What Response Time Is

Response time is the time it takes for a system to react to a given input.

Speaking of sensors, we mean the time that a sensor, placed from an environment in a certain environment, takes before detecting the new environmental conditions.

For example, a temperature sensor brought from room temperature in an environment (say 25 ° C) with different temperature, whether the difference is small or large. The time it takes for the sensor to detect the new temperature is the response time.

Usually we talk about T90, i.e. the time it takes for the sensor to detect 90% of the temperature difference. Therefore a temperature sensor that has been at 0 ° C for some time and has therefore stabilized on that temperature is placed in an environment at 100 ° C. The time it will take to detect 90 ° C (90% of the temperature difference from 0 to 100) is its response time, Sometimes T63 is used instead.

The temperature difference, however, is not the only variable to consider as the response time must always be indicated with reference to the environmental conditions: in still air, in motion, in still liquid, in motion, what type of liquid, the speed of the movement etc.

Generally, for short processes and especially with frequent changes in temperature, such as a sterilization process, sensors with fast response times are preferred. For long processes or with little variations in tmeperatra over time, or in any case very slow, such as the monitoring of a cold room or a room, temperature sensors with slower response time can be used.