Heat Soak Detection/Quantification

Basics

• This page aims to outline the reasons for, and a means of, measuring not only Coolant Temperature or Engine Block Temperature / Exhaust Gas Temperature etc, but the specific temperature at various depths of the Engine Block (Towards the Piston Cylinder Walls), or of various components at different depths or steps in the chain
• The main advantage is one could quantify the Thermal Soak (ie Cold Soak or “Hot Soak” ) of an engine, and measure Heat Creep / Heat Soak
• If an engine is indeed doing a Cold Start or if it is a “Warm EngineL / near warm could also be qualified and various ECU parameters adjusted accordingly
  • If an Engine Oil Heater / Engine Coolant Heater / Engine Block Heater were used as well etc, this would also be a benefit of this sensor system.

Potential Forms of Doing This

Conventional Route

• Separate Sensors in Different Spots/Componets
• CAN work, but may introduce complexity in Cable Harness design, and Design for Maintenance / Design for Component Failure

“Meat Thermometer” / “ Dipstick “

• Essentially have something akin to a Meat Thermometer / Cooking Thermometer in function, but the size of an Oil Dipstick accesible for Maintenance in a similar manner (potentially even in a similar spot)
• All that would be needed would be a cast void, or drilled hole

Internal Links

• Cold Soak Test
  • A type of test wherein the device or component is essentially “frozen solid” such that ALL COMPONENTS reach the targeted cold temperature
  • Essentially approximates the worst possible Cold Start conditions, or storage/use in a place like Alaska or Space etc
• Open Source Battery Pack
  • Integrating similar sensors into these may be nice as well