Publications Repository - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

Chemical processes are often controlled by monitoring pressure and temperature in the process chamber. However, usually these parameters are only available at selected positions, e.g. the inlet and outlet. And they are often not sufficient to operate the processes at the limit, i.e., to ensure high production rates and safety requirements, respectively. The knowledge of temperature fields is even more required if multiphase processes with a high tendency of segregation are considered due to occurrence of dead zones or by-passes.
A sensor concept for two-dimensional measurement of temperature fields for the monitoring of mixing processes was developed and tested. The sensor consists of a 32x32 matrix of small NTC temperature sensors. The measurement electronics is based on a multiplexing driving scheme. This set up enables the measurement of liquid temperatures at the surface of the sensor in each crossing point of the matrix. Applying the new electronic scheme, scanning frequencies up to 100 Hz allow fast temperature measurement to derive conclusions about heat transfer, flow regimes and mixing conditions.
The sensor performance was tested in two experimental setups. Heated phantoms of known geometric shape were applied to study the spatial resolution of the sensor. Furthermore, the 32x32 temperature sensor was installed at the wall of a flat mixing chamber. The flow chamber was fed by two liquid streams of different temperature connected at the inlet ports. Temporal evolution of the mixing temperature and steady-state mixing temperature patterns were observed.