# US 11,029,270 B2 · Apparatus and method for measuring calorific value > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,029,270 B2 - Document ID: US11029270B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/321,652 - Filed: 2017-07-24 - Published: 2020-02-13 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-09 - Assignees: Azbil Corporation - Applicants: Azbil Corporation - Inventors: Takahiro Motegi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029270B2 ## CPC - G01N 25/18: by investigating thermal conductivity (by calorimetry G01N25/20; by measuring change of resistance of an electrically-heated body G01N27/18) - G01N 25/20: by investigating the development of heat, i.e. calorimetry, e.g. by measuring specific heat, by measuring thermal conductivity (calorimeters per se G01K) - G01N 33/225: {Gaseous fuels, e.g. natural gas} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A measurement unit (101) acquires a first value serving as a thermal conductivity index and a second value serving as a thermal diffusivity index, with respect to a fuel gas to be measured, at a first temperature, a second temperature, and a third temperature that are different from each other. A change rate calculation unit (102) calculates a temperature change rate κ1 of the first value between the first temperature and the second temperature, measured by the measurement unit (101), a temperature change rate κ2 of the first value between the second temperature and the third temperature, a temperature change rate α1 of the second value between the first temperature and the second temperature, and a temperature change rate α2 of the second value between the second temperature and the third temperature. A calorific value calculation unit (103) calculates the calorific value of the fuel gas through a calorific value calculation formula in which the κ1, κ2, α1, and α2 serve as explanatory variables and the calorific value serves as an object variable. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A calorific value measurement method comprising: a first step including acquiring a first value serving as a thermal conductivity index and a second value serving as a thermal diffusivity index, with respect to a fuel gas to be measured, at a first temperature, a second temperature, and a third temperature that are different from each other; a second step including calculating a temperature change rate κ1 of the first value between the first temperature and the second temperature, a temperature change rate κ2 of the first value between the second temperature and the third temperature, a temperature change rate α1 of the second value between the first temperature and the second temperature, and a temperature change rate α2 of the second value between the second temperature and the third temperature; and a third step including calculating a calorific value of the fuel gas through a calorific value calculation formula in which the κ1, κ2, α1, and α2 serve as explanatory variables and the calorific value serves as an object variable, wherein the calorific value calculation formula is a regression formula obtained through acquiring the first value and the second value, with respect to each of four or more fuel gases the calorific value of which is known, at the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature that are different from each other, acquiring the temperature change rate κ1 of the first value between the first temperature and the second temperature, the temperature change rate κ2 of the first value between the second temperature and the third temperature, the temperature change rate α1 of the second value between the first temperature and the second temperature, and the temperature change rate α2 of the second value between the second temperature and the third temperature, with respect to the first value and the second value of each of the fuel gases, and utilizing relations between the κ1, κ2, α1, and α2 of each of the fuel gases serving as the explanatory variables, and the calorific value of each of the known fuel gases serving as the object variable. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The calorific value measurement method according to claim 1, wherein the first value and the second value are acquired through measurement of the fuel gas using a measurement unit including a heat transmitter and a heat receiver, on a basis of an electrical signal from the heat transmitter and an electrical signal from the heat receiver. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The calorific value measurement method according to claim 2, wherein the calorific value calculation formula is obtained through: preparing, as sample gases, four or more fuel gases the calorific value of which is known, the fuel gases being different in composition ratio of component gases from each other; acquiring values of respective electrical signals from the heat transmitter and the heat receiver, the values depending on a temperature of each of the sample gases prepared; heating the heat transmitter contacted by the sample gas at a plurality of heating temperatures; acquiring values of respective electrical signals from the heat transmitter and the heat receiver at each of the heating temperatures; acquiring the temperature change rates κ1, κ2, α1, and α2 of the first value and the second value, acquired on a basis of the values of the electrical signals from the heat transmitter and the heat receiver; and utilizing the κ1, κ2, α1, and α2 as the explanatory variables, and the calorific value of the sample gas as the object variable. ### Claim 4 A calorific value measurement apparatus comprising: a measurement unit configured to acquire a first value serving as a thermal conductivity index and a second value serving as a thermal diffusivity index, with respect to a fuel gas to be measured, at a first temperature, a second temperature, and a third temperature that are different from each other; a change rate calculation unit configured to calculate a temperature change rate κ1 of the first value between the first temperature and the second temperature, measured by the measurement unit, a temperature change rate κ2 of the first value between the second temperature and the third temperature, a temperature change rate α1 of the second value between the first temperature and the second temperature, and a temperature change rate α2 of the second value between the second temperature and the third temperature; and a calorific value calculation unit configured to calculate a calorific value of the fuel gas through a calorific value calculation formula in which the κ1, κ2, α1, and α2 serve as explanatory variables and the calorific value serves as an object variable, wherein the calorific value calculation formula is a regression formula obtained through acquiring the first value and the second value, with respect to each of four or more fuel gases the calorific value of which is known, at the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature that are different from each other, acquiring the temperature change rate κ1 of the first value between the first temperature and the second temperature, the temperature change rate κ2 of the first value between the second temperature and the third temperature, the temperature change rate α1 of the second value between the first temperature and the second temperature, and the temperature change rate α2 of the second value between the second temperature and the third temperature, with respect to the first value and the second value of each of the fuel gases, and utilizing relations between the κ1, κ2, α1, and α2 of each of the fuel gases serving as the explanatory variables, and the calorific value of each of the known fuel gases serving as the object variable. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The calorific value measurement apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the measurement unit includes a heat transmitter and a heat receiver, and the first value and the second value are acquired on a basis of an electrical signal from the heat transmitter and an electrical signal from the heat receiver. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The calorific value measurement apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the calorific value calculation formula is a regression formula obtained through: preparing, as sample gases, four or more fuel gases the calorific value of which is known, the fuel gases being different in composition ratio of component gases from each other; acquiring values of respective electrical signals from the heat transmitter and the heat receiver, the values depending on a temperature of each of the sample gases prepared; heating the heat transmitter contacted by the sample gas at a plurality of heating temperatures; acquiring values of respective electrical signals from the heat transmitter and the heat receiver at each of the heating temperatures; acquiring the temperature change rates κ1, κ2, α1, and α2 of the first value and the second value, acquired on a basis of the values of the electrical signals from the heat transmitter and the heat receiver; and utilizing the κ1, κ2, α1, and α2 as the explanatory variables, and the calorific value of the sample gas as the object variable.