Precision Temperature Measurement and Error Analysis for Three-Wire PT100 Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD) using LTSpice

Abstract

This work focuses on temperature measurement and error extraction for Resistance Temperature Dependence (RTD). RTD is notable for its high accuracy, linearity, and stability. However, obtaining a system error of less than unity in RTD is critical. A platinum RTD is an ideal option if the system requires an accuracy level over a wide temperature range (-200°C to +800°C). Therefore, this work investigated the temperature measurement and extraction of error in RTD by simulating a three-wired PT100 RTD using LTSpice. The analytical calculations were also developed to demonstrate the RTD’s error and were compared with the simulation results for verification purposes. It was discovered that the optimized temperature measurement and percentage errors are 0.01°C and 0.004% respectively. The values of Vc, Sense Resistor (RSENSE), and Reference Resistor (RREF) for the excitation current were found to be significant to maximize the output voltage and mean absolute error (MAE) on the test set, offering insights into the model's overall fit, average deviation, and sensitivity to outliers. Results reveal strong correlations between PV module temperature, irradiance, and AC power generated.