Comparison of the responsiveness of ultrasonic oscillating temperature sensors (UOTSes) and conventional sensors to temperature inflection points

Ultrasonic oscillating temperature sensors (UOTSes), in distinction to conventional temperature sensors, feature almost negligible settling time. This property can be useful for detecting malfunctions, failures and misuses of heat exchangers. However, most exchangers handle substantial thermal masses, which obscure the detection of any temperature changes. We compared the responsiveness of conventional DS18B20 sensors and an UOTS to the change in the temperature gradient of over 3.5 kg of water using a posteriori records. Temperature inflection points were estimated by extending the curves for separate distinct heating and cooling intervals that fit best and finding their interception. For the UOTS, the interception occurred about 100 seconds sooner, making it a potential candidate for detecting heat exchangers’ irregularities.