Temperature locale sensors and related methods

A method for using a temperature sensor to determine a location of a predetermined temperature within an environment, the method comprising:

• disposing, within the environment, a temperature sensor comprising an enclosure and a phase-change material, the enclosure defining a sealed volume at a known pressure, the phase-change material being within the sealed volume and being formulated to change from a gaseous phase to a solid phase, without condensing to a liquid phase, at the known pressure and a predetermined deposition temperature equal to the predetermined temperature;
• with the phase-change material at least partially in the gaseous phase, and not in the liquid phase, retaining the sealed volume within the environment as the phase-change material changes from the gaseous phase to the solid phase, forming solid grain deposits within the sealed volume;
• and
• measuring a location of the solid grain deposits to determine the location of the predetermined temperature.

A method of using a temperature sensor to determine a location of a maximum temperature within an environment, the method comprising:

• providing a temperature sensor comprising a solid mass of a phase-change material within a sealed volume at a known pressure, the sealed volume defined by an enclosure of the temperature sensor, the solid mass disposed in a central portion of the temperature sensor, the phase-change material being formulated to change from a gaseous phase to a solid phase, without condensing to a liquid phase, at the known pressure and a predetermined deposition temperature;
• disposing the temperature sensor within the environment and exposing the solid mass to a temperature greater than a sublimation temperature of the phase-change material;
• within the environment, exposing distal ends of the temperature sensor to temperatures equal to or less than the predetermined deposition temperature of the phase-change material to deposit solid grains of the phase-change material within the sealed volume proximate each of the distal ends of the temperature sensor;
• and
• measuring a mid-point between the solid grains to determine the location of the maximum temperature within the environment.