SIST EN 61515:2017

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
SIST EN 61515:2017
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Mineral insulated metal sheathed thermocouple cables and thermocouples (IEC
61515:2016)
Mineralisolierte metallgeschirmte Mantelthermoelementleitung und
Mantelthermoelemente (IEC 61515:2016)
Câbles et couples thermoélectriques à isolation minérale dits «chemisés» (IEC
61515:2016)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 61515:2016
ICS:
17.200.20 Instrumenti za merjenje Temperature-measuring
temperature instruments
SIST EN 61515:2017 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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SIST EN 61515:2017

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SIST EN 61515:2017


EUROPEAN STANDARD EN 61515

NORME EUROPÉENNE

EUROPÄISCHE NORM
August 2016
ICS 17.200.20 Supersedes EN 61515:1996
English Version
Mineral insulated metal-sheathed thermocouple cables
and thermocouples
(IEC 61515:2016)
Câbles et couples thermoélectriques à isolation minérale Mineralisolierte metallgeschirmte
dits "chemisés" Mantelthermoelementleitung und Mantelthermoelemente
(IEC 61515:2016) (IEC 61515:2016)
This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2016-06-01. CENELEC members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC
Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre or to any CENELEC member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the
same status as the official versions.
CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey and the United Kingdom.


European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels
© 2016 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.
 Ref. No. EN 61515:2016 E

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SIST EN 61515:2017
EN 61515:2016
European foreword
The text of document 65B/1034/FDIS, future edition 2 of IEC 61515, prepared by SC 65B
"Measurement and control devices", of IEC/TC 65 "Industrial-process measurement, control and
automation" was submitted to the IEC-CENELEC parallel vote and approved by CENELEC as
EN 61515:2016.
The following dates are fixed:
• latest date by which the document has to be implemented at (dop) 2017-03-01
national level by publication of an identical national
standard or by endorsement
(dow) 2019-06-01
• latest date by which the national standards conflicting with
the document have to be withdrawn

This document supersedes EN 61515:1996.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CENELEC [and/or CEN] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such
patent rights.
Endorsement notice
The text of the International Standard IEC 61515:2016 was approved by CENELEC as a European
Standard without any modification.
2

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SIST EN 61515:2017
EN 61515:2016
Annex ZA
(normative)

Normative references to international publications
with their corresponding European publications
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
NOTE 1 When an International Publication has been modified by common modifications, indicated by (mod),
the relevant EN/HD applies.
NOTE 2 Up-to-date information on the latest versions of the European Standards listed in this annex is
available here: www.cenelec.eu.

Publication Year Title EN/HD Year
IEC 60068-2-6 -  Environmental testing - EN 60068-2-6 -
Part 2-6: Tests - Test Fc: Vibration
(sinusoidal)
IEC 60584-1 -  Thermocouples - EN 60584-1 -
Part 1: EMF specifications and
tolerances
ISO 1302 -  Geometrical Product Specifications EN ISO 1302 -
(GPS) - Indication of surface texture in
technical product documentation

3

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SIST EN 61515:2017

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SIST EN 61515:2017



IEC 61515

®


Edition 2.0 2016-04




INTERNATIONAL



STANDARD




NORME



INTERNATIONALE











Mineral insulated metal-sheathed thermocouple cables and thermocouples



Câbles et couples thermoélectriques à isolation minérale dits "chemisés"



















INTERNATIONAL

ELECTROTECHNICAL

COMMISSION


COMMISSION

ELECTROTECHNIQUE


INTERNATIONALE




ICS 17.200.20 ISBN 978-2-8322-3225-5



Warning! Make sure that you obtained this publication from an authorized distributor.

Attention! Veuillez vous assurer que vous avez obtenu cette publication via un distributeur agréé.

® Registered trademark of the International Electrotechnical Commission
Marque déposée de la Commission Electrotechnique Internationale

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CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4
INTRODUCTION . 6
1 Scope . 7
2 Normative references. 7
3 Terms and definitions . 7
4 General principles . 8
4.1 A MIMS thermocouple . 8
4.2 Electromotive force . 9
4.3 Materials and their properties . 9
4.3.1 Sheath . 9
4.3.2 Conductors . 9
4.3.3 Insulation materials . 9
4.4 Maximum operating temperature . 9
4.5 Dimensions . 9
4.5.1 Transverse section of MIMS thermocouple cables and thermocouples . 9
4.5.2 Transverse section of simplex cable and thermocouple . 10
4.5.3 Transverse section of duplex cable and thermocouple . 11
4.5.4 Transverse section of triplex cable and thermocouple . 12
5 Requirements and verification tests . 12
5.1 General . 12
5.2 MIMS thermocouple cables: requirements and verification tests . 13
5.2.1 Structure and mechanical properties . 13
5.2.2 Electrical characteristics and performance . 14
5.3 MIMS thermocouples: requirements and verification tests . 16
5.3.1 Structure and mechanical properties . 16
5.3.2 Electrical characteristics and performance . 18
6 Delivery condition for thermocouple cables . 20
7 Packaging . 20
8 Marking . 20
9 Certification . 20
Annex A (informative) Alternative adjacent conductor configurations . 21
A.1 General . 21
A.2 Duplex cable and thermocouple . 21
A.3 Triplex cable and thermocouple . 21
Annex B (informative) Mineral insulation material chemical composition . 24
Annex C (informative) Indicative upper temperature limits . 25

Figure 1 – Transverse section of simplex . 10
Figure 2 – Transverse section of duplex . 11
Figure 3 – Transverse section of triplex . 12
Figure 4 – Longitudinal section of a grounded junction . 16
Figure 5 – Longitudinal section of an insulated junction . 17
Figure A.1 – Alternative adjacent conductor configuration for duplex . 21
Figure A.2 – Alternative adjacent conductor configuration for triplex (1) . 22

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Figure A.3 – Alternative adjacent conductor configuration for triplex (2) . 22
Figure A.4 – Alternative adjacent conductor configuration for triplex (3) . 23

Table 1 – Dimensional specifications of simplex . 10
Table 2 – Dimensional specifications of duplex . 11
Table 3 – Dimensional specifications of triplex. 12
Table 4 – Tests for MIMS thermocouple cables and thermocouples . 13
Table 5 – Test voltage for dielectric strength . 15
Table 6 – Minimum insulation resistance at ambient temperature (MIMS cables) . 15
Table 7 – Insulation resistance at elevated temperatures (MIMS cables) . 16
Table 8 – Minimum insulation resistance at ambient temperature . 19
Table 9 – Insulation resistance at elevated temperatures (MIMS thermocouples) . 19
Table B.1 – Example values of recommended magnesia (MgO) – Chemical
composition in weight percent . 24
Table B.2 – Example values of recommended alumina (Al O ) – Chemical composition
2 3
in weight percent . 24
Table C.1 – Indicative temperature limits of MIMS thermocouple sheath and conductor
combinations . 25

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INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________

MINERAL INSULATED METAL-SHEATHED
THERMOCOUPLE CABLES AND THERMOCOUPLES

FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote international
co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end and in
addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports,
Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC Publication(s)”). Their
preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with
may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising
with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence between
any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in the latter.
5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity. Independent certification bodies provide conformity
assessment services and, in some areas, access to IEC marks of conformity. IEC is not responsible for any
services carried out by independent certification bodies.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and expenses
arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of patent
rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard IEC 61515 has been prepared by subcommittee 65B: Measurement and
control devices, of IEC technical committee 65: Industrial-process measurement, control and
automation.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition published in 1995. This edition
constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous
edition:
a) Duplex and triplex are standardized.
b) Specification of insulation resistance is revised so that the user can choose the best product
to fit for the purpose.
c) “Table 2 Recommended maximum operating temperatures” in the previous version is
expanded significantly including newly developed sheath material and it is moved to
Annex C.
d) Test items and their methods are expanded and a guide table (Table 4) is added for
userfriendliness.

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IEC 61515:2016 © IEC 2016 – 5 –
The text of this standard is based on the following documents:
FDIS Report on voting
65B/1034/FDIS 65B/1038/RVD

Full information on the voting for the approval of this standard can be found in the report on
voting indicated in the above table.
This publication has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The committee has decided that the contents of this publication will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data related to
the specific publication. At this date, the publication will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.

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INTRODUCTION
This new edition of IEC 61515 reflects recent developments in production technology, sheath
materials and insulation materials. It aims to be a flexible standard allowing suppliers to provide
fit-for-purpose products at an acceptable cost.
It includes informative guidance to help users choose the products that meet their needs.
Annex A gives alternative adjacent conductor configurations for duplex and triplex MIMS
thermocouple cables and thermocouples.
Annex B gives recommendations to suppliers with respect to insulation composition.
Annex C gives guidelines to users with regard to temperature limits of operation.

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IEC 61515:2016 © IEC 2016 – 7 –
MINERAL INSULATED METAL-SHEATHED
THERMOCOUPLE CABLES AND THERMOCOUPLES



1 Scope
This International Standard establishes the requirements for simplex, duplex and triplex
mineral-insulated metal-sheathed thermocouple cables and thermocouples, which are intended
for use in general industrial applications. The abbreviation MIMS (for “mineral-insulated
metal-sheathed”) will be used hereafter. It covers thermocouple cables and thermocouples with
only base-metal conductors of Types T, J, E, K and N. The specifications in this standard apply
to new thermocouple cables and thermocouple units as delivered to the user. They do not apply
to the product after use.
External seals, terminations, connections and other accessories are not within the scope of this
International Standard.
This standard does not apply to precious metal thermocouple cables and thermocouples. The
special requirements for nuclear primary loop applications are dealt with in the other standards.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and
are indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments)
applies.
IEC 60068-2-6, Environmental testing – Part 2-6: Tests – Test Fc: Vibration (sinusoidal)
IEC 60584-1, Thermocouples: Part 1 – EMF specifications and tolerances
ISO 1302, Geometrical Product Specifications (GPS) — Indication of surface texture in
technical product documentation
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in IEC 60584-1 and the
following apply.
3.1
mineral insulated metal-sheathed thermocouple cable
bendable cable consisting of one or more pairs of thermocouple conductors encapsulated in a
metal protecting sheath, insulated from each other and from the sheath by a compacted mineral
material
Note 1 to entry: Abbreviation MIMS for “mineral insulated metal-sheathed” is used hereafter.
3.2
MIMS thermocouple
thermocouple manufactured from mineral-insulated metal-sheathed thermocouple cable
Note 1 to entry: This note applies to the French language only.

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3.3
simplex thermocouple
thermocouple unit comprising one pair of thermocouple conductors
3.4
duplex thermocouple
thermocouple unit comprising two pairs of thermocouple conductors
3.5
triplex thermocouple
thermocouple unit comprising three pairs of thermocouple conductors
3.6
measuring junction
junction of the thermocouple conductors which is subjected to the temperature to be measured
3.7
grounded junction
bonded junction
earthed junction
measuring junction electrically connected to the metal sheath
3.8
insulated junction
ungrounded junction
measuring junction electrically insulated from the metal sheath
3.9
thermal response time
time a thermocouple takes to respond at a specified percentage to a step change in temperature
Note 1 to entry: The time to register 50 % of the step change, for example, is written τ .
0,5
Note 2 to entry: The test medium and its flow conditions shall be specified (usually flowing water or flowing air).
3.10
type test
test conducted on one or more samples of the production to verify that the product is compliant
with the requirements of IEC 61515 following the introduction or change of material specification,
design or manufacturing process
3.11
routine test
test to which each individual product is subjected during or after manufacture to ascertain
whether it complies with the requirements of IEC 61515
3.12
optional test
test that is performed upon agreement between a supplier and a user to ensure compliance with
the user’s specific application
4 General principles
4.1 A MIMS thermocouple
A MIMS thermocouple specified in this standard shall be made of a MIMS thermocouple cable
that complies with this standard.

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4.2 Electromotive force
The electromotive force (abbreviated EMF hereafter) versus temperature relationship shall
comply with IEC 60584-1. The EMF tolerance, as specified in IEC 60584-1, should be agreed
between the supplier and the user.
4.3 Materials and their properties
4.3.1 Sheath
The sheath material shall be of qualified stainless steel or high nickel alloy or other metals
selected by agreement between users and suppliers. It shall be chosen to suit user’s application
in order to protect the thermocouple during use. The general surface finish of the sheath upon
delivery shall be equal to, or better than, roughness grade ISO 1302 scale 8 (3,2 µm Ra).
4.3.2 Conductors
Conductors shall be those forming thermocouple types T, J, E, K or N as specified in
IEC 60584-1.This standard applies to thermocouple cables and thermocouples that have 1, 2
and 3 pairs of thermocouple conductors.
For duplex and triplex, cables basic adjacent conductor configurations are specified. Alternative
configurations are acceptable by the agreement between supplier and user provided that all the
other requirements of this standard are met.
Some examples of alternative adjacent conductor configurations are given in Annex A.
4.3.3 Insulation materials
The mineral insulation shall consist of compacted ceramic powder.
The purity of insulating material should be at least 96 % and informative compositions are shown
in Annex B.
Specific requirements, concerning the purity of the insulation material, can be customized by
agreement between the user and the supplier.
4.4 Maximum operating temperature
Definitive maximum operating temperatures cannot be specified because of the number of
influencing factors. Instead Annex C gives indicative temperature limits which are the
recommended maximum operating temperatures for the standardized thermocouples and some
commonly used sheath materials and diameters. They are to be considered only as guidance for
users.
4.5 Dimensions
4.5.1 Transverse section of MIMS thermocouple cables and thermocouples
The outside diameter, conductor diameter and sheath wall thickness shall be as specified in the
following 4.5.2 to 4.5.4. Throughout this standard the following symbols are used.
• outside diameter D;
• conductor diameter C;
• sheath wall thickness S;
• insulation thickness I.
The insulation thickness I is not quantified in this standard. It shall be such that the specified
requirements for dielectric strength (specified in 5.2.2.3 and 5.3.2.3) and insulation resistance

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(specified in 5.2.2.5 and 5.3.2.4) shall be met. (The maximum value of the insulation thickness
can be deduced from the specified value of D, S and C). Conductors shall be approximately
evenly spaced unless specified otherwise. The following Figures 1, 2 and 3, as well as
Figures A.1, A.2, A.3 and A.4 clarify which part the specifications of D, C and S are applied to.
Insulation thickness is always given in brackets in those figures because it is not numerically
specified.
4.5.2 Transverse section of simplex cable and thermocouple
D
S
( I ) ( I ) ( I )
C C
IEC

Figure 1 – Transverse section of simplex
Table 1 – Dimensional specifications of simplex
Outside diameter D Minimum sheath Minimum diameter of
and its tolerance wall thickness S conductor C
mm mm mm
0,5 ± 0,025 0,05 0,08
0,10 0,15
1,0 ± 0,025
0,15 0,23
1,5 ± 0,025
2,0 ± 0,025 0,20 0,30
3,0 ± 0,030 0,30 0,45
3,2 ± 0,032 0,32 0,48
0,40 0,60
4,0 ± 0,040
0,45 0,68
4,5 ± 0,045
4,8 ± 0,048 0,48 0,72
6,0 ± 0,060 0,60 0,90
6,4 ± 0,064 0,64 0,96
8,0 ± 0,080 0,80 1,20
0,95 1,43
9,5 ± 0,095
10,8 ± 0,108 1,08 1,62

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Sizes not included in Table 1 are acceptable provided that the sheath wall thickness is not less
than 10 % of the thermocouple cable diameter (D) and the conductor diameter (C) is not less
than 15 % of D. The tolerance on D shall be the greater of 0,025 mm or 0,01·D.
4.5.3 Transverse section of duplex cable and thermocouple
D
S
( I )
( I )
C
IEC

Figure 2 – Transverse section of duplex
Table 2 – Dimensional specifications of duplex
Outside diameter D Minimum sheath wall thickness S Minimum diameter of
and its tolerance conductor C
mm mm mm
0,14 0,17
1,5 ± 0,025
2,0 ± 0,025 0,18 0,22
3,0 ± 0,030 0,27 0,33
3,2 ± 0,032 0,29 0,35
4,0 ± 0,040 0,36 0,44
0,41 0,50
4,5 ± 0,045
4,8 ± 0,048 0,43 0,53
6,0 ± 0,060 0,54 0,66
6,4 ± 0,064 0,58 0,70
8,0 ± 0,080 0,72 0,88
0,86 1,05
9,5 ± 0,095
10,8 ± 0,108 0,97 1,19

Sizes not included in Table 2 are acceptable provided that sheath wall thickness is not less than
9 % of the thermocouple cable diameter (D) and conductor diameter (C) is not less than 11 % of
D. The tolerance on D, shall be the greater of 0,025 mm or 0,01·D.

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4.5.4 Transverse section of triplex cable and thermocouple
D
C ( I ) S
( I )
IEC

Figure 3 – Transverse section of triplex
Table 3 – Dimensional specifications of triplex
Outside diameter D Minimum sheath wall thickness S Minimum diameter of
and its tolerance conductor C
mm mm mm
0,24 0,27
3,0 ± 0,030
3,2 ± 0,032 0,26 0,29
4,0 ±0,040 0,32 0,36
4,5 ± 0,045 0,36 0,41
0,38 0,43
4,8 ± 0,048
0,48 0,54
6,0 ± 0,060
6,4± 0,064 0,51 0,58
8,0 ± 0,080 0,64 0,72
9,5 ± 0,095 0,76 0,86
0,86 0,97
10,8 ± 0,108

Sizes not included in the Table 3 are acceptable provided that sheath wall thickness is not less
than 8 % of the thermocouple cable diameter (D) and conductor diameter (C) is not less than 9 %
of D. The tolerance on D shall be 0,01·D.
5 Requirements and verification tests
5.1 General
Tests are divided into three categories, type tests, routine tests and optional tests. The type
tests and the routine tests are mandatory. Therefore suppliers shall keep the record of the test
result which shall be provided to users upon request. Optional tests are not required unless they

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are requested. Details of the optional tests shall be determined by agreement between the
supplier and the user.
Some routine tests can be replaced by sampling tes
...