Recognition of supercooled dew in a quartz crystal microbalance dew-point sensor by slip phenomena

Distinguishing between a supercooled dew and frost below 0 degrees C in dew/frost-point measurements is an important and challenging problem that has not yet been completely solved. This study presents a new method for the recognition of a supercooled dew in a dew/frost-point sensor. A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor was used as a dew/frost-point sensor to detect a dew and a supercooled dew as well as frost. The slip phenomenon occurring at an interface between the water droplet and the surface of the quartz crystal resonator of the QCM sensor gives a simple and accurate way of distinguishing between a supercooled dew and frost below 0 degrees C. This method can give a highly accurate measurement of the dew or the frost point without misreading in the dew-point sensor at temperatures below 0 degrees C.