How a bimetallic strip works in a thermostat?

How a bimetallic strip works in a thermostat?

A bimetallic strip is made of two different kinds of metals that are laminated into one strip. Each metal responds to heat and cold by expanding a specific amount based on the change in temperature. When heat is applied to the coiled bimetallic strip, it expands and uncoils.

What is a bimetallic strip and how does it work?

A bimetallic strip is used to convert a temperature change into mechanical displacement. The strip consists of two strips of different metals which expand at different rates as they are heated.

What are the uses of bimetallic strip?

Bimetallic strips are used in thermostats for measuring and controlling temperature. The strip is connected to a switch and as the temperature changes the strip flexes and opens or closes a contact. They are also used in ovens for measuring temperature.

How does a thermostat make use of thermal expansion?

So how does a thermostat work? Most things get bigger when they heat up and smaller when they cool down (water is a notable exception: it expands when it heats up and when it freezes too). Mechanical thermostats use this idea (which is called thermal expansion) to switch an electric circuit on and and off.

What happens to bimetallic strip when cooled?

When this bimetallic strip is heated, the brass expands more than the steel and the strip curves with the brass on the outside. If the strip is cooled, it curves with the steel on the outside. Bimetallic strips are used as switches in thermostats.

What happens when you heat a bimetallic strip?

The bimetallic strips are commonly used in thermostats. It is because the temperature change will bring the mechanical displacement in the metal. When the bimetallic strip is heated, the metal with higher thermal expansion will bend more. Thus they bend towards the metal having a lower thermal expansion.

Why do we use bimetallic thermometers?

It converts the media’s temperature into mechanical displacement using a bimetallic strip. Bimetallic thermometers are used in residential devices like air conditioners, ovens, and industrial devices like heaters, hot wires, refineries, etc. They are a simple, durable, and cost-efficient way of temperature measurement.

What devices use bimetallic strip?

Thermometer and thermostat are examples of bimetallic tip devices. (i) Thermometers: A thermometer uses a bimetallic strip, generally wrapped into a coil in its most used design. The coil changes the linear movement of the metal expansion into a circular movement due to the helicoidal shape it draws.

What is a good temperature to set your thermostat in the summer?

78 degrees Fahrenheit
For summer, the ideal thermostat temperature is 78 degrees Fahrenheit when you’re at home. Energy.gov also suggests raising your thermostat or turning it off entirely when you are away in the summer because why cool an empty house? Programmable thermostats can help make this monitoring easy and human error-free.

Should I set my thermostat to auto or on?

If you want to keep the energy bills low, you should set the thermostat to ‘Auto’. However, if you prefer more even distribution of heat inside the house, it’s better that you set the thermostat setting to ‘On’.

How does a bimetallic strip respond to temperature?

Two strips of dissimilar metals are mechanically joined either by rivets or by being fused together along their length to form a structure that responds to changes of temperature by bending in a preferred direction. Figure 1 This diagram shows the operating principle of a bimetallic strip.

What is the working principle of a bimetallic thermometer?

Working Principle of Bimetallic Thermometer. The working principle of this thermometer mainly depends on two basic temperature properties of the metal like the following. Once the temperature changes, then there will be a change in the physical dimension of the metals. Whenever the temperature rises, the metal strip turns in

Which is longer brass or iron in a bimetallic strip?

The brass thus becomes longer than the iron, showing that it expands more than iron for the same temperature change. The bimetallic strip has many useful applications, of which one of the most important is the electric thermostat. A thermostat is a device for maintaining a steady temperature.

How does a bimetallic thermostat switch on and off?

How a bimetallic thermostat switches on and off An outer dial enables you to set the temperature at which the thermostat switches on and off. The dial is connected through a circuit to the temperature sensor (a bimetal strip, shown here colored red and blue), which switches an electrical circuit on and off by bending more or less.