgy applications like heat treatment.

Robert Canny, President of TE Wire & Cable, notes, “Even though this is a completely new technology for us, TE Wire is well positioned to promote it to our customers and corresponding applications. Our depth of application knowledge and industry ties in heat treatment and the aerospace world will allow us to refine this technology in cooperation with forward-thinking customers.”

The processes underlying this new technology are outlined in a paper titled “Development of a Low Drift Type K Thermocouple Cable for Aerospace Applications”. The paper is co-authored by Dr Scervini, and Trevor D Ford, chief metrologist and technical director at CCPI Europe Limited, the company that performed independent testing in its calibration laboratory on the new low-drift mineral insulated thermocouple.

Dr. Scervini presented the paper on Wednesday, 5 October 2016 as part of the SAE International’s Aerospace Electrical Interconnect Systems Symposium (AEISS), held in Fort Worth, Texas.

Photo credit: Catherine Aman via Flickr