TRANSDUCERS, TRANSMITTERS & SENSORS
SOLVING TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT CHALLENGES Temperature
measurements are vital in helping to ensure process plant safety and efficiency, but maintaining accuracy and reliability can be problematic. Ryan Leino, senior product manager at Emerson, describes how the Rosemount 3144S temperature
transmitter addresses these user concerns
ccurate and dependable temperature measurements are key to ensuring product quality, plant and personnel safety and optimised efficiency in a broad range of process applications, such as reactors, distillation columns, safety systems, custody transfer and metering. However, maintaining measurement accuracy and reliability can prove challenging. Inaccurate or lost measurements can occur due to incorrect transmitter-sensor matching, sensor failure and degradation, and issues related to control loops and thermowell integrity. It is therefore important for organisations to select temperature measurement devices with
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functionality that enables them to meet these challenges and provide peace of mind. Correct sensor configuration is essential to obtain accurate and reliable measurements. A mismatch between the sensor type and transmitter configuration can result in inaccurate measurements or even send the device into alarm mode. For applications with high accuracy requirements, incorrect Callendar-Van Dusen calibration coefficients can also impact sensor performance. These manual calibration inputs can be tedious, time-consuming and often result in human error due to the large number of characters in each coefficient. As a result, some companies
14 JANUARY 2026 | PROCESS & CONTROL
will often forgo using calibrated sensors due to the additional effort required to input the coefficients.
To help overcome this challenge, Emerson’s new Rosemount 3144S Temperature Transmitter incorporates ReadyConnect Technology that streamlines device set-up and commissioning. With the push of a button, the device recognises the connected temperature sensors and self-configures accordingly. This minimises the potential for errors by reducing or eliminating manual data inputting, allowing for expedited commissioning. For temperature measurement applications where sensors need frequent replacement, ReadyConnect Technology can help users get their process up and running again with error-free commissioning and reduces time spent configuring by over 90%.
Failed temperature sensors and the loss of vital measurement points can compromise product quality, create a safety risk and force companies into an
performance drift before they lead to measurement errors, process downtime or safety risks. The Rosemount 3144S provides enhanced diagnostic coverage from sensor to control room (i.e. throughout the entire measurement loop) through a range of built- in features that help to keep processes running smoothly, safely and efficiently. Another diagnostic feature on the Rosemount 3144S Temperature Transmitter is RTD (resistance temperature detector) Measurement Protection. This diagnostic monitors the condition of the RTD sensor and its wiring to detect issues such as loose or degraded connections, wiring errors, corrosion or moisture ingress, and short circuits. The transmitter will seamlessly switch from a 4- wire to a 3-wire RTD sensor input configuration if one of the four sensor wires becomes broken, corroded or loose anywhere from the sensor element to the transmitter terminal connections.
Measurements can then continue without process disruption, while a maintenance alert will notify technicians of the faulty wire. An alert is
unplanned shutdown of the process, negatively impacting operational efficiency and profitability. Measurement loss and inaccuracies are often due to failing and degrading sensors. Applications such as distillation columns and reactors can be challenging for sensors because they operate at very high temperatures, high levels of vibration and involve temperature cycling, all of which can potentially stress the sensor, leading to degradation and potential failure. Diagnostic functionality in temperature measurement devices enables the early detection of sensor issues, wiring problems or
triggered upon detection of any anomalies that could compromise measurement accuracy or impact the process, thereby enabling proactive maintenance and leading to reduced downtime and increased safety. In addition to properly functioning sensors, maintaining integrity of the measurement loop is also critical, as an issue with any part of the loop can lead to process deviations or downtime. The measurement loop includes sensor, terminals, wiring and power supply. There are countless issues that could occur to these components and impact the measurement, but plant operators are often
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