Automotive NTC thermistors measure the refrigerant temperature indirectly

EPCOS/TDK HP100 NTC thermistors, available now from Mouser, are a series of heat pump sensors for measuring the refrigerant temperature indirectly through the pipes' surface temperature. The NTC-based sensors are particularly created to satisfy automotive needs. Standard for pipe diameters of 12.8mm, this clip-on design can function in harsh environments from -40C to +150C and is water immersion resistant for up to 500 hours. The response time is less than 7s. The AEC-Q200 qualified sensors provide a high dielectric strength of 1250VAC for 10s, an important criterion for EV use. Low-temperature tolerance of ±0.3K at a nominal temperature of 85C ensures high control accuracy.

Thanks to the clip-on technology, the sensor is extremely easy to mount. Also, this technology does not need any entries into the cooling or refrigerant circuits, minimising leakage risks.

Typical applications of robust sensors are detecting the refrigerant temperature of heat pumps as part of the thermal management of high-voltage batteries for electric vehicles.