Multi-parallel sensor array system
AssigneeWatlow Electric Manufacturing Company
InventorsPhilip S. Schmidt, Cal T. Swanson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a sensing system and method that includes a plurality of resistive elements coupled to a plurality of nodes and a control system configured to index through a plurality of modes to measure an electrical characteristic for each resistive element. Each mode of the plurality of modes represents a different combination of power, return, or open circuit condition applied to each of the plurality of nodes, and the control system is configured to calculate, for each of the modes, a total power consumed by the system and a power consumed by each of the resistive elements based on the measured electrical characteristics, to determine a physical parameter.
Claims26
A sensing system comprising:
- a plurality of resistive elements coupled to a plurality of nodes and disposed at a thermal system;
- a plurality of switches coupled to the plurality of nodes, wherein a switch from among the plurality of switches is operable to couple a node from among the plurality of nodes to a return, a power, or an open circuit condition;
- and
- a control system coupled to and configured to operate the plurality of switches, wherein:
- the control system is configured to index through a plurality of modes to measure an electrical characteristic for each of the plurality of resistive elements by operating the plurality of switches, wherein each mode of the plurality of modes represents a different combination of power, return, or open circuit condition applied to each of the plurality of nodes, and
- the control system is configured to calculate, for each of the modes, a total power consumed by the sensing system and a power consumed by each of the plurality of resistive elements based on the measured electrical characteristic, to determine a physical parameter of the thermal system.
A method for measuring a physical parameter of a thermal system using a sensing system having a plurality of resistive elements coupled to a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:
- indexing through a plurality of modes to measure an electrical characteristic for each of the plurality of resistive elements, wherein each mode of the plurality of modes represents a different combination of power, return, or open circuit condition applied to each of the plurality of nodes;
- and
- calculating, for each of the modes, a total power consumed by the sensing system and a power consumed by each of the plurality of resistive elements based on the measured electrical characteristic, to determine the physical parameter of the thermal system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.