Devices for detecting material deposits in fluid flow conduits
AssigneeWatlow Electric Manufacturing Company
InventorsJohn Lilleland, Grant Brewer, Li Zheng, Terry Madson, Sanhong Zhang, Miranda Pizzella
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sensor for detecting material deposits in a fluid flow conduit includes a body and an array of pairs of temperature sensors disposed within the body, where each pair of temperature sensors is spaced a distance apart along a primary flow direction of the fluid flow conduit.
Claims27
A sensor for detecting material deposits in a fluid flow conduit, the sensor comprising:
- a body;
- and
- an array of pairs of temperature sensors electrically coupled to each other and disposed within the body, each pair of temperature sensors spaced a distance apart along a primary flow direction of the fluid flow conduit,
- wherein the array of pairs of temperature sensors are arranged in multiple rows and columns, and
- wherein the rows of the array of pairs of temperature sensors are stacked in a radial direction of the fluid flow conduit.
A sensor for detecting material deposits in a fluid flow conduit, the sensor comprising:
- a body;
- an array of pairs of temperature sensors electrically coupled to each other and disposed within the body, each pair of temperature sensors spaced a distance apart along a primary flow direction of the fluid flow conduit;
- and
- a heater secured to an exterior portion of the body,
- wherein the array of pairs of temperature sensors are arranged in multiple rows and columns,
- wherein the rows of the array of pairs of temperature sensors are stacked in a radial direction of the fluid flow conduit.
A method of detecting material deposits in a fluid flow conduit, the method comprising:
- detecting temperatures from an array of pairs of temperature sensors electrically coupled to each other and disposed proximate the fluid flow conduit;
- monitoring differences in temperatures of the array of pairs of temperature sensors over time;
- and
- determining a presence of material deposits based on the differences in temperature,
- wherein the array of pairs of temperature sensors are arranged in multiple rows and columns, and
- wherein the rows of the array of pairs of temperature sensors are stacked in a radial direction of the fluid flow conduit.
A sensor for detecting material deposits in a fluid flow conduit, the sensor comprising:
- a body;
- and
- an array of pairs of temperature sensors electrically coupled to each other and disposed within the body, each pair of temperature sensors spaced a distance apart along a primary flow direction of the fluid flow conduit,
- wherein the array of pairs of temperature sensors comprises rows stacked in a radial direction of the fluid flow conduit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.